From far away, the mountains really do look blue. That colour comes from the mist and the thick forests of ferns, mosses, and tall trees that cover the slopes. It is cool and damp up there - very different from the warm, sunny beaches Jamaica is famous for.
The Blue Mountains are home to some of the world's most sought-after coffee. The cool air and rich, misty soil give the coffee beans a smooth, gentle flavour that coffee lovers around the world treasure. Farmers pick the bright red coffee berries by hand on steep hillsides.
Many rare animals live in these mountains, including the Jamaican Blackbird and dozens of orchids that grow nowhere else on Earth. Hikers sometimes spot the giant swallowtail butterfly, the largest butterfly in the Western Hemisphere, fluttering between the trees.
A popular thing to do is start hiking before midnight so you reach the summit just as the sun rises. On a clear day you can see all the way to Cuba, the island country to the north. Imagine spotting another country from a mountaintop!

