Mystic Mountain Rainforest Adventure, Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Mystic Mountain: An Eco-friendly Adventure Park in Jamaica
Mystic Mountain Rainforest Adventure is an eco-friendly attraction located in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Nestled in the scenic tourist hub on Jamaica's north coast, Mystic Mountain offers visitors the truly unique experience of a thrilling day adventure while also being environmentally friendly. It is the perfect eco-friendly adventure for the whole family.
Related: 5 Reasons Jamaica is an Ecotourist’s Dream Vacation
How to get there
I think by now you guys have realized that my preferred route of driving to Ocho Rios from Kingston is via the Edward Seaga North to South Highway. It is such a convenient route to Ocho Rios, since it is literally just a straight road to the town that I just can't imagine driving any other way. Coupled with the beautiful scenery of the mountains and the Caribbean sea on either side of the roadway, it's just the perfect drive in my opinion. Well apart from the pricey toll.
Once you reach the roundabout at the end of the highway, you take the 2nd turnoff which leads you to the Ocho Rios town center. This is a straight road where you’ll pass a cluster of tourist attractions. Mystic Mountain Rainforest Adventure is located along this roadway, just a few minutes away from Dunn’s River Falls and Dolphin Cove.
Don’t worry about getting lost because they have a large road sign that directs you to your destination. Coming from my direction off the toll road, it's on the right hand side.
Once you arrive you can park in the decent sized parking lot and make your way to the reception area. At the reception area there is the ticket booth and reservation area where you can either purchase tickets or if you already have a package and made a reservation you can get your wristband. I think the check-in process was about 15 minutes or so. This included finding my reservation, signing a waiver, getting some rules and getting the wristband
There is also the picture booth where you pay for the pictures taken of you participating in the activities at the park.
Related: A Daring Adventure at Dolphin Cove
The Sky Explorer
Once you leave the registration area, you are guided to the first 'ride' in the park, the Sky Explorer. The Sky Explorer takes you on an approximately 15-20 minute ride 700 feet up the mountain.
The Sky Explorer is a chairlift that carries you from the park’s entrance to the rest of the attractions at Mystic Mountain.
A truly picturesque soar through the rainforest gives you a breathtaking and awe-inspiring view of your surroundings while you enjoy the a peaceful ride up the mountain. Plus the lift goes slow enough that you can snap some pictures to truly capture the moment.
The ascent in the Sky Explorer exposes visitors to a spectacular bird’s eye view of the town of Ocho Rios. Mesmerized by the pure azure of the Caribbean sea, the lush evergreen of the tropical rainforest and unique view of nearby attractions, thriller seekers get their fill of adventure while being captivated by the picturesque surroundings.
I must say the Sky Explorer as a ride is a bit misleading or a misnomer as it's literally the only way up to the rest of the attraction. I mean sure in it's essence it is a ride but I don't think it's explicitly said enough for visitors to have that frame of mind before they go to the park.
Culture House
The first thing you're greeted with once you get to the top of the mountain is the history/culture house showcasing some tidbits about Jamaica's history and some of our most noteworthy achievements. From our athletic prowess to our rum making skills to information about our musical icons, this little tour can give visitors a little glimpse into Jamaica.
When you leave the culture house, you have the zip lining tour to the right and the rest of the attractions (pool, bobsled, hummingbird garden and nature walk) are to the the left.
Bobsledding
Did you know that Jamaica has a bobsled team that participates in the winter Olympics? You didn't?… Well we do. There's even a movie named Cool Runnings about it.
Tapping into this unique piece of Jamaican history, Mystic Mountain gives patrons the opportunity to live their own Olympic dreams on this bobsled ride.
Visitors are ushered into individual bobsled carts and are sent to whisk through lush trees and tropical foliage over a 1000 m distance. You get the opportunity to wind and twist and turn to your heart's desire around the mountain tracks. And best of all, you fully control your pace too as each cart comes equipped with its own braking system that the driver controls. Well with a little help from gravity of course.
This was probably my favourite ride at the adventure park to be honest. The freedom of feeling like I'm controlling my own roller coaster ride was magnificent.
Ziplining
Ziplining has been an activity on my bucket list for the longest while. Wind caressing my face and flying through the trees taking in some breathtaking views. It's exhilarating to say the least. So when I found out that ziplining was included at Mystic Mountain, I knew I just had to do it.
The zip line experience sees visitors sailing through the rainforest at exhilarating speeds while taking in the captivating views of their surroundings. It features a series of around 4 or 5 lines on which adrenaline junkies are sent gliding from platform to platform. I thought this was a pretty good zipline experience for beginners. Especially since you don't have to break yourself and there is staff on either side of the platform to assist you if needed.
I actually ended up doing the ziplining last for the simple fact that it ends halfway down the mountain. And as the skylift/ sky explorer is only one way up and one way down, this would mean I would have to go all the way down the mountain then come back up in order to do the other activities. So instead I opted to do ziplining last and just head home at the end of ziplining.
Pool Fun for the whole family
Just overlooking the mountain edge is an infinity pool with a waterslide to add a little aquatic fun to the mix.
Visitors can spend some time splish splashing around in the pool and come sliding right down and plunge into the pool from the waterslide. This tends to be a real big hit with kids. Especially the tiny tots who may not be able to use the other rides.
I didn't go swimming on my trip. But it did look like a lot of fun from what I could see.
Hummingbird Garden and Nature Walk
Here's a little fun fact for you Jamaican novices; the national bird of Jamaica is called the Doctor bird (red-billed streamertail) which is a member of the hummingbird family. This indigenous bird whose feathers share the colour of the Jamaican flag, is one of many hummingbirds who call Jamaica their home, so is it a wonder that a hummingbird garden was included?
The hummingbird garden was designed to attract the local hummingbirds and allow visitors the wonderful opportunity to learn more about the different species of hummingbirds, as well as the chance to feed the hummingbirds in their natural environment where they remain free to fly around as they please.
I loved my walk through the hummingbird garden. It was so tranquil and serene. And when the hummingbirds come in, it’s absolutely wonderful. A truly amazing experience.
The Nature Trail is an approximately 30 minute walk downhill. It leads to the same spot where the ziplining ends, so it’s about halfway down Mystic Mountain. From here, you have the option to catch the Sky Explorer to get to the bottom of the mountain or if you’re really on your fit journey, I suppose you can make the walk back uphill to the park. I must admit I didn’t go on the nature walk so I can’t give you full details.
Lunch is served
Because I had a package deal that included lunch, I stopped by the restaurant to fill my tummy and get my money’s worth of the experience.
As is customary with most tourist attractions, the lunch menu seems to take a bit of a basic route. The burger and fries or Jamaican jerk are the mainstays of the menu and at Mystic Mountain it wasn't any different. Though if memory serves me correctly, they did have oxtail and curry goat too.
I opted to get jerk chicken and fries because the menu associated with my package was pretty limited. I think overall the food was ok. Definitely not chef’s kiss worthy but didn't taste bad either. My favourite part of lunch was honestly the amazing view from my table. It was truly beautiful.
The Lookout Tower
A major advantage of being on top of a mountain is that you have access to some truly spectacular views. Just one level up and a few steps from the eating area is the Mystic Mountain lookout tower.
From this vantage point you can truly appreciate the captivating beauty that surrounds you. The lookout tower gives you a full focus view of Ocho Rio's down below and the adjacent seashore. This peaceful and idyllic view is just the perfect icing on an already wonderful adventure cake.
Bonus Tips:
If you're planning on swimming then bring your swimsuit. If you plan on going zip lining, then you need to have closed toes shoes.
Don't forget your sunscreen, camera, towel, comfortable footwear and any other items you may need.
Bring all your stuff with you from the car because once you head up, you'd hate to realize you left something and have to go back down in the Sky explorer to get it. It will definitely eat time out of your experience.
Look out for deals online. I got to experience all of Mystic Mountain adventure park using a deal I saw on a website. It allowed me to truly get a feel for the place in its entirety.
Conclusion
I think overall I had a pretty great experience. Mystic Mountain is a bit pricey in my opinion but it does offer a unique experience that you can't get anywhere else on the island. So if it's only to go just once to create some wonderful memories, then I think it's worth it. It's a great way to spend a couple of hours of a day trip.
Have you ever been to Mystic Mountain Rainforest Adventure before? Did you have a blast? Planning to go someday? I'd love to hear from you guys in the comments.