Blue Mountain Peak
# Blue Mountain Peak

Blue Mountain Peak is the highest mountain in Jamaica and one of the highest peaks in the Caribbean at 2,256 metres (7,402 ft). It is the home of Blue Mountain coffee. It is located on the border of the Portland and Saint Thomas parishes of Jamaica.

The Blue Mountain Peak is part of the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.

## Hiking

The Blue Mountains are popular for hiking and camping. The traditional Blue Mountain trek is a 7-mile (11 km) hike to the peak and consists of a 3,000-foot (910 m) increase in elevation. Jamaicans prefer to reach the peak at sunrise, thus the 3- to 4-hour hike is usually undertaken in darkness. Since the sky is usually very clear in the mornings, Cuba can be seen in the distance.

There is a park fee to pay to hike on the peak.

## Flora

The famous Blue Mountain coffee is grown on the mountain. The small coffee farming communities of Claverty Cottage and Hagley Gap are located near the peak.

Some of the plants found on the Blue Mountain cannot be found anywhere else in the world and they are often of a dwarfed sort. This is mainly due to the cold climate which inhibits growth.

## Birds

* Vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima), Strawberry Hill, Jamaica
* Male Jamaican spindalis (Spindalis nigricephala), Blue Mountains, Jamaica
* Arrowhead warbler Setophaga pharetra, Blue Mountains, Jamaica.
