Sat | Dec 13, 2025

Rockfort Mineral Bath reopens

Published:Thursday | August 21, 2025 | 8:16 PM
Minister of Culture, Olivia Grange, Managing Director of Carib Cement, Jorge Martinez, and Executive Director of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, Leslie Harrow (right), pictured at the reopening of the Rockfort Mineral Bath on Thursday, August 21.
Contributed Photo
Minister of Culture, Olivia Grange, Managing Director of Carib Cement, Jorge Martinez, and Executive Director of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, Leslie Harrow (right), pictured at the reopening of the Rockfort Mineral Bath on Thursday, August 21.

After years of closure, Jamaicans and visitors alike can once again enjoy the Rockfort Mineral Bath in Kingston.

The facility was officially opened today, and the public will have access starting on Friday.

“We have delivered,” declared Culture Minister Olivia Grange at the reopening, noting that this was one of the priority targets for her Ministry this year.

The Jamaica National Heritage Trust, which falls under the Ministry, and Carib Cement signed a 25-year lease agreement in 2024 for the company to handle the upgrade, management, and operation of the Rockfort Mineral Bath.

Under the public-private agreement, Carib Cement will operate the Rockfort Mineral Bath and upgrade the facilities through an investment of $57 million over five years.

At Thursday’s reopening ceremony, Managing Director of Carib Cement, Jorge Martinez, said the company had already spent $16 million on major upgrades.

“We invested more or less triple what we had calculated at the beginning, because in the middle of this [work] Hurricane Beryl, Storm Rafael, and the heavy rainy season that we had last year [caused a lot of damage],” said Martinez.

Rockfort Mineral Bath is a national monument renowned for its healing properties.

Grange said that with the reopening, Jamaicans and visitors would once again be attracted to take a dip in its healing stream.

The Minister said Rockfort Mineral Bath would become “part of the Kingston culture, heritage, entertainment, and tourism circuit that the government continues to build out as part of the effort to attract more tourists to Kingston.”

She said she also anticipated Jamaicans returning to the traditional use of the Mineral Bath.

“I see families coming again to this location, as they did so many years ago before the facility was closed. I can hear again the pitter-patter of the little feet of our children running around with their parents while taking advantage of the mineral bath, known for its therapeutic value. I can feel the spirit of communities as they come from near and far to experience the magical feeling of a mineral bath,” said Grange.

Carib Cement said the rates for use of the Mineral Bath will be $500 for children between four and 12 years old, as well as seniors 55 years old and over, and $700 for adults.

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