Mandeville, principal town of the parish of Manchester, is a quiet, restful mountain resort, a little over 2,000 feet above sea level with a cool climate (70-75 degrees by day, 65-70 degrees by night) ideal for such pursuits as golf, walking and horseback riding.
The town is often likened to an English village and certainly boasts a village green, handsome stone buildings and stone-walled pastures.
Once a sleepy country town, Mandeville has a bit of bustle nowadays. The town came awake some 40 years ago when the potential of the red earth of the surrounding countryside was wedded to the world's demand for bauxite and its end product, aluminium. The nearby alumina plant at Nain is the second largest in the world.
Now ecotourism is ushering in yet another phase in the town's development as more and more visitors want to leave the resort areas and explore the country side.
The town boasts a 9-hole golf course, the oldest in the island. The layout is well-planned, with 18 tee boxes so that a full game can be played and a round of golf played in the cool atmosphere of the hills is a delightful experience.
Mandeville Hotel in Mandeville itself has an elegant indoor dining room and a pleasant poolside cafe. The Manchester Arms is an authentic English-style pub. 962-2460.
Bloomfield Great House in Mandeville, a 200 year old edifice recently restored to its former glory by Australian Ralph Pearce and his Jamaican wife Pamela Grant, is an experience well worth making a special trip to the area to enjoy. The panoramic view of Mandeville from the verandah restaurant is remarkable as is the artwork decorating the walls. It is open for lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday. 962-7130.
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