RIO GRANDE – DESCENTE EN RAFTING

All the hotels and tourist agencies organize on demand the excursion on the Rio Grande river, it is THE best spot for Jamaican "rafting". This is the best spot for rafting in Jamaica. It's a quiet descent on a bamboo raft nicely decorated with palm leaves, fresh colored flowers, most of them with sound (but you can ask to turn off the sound). You are comfortably seated on a bench, with nice rapids and not at all in rafting mode as we hear at home sitting on pneumatic tubes hung on a rope. Of all the descents offered throughout the country, it is probably the Rio Grande that stands out. The trip, which lasts from 2h30 to 3h (against 1h30 for most of them), takes place in a sumptuous tropical vegetation, in a deep silence pierced by the birds' songs. The longest river of the island runs along steep gorges and gentle slopes under an azure sky and a blazing sun. The passage of the silent raft hardly disturbs the peaceful peasant life only punctuated by the course of the sun.
River rafting is a popular tourist activity offered on many rivers throughout the country. The long, narrow bamboo rafts, 4 to 5 meters long, used to ply the Rio Grande with banana bunches from the plantations and transport them to the loading docks in Port Antonio. The activity was popularized by early tourists to the area and in particular by Hollywood actor Errol Flynn, who once lived in the area and organized raft races for the enjoyment of his famous guests. Today, rafts for tourists are legion and comfortably equipped with a small bamboo bench, sometimes even with cushions and decorated with tropical flowers. An appreciable comfort.
Be aware that one does not improvise rafter, and if they make evolve their long and frail boat without difficulty in the meanders of the river, the task of the rafters is much more arduous than it seems and requires a long training and an excellent physical condition (what justifies the rather expensive price of the excursion). If you are a couple, be sure to ask the rafter to point out the Lovers' Cove, named after Errol Flynn, and to exchange the traditional kiss that brings good luck. A bit kitschy but fun!