Caribbean Birding Trail

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You are here: Home / Jamaica / Hardwar Gap

Hardwar Gap

  • About Hardwar Gap
  • The Birds
  • How to Get There
  • Where to Stay
  • Tour Operators and Guides

The Hardwar Gap road is a 5 mile stretch of road from New Castle to Section. Most of the area is part of the Blue and John Crow Mountain National Park and 24 of the endemic birds can be found in this area.

Photo by Lyndon Johnson
Hardwar Gap (Photo by Lyndon Johnson)

The birding at Hardwar Gap is quite good, just over an hour drive from Kingston you will be able to bird on the south side of the island and also the north side. Hardwar Gap sits on the border of two parishes, St. Andrew on the South and Portland on the North. This area is approximately 4000 ft above sea level and sits in part of the Blue Mountains, which has a high point of 7402 ft. The area for birding is along the road, which most of the time is not busy.

Photo by Lyndon Johnson
Hardwar Gap (Photo by Lyndon Johnson)

At Hardwar Gap there is a recreational park called Holywell, which costs $5USD to enter. Holywell also has cabins and gazebos for guests to use, which can be booked through Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust. The park also has a few trails to bird and in general is a good lunch spot if you carry a packed lunch. If you require a restaurant you can try the Gap Cafe which is close to Hollywell. Some of the most sought-after birds in this location are the Jamaican Black Bird, The Crested Quail Dove, Rufous Throated Solitaire, Chestnut Billed Cuckoo and the Greater Antillean Elaenia.

All of the Jamaican endemics can be found here except Jamaican Crow, Yellow Billed Parrot, Black Billed Parrot, and Black Billed Streamertail. Other birds that nest in the area include Greater Antillean Elaenia, Rufous-throated Solitaire, Vervain Hummingbird, and Black-whiskered Vireo.

To reach Hardwar Gap from Kingston, first head to Papine. At Papine square keep left after passing the Gas Station where you will travel along the Gordon Town Road. After crossing the bridge approximately 1 1/2 mile above Papine turn second left on the New Castle Road. Travel along road way till you reach New Castle which is an Army Camp. The road way is across the parade grounds. Drive for another half mile and you can start your birding.

Photo by Lyndon Johnson
Hardwar Gap (Photo by Lyndon Johnson)

Holywell has cabins and campsites for guests to rent, which can be booked through Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust.

If you would like a guide, we recommend Lyndon Johnson: [email protected], +1-876-4606096; Roger Thompson of Heavenly Bliss Tours, [email protected]; or Arrowhead Birding Tours, www.arrowheadbirding.com.

Photo by Lyndon Johnson
The Cottage (Photo by Lyndon Johnson)

Hardwar Gap

Jamaica Sites

  • Ahhh…Ras Natango Gallery and Garden
  • Barbecue Bottom Road
  • Black River Great Morass
  • Cockpit Country
  • Ecclesdown Road
  • Flagstaff
  • Green Hills Field Station
  • Hardwar Gap
  • Hope Gardens
  • Portland Bight Protected Area
  • Stewart Town

Jamaica Partners

  • Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation
  • Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency


Jamaica Tour Operators

  • Ann Sutton, Independent Guide
  • Arrowhead Birding Tours
  • Wildside Nature Tours

Bird Checklists

Click here for a pamphlet-sized checklist of the birds of Jamaica.

Recommended Field Guides

A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Jamaica by Ann Haynes-Sutton, Audrey Downer, and Robert Sutton

Birds of the West Indies by Herbert Raffaele, James Wiley, Orlando Garrido, Allan Keith, and Janis Raffaele

Want to know how you can be involved?

Do you know of a place that should be part of the Caribbean Birding Trail? Are you the owner of a lodge or hotel and want to attract eco-tourists? Are you a guide interested in the birdwatching market? Then, get involved with our project!

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