Some people know Rio Nuevo for a battle. I know it for my mom.
On this Saturday outing, I took the Lifestyle Hikers crew to Auntie’s Backyard in St. Mary. We walked about 2.5 miles, crossed a wooden bridge, passed through bamboo tunnels and ended up at the river.
Before we even packed up, the question started: “Yo, when we a come back?”
I’ll take that review any day. But to understand why bringing the crew here meant so much to me, you need to know a little about this place, and the woman we called Auntie.
First, a prayer. Then, the road.
First, a prayer for my fellow hikers.
We left Flow headquarters about 30 minutes later than planned, met the rest of the hikers in Tower Isle and headed onto the trail together.
If you have been following our adventures, you know we usually spend a fair amount of time climbing mountains. This outing gave the crew a different side of hiking in Jamaica: a shorter walk through an area with stories well worth stopping for.
One quick incline to wake up the calves
About 2.5 miles, or roughly 4 kilometres. That was our walk, with one quick incline to remind the calves that they had come on a hike.
After the mountains we usually climb, this one felt like a breeze. Once that incline was behind us, the rest felt much gentler to me.
Sometimes the climb is the whole conversation. On this outing, there was more room to notice what we were passing: an old Anglican church, the bridge and the bamboo along the way.
The church was one of the landmarks on our walk. Farther along, the wooden bridge led us into another part of the route, with the river still to come.
Across the bridge and through the bamboo
We crossed the wooden bridge and pushed through the bamboo tunnels before coming out at Rio Nuevo.
The photographs hold some of those moments: the decking stretching ahead, the green around the bridge, the stone steps under the bamboo. They help tell the story of how we got there, not just what was waiting at the end.
But there was something else about the area I wanted the crew to know. We were walking through a part of Jamaica with a history much older than any of us.
Rio Nuevo’s place in Jamaican history
In June 1658, Spanish and English forces fought at Rio Nuevo during Spain’s attempt to retake Jamaica. The English victory strengthened their hold on the island, an important turning point described in the Jamaica National Heritage Trust’s account of the battle.
Spain formally ceded Jamaica to England in 1670, twelve years later.
And the story of this area began long before those armies arrived. The Jamaica National Heritage Trust records Taíno archaeological sites around Rio Nuevo, evidence of the Indigenous communities who lived here before European colonisation.
A Saturday walk can bring you into a place you might otherwise pass without knowing any of that. Learning a little of its history gives you another reason to look around.
Auntie was my mom
For us, this place has another name: Auntie’s Backyard.
Auntie was my mom. Everybody called her that because everybody was welcome.
She passed two years ago, but you can still feel that welcome here. Bringing the crew was a way of sharing it with them, along with the trail, the history and the river.
You did not have to know my mom to understand what her backyard meant. There was room for you. You belonged.
That is why this outing was personal. I was bringing people to a place connected to someone I love, and letting them experience a little of what made it special.
“Yo, when we a come back?”
Once the crew touched the water, nobody wanted to leave.
The trail was behind us. The river had everybody’s attention. Getting ready to go home was clearly not the popular option.
Then came that question: “Yo, when we a come back?”
Before we even packed up.
They wanted more time here, and they wanted to return together. For me, that said plenty.
Big up to every hiker who brought the energy, from the journey and the trail right through to the water. Sharing Auntie’s Backyard with you meant something to me. I’m glad the welcome reached you too.
Our Auntie’s Backyard hike at a glance
- Area: Rio Nuevo, St. Mary, Jamaica.
- Distance we walked: Approximately 2.5 miles, or 4 kilometres.
- Along the route: One short incline, an old church, a wooden bridge and bamboo-lined sections.
- How it felt to us: Gentler than our usual mountain hikes. Difficulty depends on fitness and conditions.
- The finish: River time, and plenty of interest in coming back.
For a future visit, confirm access, meeting arrangements and trail and river conditions with the organisers. Bring water and suitable footwear.
There is always room for one more hiker
A battle helped shape Jamaica’s history. My mom showed us what it meant to belong.
And in her backyard, there’s always room for one more hiker.
Want to join a future adventure? Visit Lifestyle Hikers for upcoming outings and the details for each hike.