St. Elizabeth’s Holland Bamboo set for walk-only eco-tourism upgrade

The Government is moving to close Holland Bamboo in St. Elizabeth to vehicles and remake the famed stretch as an eco-tourism attraction, aligning with a national push to protect and improve Jamaica’s natural sites.

Hon. Floyd Green, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, said a bid for almost $500 million has gone to the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service to fund a full-scale renewal of the location. He revealed the plan in his keynote on July 1 at the handover and reopening of the historic Castleton Botanical Gardens in St. Mary.

Central to the scheme is a new route that would shift cars and trucks off the bamboo avenue, freeing the corridor for people on foot. “[We’re] looking at partnering with other entities to take the traffic off the road to Holland Bamboo, and develop an alternative drive, so that we can transform Holland Bamboo into what it truly is – a scenic location where people can come, walk, take the pictures, [enjoy refreshing] coconut water, and [experience] the beauty of Jamaica,” Mr. Green said.

Works would also enlarge nurseries, put in fresh bamboo plantings, and add irrigation. The Minister linked the project to a broader island-wide drive to refresh green spaces, among them Bath Botanical Gardens in St. Thomas and Cinchona Botanical Gardens in St. Andrew.

Holland Bamboo took heavy hits from Hurricane Beryl in 2024 and Hurricane Melissa in 2025, yet Mr. Green said the grove has bounced back strongly. “When you drive through it today, you will be amazed that it [endured the] last two hurricanes but we’re not leaving it to chance,” the Minister added.