Bad roads robbing Treasure Beach of its magic, and visitors 

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I have been blessed to reside in the Treasure Beach area for over two decades.  As an activist for sustainable agriculture, I have spent the past 20 years advocating for the farmers of this region. 

Visitors and locals alike consistently comment on how Treasure Beach is just “different”. I don’t think it’s different, I think it’s magic. The people of Treasure Beach are tight-knit, but welcoming.  The pace is sleepy and relaxed, but full of art and culture, never commercialised. The fishermen on the beach are just as quick to share in their fresh catch with you as they are a few beers at sunset.  

My husband and I have raised our daughter in the region, grown our own food, grown friendships, grown community with locals, visitors, and expats alike. When Hurricane Melissa hit, Treasure Beach and its environs were particularly impacted. But the hurricane did nothing to change the spirit of the place. And in record time, local residents, NGOs, and countless visitors who love this place helped to get Treasure Beach back to its magical self. 

The urgent issue now, is quite literally in being able to actually reach Treasure Beach. The road from Montego Bay is in poor condition. Once a visitor bound for Treasure Beach lands in Montego Bay, they are not looking towards a multiple hour-long drive across treacherous and nauseating roads. Many visitors arrive exhausted, at night, vowing to go to places like Mexico or the Dominican Republic for their next trip. 

If we want to keep the magic alive in Treasure Beach, the government must focus on the very road to get here. It was particularly disappointing for me to learn that when recently holding a townhall meeting in our community, Minister of Tourism Ed Bartlett travelled to and from Treasure Beach via Kingston, a decidedly much easier journey. Even more distressing was to know that the deputy minister has not yet visited. Majority of visitors come to Treasure Beach from Montego Bay. 

All of us in Treasure Beach know it, and I urge the powers that be to take a drive out and experience what visitors must go through just to get to a small piece of magic. If the South Coast Highway is not made a priority soon, the magic will soon be gone. 

LIZ SOLMS

Treasure Beach, Jamaica