Lover's Leap lost? TPDCO seeking private-sector partners to invest in south coast attraction
Published:Sunday | January 16, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
CANADIAN VISITORS Tasha Baker and Saul Robinson were disappointed as they found the closed gates of the internationally famed south coast attraction, Lover's Leap, on Thursday.
They had been told that the historic St Elizabeth property was a must-see during their trip to Jamaica, but the padlocked gates put paid to that plan.
The matter was compounded when they found out that there was no one there to tell them if or when the legendary facility would be reopened.
With the disappointment visible on their faces, the Canadian couple rode off on their motorbike, obviously upset that they had failed to get a close-up look at one of the most beautiful sites in Jamaica and the world.
But Executive Director of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) Earl Patrick later told The Sunday Gleaner that this is a short-term issue that is being resolved.
He said the premier attraction had been closed for about six weeks but should be back in business by the end of March.
ended lease
According to Patrick, the entity which had leased Lover's Leap from the TPDCo decided to end the lease suddenly, leaving the attraction without an operator.
"What we plan to do now is complete some minor repairs and put the property back on the market for lease," Patrick said.
He told The Sunday Gleaner that the procurement process could take up to two months, and that was the reason for the end-of-March timeline.
The TPDCo executive director said Lover's Leap is slated to be a key part of the tourism offerings on the south coast.
"We believe the property has development potential. For example, we could have a cable car taking visitors from the top of the cliff to the seaside, and that is the sort of development that we want to see," Patrick said.
"We need a private-sector partner who can share our vision of the development, or some other private-sector entity prepared to go it alone, but this must be looked at as a long-term project," added Patrick.
He said the TPDCo is looking for a partner with deep pockets to ensure that Lover's Leap is transformed into the gem that it can become.
"It has tremendous potential to be one of the star attractions of the south coast, with community tourism such as being done in Black River and Treasure Beach," said Patrick.
He told The Sunday Gleaner that the TPDCo was also seeking to control the lighthouse, which is on the property, and to make it part of the attraction.
The lighthouse is owned by the Port Authority of Jamaica and is said to be the most recently constructed lighthouse in Jamaica.
Lover's Leap emerges where the Santa Cruz mountains in south St Elizabeth come to an abrupt end, exposing an almost 1,700-foot vertical drop down to the waves crashing on Cutlass Bay.
There is a lookout point which provides a fantastic vantage point, allowing visitors to see as far as Rocky Point, Clarendon, to the east, and Treasure Beach in St Elizabeth to the west.
The legend of Lover's Leap
This idyllic beauty spot is named after two slave lovers from the 18th century, Mizzy and Tunkey. Legend has it that their master, 'Chardley', took a liking to the girl, and in a bid to have her for himself, he arranged for her lover to be sold to another estate. The pair fled to avoid being separated, but were eventually chased to the edge of a large, steep cliff.
Rather than face being caught and separated, the pair chose to end their lives by jumping together.
Indeed, the legend provided the inspiration for the novel Lover's Leap, written by Jamaican author Horane Smith, who grew up nearby. The story is also remembered by a wooden carving of the two lovers at the site.
Among the attractions on site is a restaurant which provides local meals and drinks. The restaurant takes a great deal of inspiration from the romantic story of the two tragic lovers and is appropriately adorned with heart-shaped motifs.
The Lover's Leap lighthouse is also another calling card. It is powered by three sources: electricity, generator, and battery.
While Cutlass Bay shelters a pristine beach, swimming is discouraged as the water in this high-energy bay is rough. However, nature lovers are lured by a three-mile trail, which leads down to the bay.