Blue Hole is a popular tourist attraction located in the hills of Ocho Rios, Jamaica. It features swimming holes and waterfalls and is perfect for anyone looking for a scenic getaway.
I like to think of Blue Hole as a ‘hidden’ or ‘underground’ attraction. It it is not well-known, controlled by a government agency or backed by any major players in the tourism industry.
Renegade Expressions 
It’s absolutely beautiful! Enjoy your time here 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. I did. 🙂
LikeLike
This honestly….is my fav spot in Jam. I cannot wait to revisit it because when I went it was a rainy day. Lovely pics
LikeLike
Thank you. I have only been there once, and I can see why it would be your favorite.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I have never been there and don’t even know where to find it! These are my favorite kinds of places, hidden away and not over-commercialised. I am glad you had a nice time on my island home!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those are the kinds of places I love too. Blue Hole reminded me of Cane River Falls, up in the hills and off the beaten path. I worry that they will eventually commercialize Blue Hole.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really hope they will not! We must try to find it.
LikeLike
Please do what you can. Especially with the government trying to privatize the better beaches in Jamaica.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes – indeed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never seen a photo of Blue Hole that wasn’t captivating! I’ve visited previously before it was as developed as is now, but didn’t get to take a swim. I always have the notion that being more popular now it’ll probably be crowded which is why it hasn’t really been on my radar, but may visit sooner than later now!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Blue Hole is getting more popular, and as it does, it will lose its appeal (at least for me).
LikeLiked by 2 people
With you on that, which is why I haven’t returned lol. For me, if there are more than 5 people at a river while I am, I can’t truly enjoy it. 5 is also a big number lol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly! Five is a crowd.🙂
LikeLike
Wow, the place looks so empty! When I visited one Saturday nearly 2 years ago it was jam-packed and my guide just felt like he was rushing us through the place and he was way too pushy for tips. The place is extremely beautiful though but that first experience was why I haven’t been interested in going back. Maybe I should give them another try on a weekday or earlier before it gets crowded (we went around midday).
LikeLiked by 2 people
My visit there wasn’t a pleasant experience. The lady at the ticket office wanted to charge me for a vest and was pissy when I told her I wasn’t going to pay for something I didn’t need. After that, I was followed around the property because I was taking too many photographs. They were wary of my presence and actions because of ongoing wranglings with the government or a private entity. It took great restraint on my part not to get in an altercation with one of the guys on the property.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, that’s terrible. 😦 I thought the vest was automatically included in the $500 they charge locals. Ah gosh, you see I want attractions to remain in the hands of locals but sometimes for the sake of proper customer service, hospitality training and security, I can see why the UDC takes things over. However, the current UDC corruption saga at Dunns’ River is a next matter…. Anyway, I hope Blue Hole’s issues with the government can get resolved soon and they can also learn a thing or two about treating visitors properly.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yeah, I hope they get it together. On another note; Did you do a post on Blue Hole? I checked your blog before I published my post. I wanted to create a link to your blog since you would have a lot more information.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did but I used one of its other names why you perhaps didn’t find it: https://adventuresfromelle.com/2017/11/02/island-gully-falls/ And aww 😊😊 I’m flattered.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ok cool🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thats the issue with some places in Jamaica: They changing names like some changing their underwear. I called my post first “Irie Blue Hole”. A few weeks later I recognized, it’s called “Cool Blue Hole” now. Another issue with this place is, there are seemingly 2 or 3 similar falls very nearby. We visited the place, where you have been three times: 2013 it was a secret hint. 2014 it was more developed, but still uncrowded. 2016 there were much more people around and they had a photographer, from who you could buy a DVD with pics of your visit. One day we will check the thing with the diefferent places – for sure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I noticed that as well after I made my post. Some of the photos I have seen look like a completely different place.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely. This is our motivation to find it out. Some people, who live around, told us the same. These are different places. Where are you located?
LikeLike
I am Jamaican, but I live in Delaware. There is also a ‘Blue Hole’ on the other end of the island. I forget which parish.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thats Westmoreland. There are a few “Blue Hole”s in Jamaica. Did you know, that the Blue Lagoon was named Blue Hole too, before the movie was filmed?
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, I did not know that. Jamaicans usually are more creative when it comes to naming things. 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
We ar Germans by birth, Swiss by choice and Jamaicans at heart. 🇯🇲
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cool, how long have you lived in Jamaica?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jamaica is in our hearts since 2013, we travel around in a rental car once a year (this year we will make it twice – schschsch…) and love to explore the island. Maybe we move to Jamaica, if we win the lottery or if we are retired. 😉
LikeLike
That’s awesome!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think, the problems are solved, if the government owned the Blue Hole and leased it to a financially potent investor. Isn’t this the way, mostly things are going in Jamaica? I can understand, that they getting nervous.
Another question under us non professionel bloggers: Do you sometimey mention, that you run a blog, if you speak with people at the locations, you visit?
LikeLike
I think it’s only a matter of time before the government takes control of Blue Whole.
I don’t usually mention that I have a blog when I visit those types of places, but I think I will start doing that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s mostly how things are done which is sad because the community tends to not benefit as much from the profits. That’s why I prefer supporting community based tourism, but too often the community members prove unable to carry out a decent operation without government or private investment, either from unprofessionalism or poor infrastructure and safety or even worse, crime such as at the Caymanas River attraction in St. Catherine. It’s a tough choice to make. I wish the community members could just get organized and not make things bad for themselves because they are the ones who will lose the most. The investor will benefit and even the consumer too from better customer service and infrastructure… but prices will go up.
And personally no. I’ve only mentioned it twice (those were special circumstances though.. in one instance the trip was free in exchange for the blog write up, the other.. well.. my tour guide wss friendly and couldn’t make sense of why I was taking a tour alone 😂). Reason: I feel companies, tour guides etc will put on a front if they know they’re being reviewed and I want to see how’s the customer service ordinarily so I can give an unbiased review.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh no! You have put me off going now… I wonder which private entity, I think I can guess at one or two… That is not good. I’m sure my husband would have had an altercation. A VEST?? What for?
LikeLiked by 1 person
They claim the vest (life jacket) is for your ‘safety.’ I told them I didn’t need one and I shouldn’t be forced to pay for something I wouldn’t use. Apart from the fact that I didn’t need the vest, they are generally grimy, so I wasn’t going to wear it.
LikeLike
This looks so beautiful. I will definitely visit here when next I travel to Jamaica because I’d be going to Ocho Rios. How much is it and do they have life guards around for weak swimmers like me? (I hope to be a better swimmer before I travel though)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, they have lifeguards on duty. The entrance fee is about 15 USD, and it includes a life jacket. The central swim hole is deep, so I would recommend using a life jacket.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh great. Then I sure would use a life jacket regardless. Thanks for the tip. I hope you have a great time there!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t wait to come back to Jamaica just to come back to this magical place!
LikeLike
I am glad you enjoyed my home country. Where are the places in Jamaica you have been?
LikeLike