St Ann: Cradle of history, shoreline of peace

Tucked along Jamaica’s enchanting north coast lies the parish of St Ann, a land where history breathes, nature heals, and the spirit finds its quiet strength. Known affectionately as the “Garden Parish,” St Ann is a place where your soul can exhale, your heart can listen, and your mind can find its own rhythm. After a long, stressful day, no matter where you are, St Ann invites you to pause. Close your eyes. Breathe. Whisper gently to yourself: I am. I am at peace. I am.

This parish is no ordinary patch of paradise. It is the very heartbeat of Jamaican heritage. In Discovery Bay, also called Dry Harbour, the sea once welcomed history’s great and controversial arrival, Christopher Columbus in 1494. Some claim that his ships first touched here. Others say it was Sevilla la Nueva (New Seville), just east of the bay. What is certain is that St Ann holds the earliest threads of European contact and colonisation in Jamaica. You can still walk the grounds of Seville Heritage Park, where remnants of Taino, Spanish, and British legacies whisper through the wind.

Further inland rise the Dry Harbour Mountains, their ridges blanketed in mist and mystery. These hills cradle stories of Maroon resilience, of farming communities rooted in faith, and of generations who lived close to the land and even closer to the Creator.

But history is only part of St Ann’s gift. Visit the Green Grotto Caves, walk through the Fern Gully, or stand in awe at Dunn’s River Falls, and you will begin to feel it: that sacred pull back to your centre. This isn’t just relaxation. It is renewal.

Whether you are watching the sun dip over Runaway Bay, meditating on the soft sands of Priory Beach, or simply sipping tea on a cool Moneague morning, allow yourself to reconnect. Let the breeze off the Caribbean Sea remind you: You are not lost. You are discovering your true self. You are a precious gift from God to this world.

So today, take just a few minutes. Recap your yesterday. Look into your now. And dream of the beyond. Pave your path with hope and intention because in the warm arms of St. Ann and the universe, you are never alone.

Contributed by Dr Lorenzo Gordon, a diabetologist, internal medicine consultant, biochemist, and a history and heritage enthusiast. Send feedback to inspiring876@gmail.com