Black River | |
---|---|
Parish Capital | |
Waterloo Guest House | |
Coordinates: 18°01′32″N 77°51′03″W / 18.0256901°N 77.850945°W | |
Country | Jamaica |
Parish | St Elizabeth |
Population | |
• Estimate (2009) | 4,261 |
Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
Black River is the capital of St. Elizabeth Parish, in southwestern Jamaica.[2] It developed as a port around the mouth of the river of the same name. Today, the city is a centre of environmental tourism and a gateway to the Treasure Beach resort area. Treasure Beach and Crane Beach are to the south-east, with Luana Beach to the west. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, it was a thriving sugar port with a market for African slaves.
Growing prosperity in the sugar and lumber trade led to the construction of several warehouses. Some have been adapted as restaurants or as bases for eco-tours of the river.[2]