REGIONAL tour company Island Routes’ has opened a new attraction in Trelawny mainly to target cruise passengers entering the island.

River Bumpkin Farm, as it is called, can accommodate 60 persons per day on its 59-acre property located in the Cockpit Country.

Activities range from river tubing and kayaking to bicycle adventures to tours of the ruins.

“In our business, showcasing what is unique and beautiful about Jamaica is pretty tough, so we are constantly looking for opportunities and people have been asking for new and exciting tours,” said Island Routes General Manager David Shields.

The property was initially supposed to be developed into a weekend resort, but after the owners discovered that the land had been used for rum and sugar cane productions, management immediately shifted focus.

“Once was started clearing the property and discovered the ruins, we recognised that we had a history to that needed to be shared with Jamaica,” said Miguel Authors, Operations Manager at River Bumpkin Farm. “Back in the 1970s there was a cluster of three estates that contributed significantly to the growth of Falmouth, based on the sugar cane exports that they collectively made. We are currently sitting on one of those estates.

“It’s really a step back to when everything was easy going, like a country style life. The guests are delighted with the information that we are providing on the tours as well as with the experience of being on farm.”

Island Routes, which is an arm of Sandals Resorts International, officially opened its the Trelawny attraction in June, with the aim of fulfilling the needs of customers who continued to request different types of excursions.

The comopany now offers more than 200 certified tour and destination experiences in Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, St Lucia and the Turks & Caicos Islands, showcasing the culture, beauty and natural resources in each unique island destination.