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), and the highest one outside of Hispaniola. It is the home of Blue Mountain coffee. It is located on the border of the Portland and Saint Thomas parishes of Jamaica.

Blue Mountain Peak
Highest point
Elevation	2,256 m (7,402 ft)[1]
Prominence	2,256 m (7,402 ft)[1]
Listing	57th-highest peak of an island on Earth North America prominent peak 57th North America isolated peaks 70th Country high point Ultra Ribu
Coordinates	18°02′48″N 76°34′45″W[1]
Geography
Blue Mountain Peak Location in Jamaica
Location	Portland / Saint Thomas, Jamaica
Parent range	Blue Mountains

Panoramic view from Hellshire Beach with the Blue Mountain Peak in the distance

The Blue Mountain Peak is part of the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.^[2]

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.^[3]

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.

See also

• List of Ultras of the Caribbean
• List of mountain peaks of the Caribbean