IT IS called the Garden Parish, and with good reason. As you traverse the nooks and crannies of St Ann, you will find beautiful flowering plants and trees in such abundance it takes your breath away.

A popular tourist destination, it boasts some of the resorts that are favourites of locals and visitors alike. Its capital is St Ann's Bay but Ocho Rios (Eight Rivers) is the most popular town in the parish.

Facts

Capital, St Ann's Bay

Birthplace of Bob Marley, Burning Spear and Marcus Garvey.

Home to a number of natural theme attractions like Dunn's River Falls, Cranbrook Flower Forest, Shaw Park Gardens, Mystic Mountain, Fern Gully, Green Grotto Caves and Dolphin Cove.

Some schools include Ferncourt High, York Castle High, Ocho Rios High and Brown's Town Community College.

PLACES TO LIVE

Among the nicest residential areas in St Ann are:

Upton

Selbourne Gardens

Mammee Bay

Plantation Village

Shaw Park Gardens

Richmond Village

Vista Del Mar

Drax Hall Estate (prime real estate just waiting to be developed)

Columbus Heights

Villagio Del Sol is a new development in River Oaks. The two-storey units offer 14,000 square feet of space. Prices range from US$200-US$230. Details are available at: Myspace.com. - Photos by Colin Hamilton/freelance photographer

River Oaks is another beautiful community.

Two of the fabulous homes in the quiet residential area of Upton.

There are many beautiful dream houses in Mammee Bay and this is one of our favourites.

A view from the main road, of some of the magnificent structures inside Vista Del Mar.

Check out Selbourne Gardens for beauties like this one.

Vista Del Mar is so exclusive, the guard at the gate will not allow you in without permission from a resident.

Columbus Heights has a commanding view of the town. The apartments in this older complex are supervised by a management team and although some owners live on property, many of which are used as weekend getaways or a means of supplementing income.