The trail starts on Centerline Road in the middle of the island. Basically, we drove Centerline until we saw the sign Reef Bay Trail that marks the entrance. If not for the sign, the entrance could be easily missed. The entrance is a gap in a stone wall, which is the top of stone stairway that takes you down to the path. The path is wide, and although steep, we were able to maintain a swift walk.

Not long on the trail, we came to our first marker. There are many markers on the path that name and describe the various plants and animals you see on the path along with markers for each of the plantation sites.

Approximately halfway down the trail is the offshoot branch that takes you to the ancient petroglyphs. This trail is easy to navigate, and you know you’ve arrived when you see the stone steps up the pool. The site is amazing, with water pools and large grey rocks onto which the drawings were carved. They can be hard to see at first, and a marker suggested splashing water onto the drawings to make them stand out. Above us was a large rock waterfall. There is a trail that you can climb to the top of the waterfall, but this trail is a climbing trail, and you need both hands to navigate it.

We continued our trek, and the path finally started to flatten out. We rounded a corner, and out of nowhere, a giant stone tower appeared before us. It was the Reef Bay Sugarmill. The tower and its connecting building was the rum distillery. The middle building was the steam shed, with the huge steam engine still inside. The far end of the building was the horse circle, where, before the steam engine, horses were used to move the machines.

We headed back on the path and toward the bay, which was only a few yards. Reef Bay had a very narrow strip of sand the color of cinnamon. To the right was a rocky outcropping, upon which several hikers were resting.

On the return trip, we made it to the petroglyphs trail that marks the halfway point in no time, but the steepest part still lay ahead. Soon we were breathing heavily and starting to sweat. Talk about a workout!

As we neared the end, we could hear the cars and trucks above us on Centerline Road. Finally, the stairs appeared. My legs were going to be angry tomorrow, but for now I felt good.

There are a few signs along the trail describing types of flora and fauna, and the sugar plantation ruins you’ll see along the way are fascinating. It’s very interesting to see how nature has reclaimed parts of the stone buildings. Bring a rain slicker – you might get stuck in one of the common afternoon downpours – and a good pair of shoes. I didn't have a problem with any mosquitoes, but if you find that you're irresistible to insects you'd better come prepared.