Port Antonio
The most exquisite port on earth
The most exquisite port on earth was the way American poetess Ella Wheeler Wilcox described PORT ANTONIO. The towní's twin harbours, jewel blue sea and verdant hillsides still ensnare the visitor. The story of this old port is the story of men who came, saw, and were conquered by its beauty. All of them,
from Captain Lorenzo Dow Baker to movie star Errol Flynn and billionaire Garfield Weston sought to develop the town. All of them failed. Port Antonio, like Montego Bay, claims to be the cradle of the tourist trade, but unlike other resorts in the island, its tourism potential remains undeveloped and undamaged. And therein lies Port Antonio's charm, and the lure of the parish of Portland.
Banana King Baker's Titchfield was the first hotel built to cater to overseas guests and is described in an old guide book as a novel style of hotel, admirably suited to a hot climate (with) a group of cottages on top of the hill which are the sleeping rooms (and) entirely distinct from these . . . a capacious dining room with convenient kitchen. This design, which disregards Portland's frequent rain showers, is echoed in all Port Antonios luxury hotels and in some of the elaborate villas such as Tiamo built for the late Princess Sadruddin Khan.
The town was originally settled by the Spaniards and gets its name from an early Spanish governor who named the twin harbours Puerto de Anton and Puerto de Francisco after his two sons. Today they are merely East and West harbours. After the British conquest in 1655 the government tried to develop the area by making land grants to English families. They laid out the town, built a fort on the peninsular and a navy station on Navy Island. The British army and navy protected the settlers against the French, the Spanish and the pirates but proved ineffectual against marauding bands of the Windward Maroons. Years of guerilla warfare between the British and these runaway slaves were ended in 1734 by a treaty that settled the Windward Maroons on their own lands.
The banana, introduced by the Spaniards from the Canary Islands, flourished in the hot, damp climate and rich alluvial soil of Portland and was grown alongside cane. In 1871, a Yankee skipper named Lorenzo Dow Baker sailed into Port Antonio and took on board a cargo of coconuts and 1,450 stems of bananas. The profit that he cleared in Boston was so big that he returned, bought land, planted bananas, and organized a shipping line to transport the fruit. His banana plantations soon ranged from Boston in the east through Boundbrook to Buff Bay in the west and his Boston Fruit Co. subsequently merged with other interests to create the United Fruit Co. which dominated the banana industry in Jamaica and Central America for years to come. This was Port Antonio's Golden Age. It was said that on Banana Day (which was any day a ship was loading) carousing planters would light their cigars with 5 dollar bills. This unheard of prosperity ended soon enough ñ with the onset of the Panama disease which almost wiped out the banana industry. The delicious Gros Michel variety succumbed and was replaced by new disease-resistant hybrids like the Lacatan, but the banana business has never recaptured its former prosperity. Nor has Port Antonio.
The next swashbuckler to fall in love with the place was movie star Errol Flynn who sailed into the harbour one day on his yacht the Zacca. Flynn acquired a lot of real estate. Navy Island, the Titchfield Hotel, and several cattle and coconut estates including Boston (once owned by Captain Dow Baker). Flynn's plans to develop tourism, to build a hotel at Folly and a ranch resort at Comfort Castle never materialized. While still in the throes of these plans he died suddenly. He had expressed a wish to be buried in Jamaica, but his widow decided otherwise.
During the 1960s Port Antonio became the mecca of the jet- set. Billionaire Garfield Weston (whose empire included Fortnum and Mason in London) built a sumptuous hotel, rumoured to be the most expensive in the world at FRENCHMAN'S COVE. It comprised a number of luxurious houses shrouded by discreet shrubbery and scattered over the headlands on both sides of the river, beach, and bay. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Sadruddin Khan headed the celebrity clientele. Today, the hotel, owned by his Grainger Weston son, is closed and the villas are slowly falling apart but the beach is open to the public for a fee. Its sheltered bay, golden sand, warm ocean, crystal stream and luxuriant vegetation make it well worth a visit.
Places to stay are diverse and in most cases unique. Concurrent with the heyday of Frenchman's Cove, numerous wealthy foreigners bought land at Cold Harbour and SAN SAN and built themselves opulent homes. Shortly after, millionaire Michael Rosenberg (heir to the Thom McAnn shoe fortune) built the hotel of his dreams, DRAGON BAY at Fairy Hill. In 1981 this property was acquired by entrepreneur Dr Steve Laufer, then sold to Arab interests. Currently, it is a member of the international chain Abela Hotels, and has just undergone extensive refurbishing. Bordered by tropical rainforest and set in lush gardens the central building and villas overlook a private cove with whitesand beach and streams. Watersports include a scuba school offering resort courses. Swimming pool, restaurant and bar are all at beach level. This highly photogenic setting provided locations for feature films like "Cocktail", "Club Paradise" and "Treasure Island". The environmentally inclined owners hope to preserve the almost pristine condition of the property, guests and dinner guests have access to the rain-forest, the cave and the tiny luminous lagoon east of the beach.
At SAN SAN, a group of Jamaican businessmen created GOBLIN HILL, a condominium apartment hotel overlooking San San beach and Princess Island. The hotel, leased at one time to Norwegian Caribbean Lines for an experiment in "alternative tourism" has had a chequered career but is now once more under the competent management of architect Marvin Goodman and his wife Rosalie. An unusual and delightful property comprising 28 self-catering apartments complete with household help, Goblin Hill is set in 12 acres of verdant garden, has a swimming pool and tennis courts. Very popular with Kingston businessmen and the diplomatic community it has a relaxed, house-party atmosphere.
SAN SAN BEACH is now run as a private beach and will be the focus of a Golf and Country Club now under construction by the San San Development Co. Guests at Goblin Hill and other hotels have access to this sheltered white sand beach. A beach hotel is on the drawing board. As we went to press the golf course was under construction and the driving range was already operational. Well known watersports entrepreneur Ernie Smatt is one of the developers.
FERN HILL CLUB, comprising great house and villas on the summit of San San hill is small and swinging. Accommodation includes private hot tubs overlooking the ocean. It offers an all- inclusive package, but transients are welcome to the bar and restaurant. Owner Vincent Holgate is President of the Port Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
Luxurious TRIDENT HOTEL on the seafront is owned and operated with aristocratic flair by architect Earl Levy, his wife Beverly and daughter Suzanne. The hotel was inundated by the sea during hurricane Allen in 1980 and almost completely destroyed. It was rebuilt and is once again catering to a devoted international clientele, many of whom come via a VIP helicopter service from Kingston. Adjacent to the hotel, the rococo TRIDENT CASTLE was commissioned by a former partner of Levy, a German Baroness whose habit of negotiating large chunks of real estate made her an overnight legend in the town. The castle was abuilding for years during the 1980s and sparked an acrimonious legal battle, since resolved. Now a luxurious adjunct of the hotel with six bedrooms, a music room, dining hall and appropriately elaborate decor it is used as a weekend retreat by the owners but can be rented ñ at predictably royal prices ñ for family reunions, weddings and receptions.
Across the water of a sheltered bay formerly known as Puerto Escondido, the Baroness (now married to a Florida banker and known as Mrs Sigi Fahmi) has finessed the Levys by building THE JAMAICA PALACE hotel, a neo-Palladian confection of white columns and marble floors with a swimming pool in the shape of the island of Jamaica. Other palatial accents include two luxurious boutiques (one operated by Errol Flynnís widow Patrice Wymore), huge rooms, high ceilings, elliptical peacock beds and two white Cockatoos whose shrieks just might be a commentary on the proletarian behaviour of some of the guests.
Far above both the Castle and the Palace is MOCKINGBIRD HILL with a 360 degree view that includes Blue Mountain Peak, and in rainy weather, the birth of ephemeral waterfalls springing from the encircling mountains. This is a small elegant hotel, with bright ìgreenî owners: artist-in-residence Barbara Walker, and hotel manager Shireen Aga are committed to environment friendly eco-tourism and their philosophy is immediately apparent in the minimalist decor, balconies overlooking natural rainforest, a ridiculously friendly Doberman, and the innovative gourmet fare in the Mille Fleur terrace restaurant. To find it, head east, just past The Palace, turn L up the hill, passing L
a mini Palace that is the home of the Fahmis, keep L, then straight and drive up as far as the road goes. Ad hoc bonuses
at Mockingbird Hill include lessons in Jamaican Cooking by ìPrincess Easyî and other intracultural events. Shireen can also help you arrange trips into the furthest reaches of the Blue Mountain/John Crow Mountains National Park. On sale here are recycled paper and notelets made from banana fibre by a womenís group in Fairy Hill.
In town, BONNIE VIEW HOTEL overlooks the waterfront and twin harbours and may have the most spectacular view in the town with its ìbackyardî swimming pool that gives the impression of being level with the layered ranges of the mountains. On clear days you can see Blue Mountain Peak from the bar terrace, and there is always the vista of the ocean, Navy Island and the teeming town below. Manager here is Sam Roberts, Chairman of the local chapter of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association. Bonus attractions include a tour of the 25 acre plantation and guided hiking trails and horseback rides.
NAVY ISLAND MARINA RESORT. In the eighteenth century this 64 acre island was a base for the British Royal Navy. More recently it was bought by movie star Errol Flynn (author of an autobiography called My wicked wicked ways). The island (except for a tiny portion of public beach) was recently acquired by Jamaican billionaire Donald Panton. The resort, comprising 3 beaches (one clothes optional), marina, villas and clubhouse has been refurbished. An added embellishment is an open-air ìSeafarersî chapel especially for weddings. The decor and staff uniforms in the restaurant and Bounty Bar are nautical, the food is reputedly good and the Errol Flynn connection is still featured. Reports that the island was slated to be Jamaicaís first casino have so far proved false, or premature. Transportation is by ferry from the Navy Island base on West St in town.
The houses on Titchfield peninsular, some quaint, some elegant, many built of wood and decorated with gingerbread fretwork and most of them in sad disrepair are relics of the townís heyday.
DE MONTEVIN LODGE on Titchfield Street is an ornate Victorian mansion built by a former Custos of Portland, Hon. David Gideon who helped to establish the United Fruit Co. in Jamaica. It is a clean and comfortable guest house with a homey atmosphere and has one of the best restaurants on the island. The tradition of culinary excellence began with a former owner, the late Mr J. Mullings who stole the head cook from Frenchmanís Cove by marrying her. Mrs Fay Johnstone, the lady who now supervises the restaurant was trained by the late Mrs Mullings.
TRIFFS INN in the town centre has clean, comfortable accommodation at reasonable prices.
SHADOWS, a new Night Club/Restaurant/Motel on West St is reputed to serve good food, entertainment and action.
PLACES OF INTEREST
The town has several fine old buildings dating from the days of the banana boom. A group headed by architect Earl Levy has sought to preserve and refurbish some of these, notably the GEORGIAN COURT HOUSE and the MUSGRAVE MARKET. The imposing brick Anglican CHRIST CHURCH, dates from 1840 and contains a brass lectern donated by Captain Baker of the Boston Fruit Co.
The VICTORIAN RAILWAY STATION built in 1896 was recently leased by Mr Vincent Holgate, owner of Fern Hill Club and awaits restoration.
Nearby BOUNDBROOK wharf was the United Fruit Comp-anyís main pie. All of the bananas grown on the island are still trucked to Port Antonio and exported from here but there are plans to ship from Montego Bay and Bowden in the near future.
The waterfront has two MARINAS. One belonging to the Jamaica Defence Force is adjacent to Boundbrook. The West St. marina is operated by the HENRY MORGAN ANGLERS ASSOCIATION and is the site of the annual PORT ANTONIO MARLIN TOURNAMENT, held in October. Thanks to the influence of PEPA (see below) undersize Marlins are returned to the water, and an angler can gain points by returning larger fish.
FORT GEORGE, on the headland which divides East and West harbours dates from the eighteenth century with emplacements for 22 cannons, a few of which still remain. The rest of the fort is now occupied by TITCHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL established in 1875 from a trust set up by Lord Titchfield.
Cows browse and urchins play among the ruins of the once famous Titchfield Hotel, burnt down many years ago.
Facing West Harbour is KEN WRIGHT CRUISE SHIP PIER named after a local politician, a founding member and stalwart of the PNP. Visiting cruise ships dock at the Boundbrook wharf pending its refurbishment.
THE CARIBBEAN QUEEN leaves from Ken Wright pier on its weekly tour to Santiago, Cuba. The crossing takes about 6 hours while you relax in reclining chairs or party the night away. The day is spent touring the old city and the next night at the Santiago de Cuba hotel, plus a visit to the Tropicana nightclub. All inclusive fare. The historic city of Santiago, Cuba has been twinned with Port Antontio.
FOLLY: The headland beyond East harbour was part of Folly Estate. The lighthouse here was established in 1888. The crumbling pseudo-Grecian palace on the high ground is known appropriately as Folly. It was built early in this century by a retired mining engineer named Mitchell who hailed from New York and married a member of the Tiffany family. The Mitchells lived in grand style with a large retinue of servants
and many pets including peacocks and monkeys, the latter being allowed to roam free on the island offshore now known as Monkey Island. They owned the first automobile in Portland and even had a lighting plant. Mitchell died here and was buried in an elegant mausoleum at Folly, but his remains were later removed to New York by his widow. The mansion was left untenanted and subsequently began to crumble due to the fact that salt water had been used to mix the mortar. The columns have stood the test of time because they were molded in New York from Jamaican limestone and then glazed. Folly belongs to the government and is sadly neglected, frequently defaced with obscene graffiti and is the haunt of idlers and bag snatchers. Donít go here alone. The site is occasionally rented for music shows and was the location for a music video starring Eddie Murphy and Grammy winner Shabba Ranks, Jamaicaís reigning Dancehall Deejay.
On a hill beyond Folly, is an overseerís house. It was built and occupied by Mitchell while the mansion was under construction and has outlasted the costly mansion. It is a modest, wooden home, sand-dashed and painted in the style of the early 1900s.
BLUE HOLE is one of the islandís most scenic attractions was recently the source of a running battle between government agencies and the persons owning the foreshore. The source of the controversy was the fact that Blue Hole is a famous beauty spot and rightly considered part of the islandís natural heritage, so the publicís right of access had to be guaranteed. Mrs Valerie Marzouca at last received permission to fence her property and charge an entrance fee to the landscaped garden that borders the lagoon which is encircled by forested hills and fed by freshwater springs. It is approximately 180 feet deep. One of the mineral springs feeding it is claimed to have rejuvenating powers similar to those of ìmannish waterî (a local soup said to increase male virility). The lagoonside garden has picnic areas, On the left of the access road is a new, upmarket restaurant.
ATTRACTIONS AND TOURS.
NONSUCH CAVES are high in the hills overlooking Port Antonio and located on a 180 acre coconut plantation. (Turn R at Fairy Hill and travel approximately 5 rough but scenic miles to Athenry). At the entrance to the cave, you summon the guide by gong and then descend into the underworld which is lighted and traversed with concrete walkways and stairs. Fossils here demonstrate that the island was formed beneath the sea and thrust upwards by volcanic activity. The caveís nine chambers are adorned with stalactites and stalagmites (columns formed by the slow dripping of water rich in dissolved limestone). Above ground, the informal gardens are well worth a visit and there is a fine view.
RAFTING ON THE RIO GRANDE: Was initiated as a tourist attraction by Errol Flynn. Farmers in the Rio Grande valley used to carry their produce downstream on bamboo rafts. Flynn and his friends found this mode of transport entertaining and relaxing. It is said in the valley that Errol used to make the trip twice a day ñ and always with a different lady ñ and landmarks along the river are still sometimes referred to as Flynnís Rest, Flynnís Hideaway etc. Rafting is now organized and operated by Rio Grande Attractions Ltd and there are some 200 registered Raft Captains on the roster.
There are two embarkation points close together at GRANTS LEVEL and BERRIDALE. Licensed and insured drivers are available to take your car to the terminus downriver. From either, you glide miles downstream past spellbinding scenery ñ unfortunately sometimes marred by the blue plastic flotsam from upstream banana plantations. The ride takes from one to three hours (depending on the flow of the river and the energy level of your Captain). You can purchase drinks en route and stop to swim or picnic. The rafts are made from the bamboo growing on the riverside. Each accommodates two adults and a child under 10. The raftsmen, most of whom are farmers in their spare time are all experienced rivermen. ìApprenticesî make, repair, and tow the rafts back upstream.
REACH FALLS: on the DRIVERS RIVER about 25 miles east of town are very popular and highly recommended. See Tour 18 ìEast to Reachî, page 199.
SOMERSET FALLS and rainforest are also well worth a visit. See Tour 19 ìWest to Annotto Bayî, page 202.
PEPA, The Portland Environmental Protection Association has united farmers, teachers, students and some businessmen in efforts to protect what is left of Portlandís pristine environment and to rehabilitate its natural resources. PEPAís livewire creator and chairman is Marguerite Gauron, a journalist and resident of San San. Their latest project ñ creation of a Conservation Corridor from the mountain tops to the offshore reefs has been initiated with the help of The Nature Conservancy and a MacArthur Grant. The terrestrial park runs from the John Crow Mountains through the hills of Nonsuch and down to the wetlands of Turtle Crawle. The marine park stretches from Boston Bay to the west of the harbour.
PEPA assists community groups like those of NONSUCH and the RIO GRANDE valley to develop environment-friendly eco- tourism. For example, at Nonsuch, community leaders Dean Hendriks and Laidlaw Bishop can organize hiking tours including expeditions to a recently discovered waterfall that is still unnamed. Current projects promoted and co-ordinated by PEPA include TEAM courses (Teachers Environmental Awareness Movement) at the Passley Gardens Teachers College, Mangrove reforestation in Turtle Crawle, and oyster culture in the East Harbour.
SHOPPING: Port Antonio is one resort that is mercifully short on craft vendors. Souvenirs, postcards, craft, film etc are obtainable in some hotels or in the town.
JOLLY JOSEPH, at Clear Spring ìbetween the castle and the palaceî, an ìart and craft busî, advertises items ìfor the Rich and Famous and the Infamousî including T-Shirts with prints by local Intuitive artists. Beside it there is a small hut displaying works of local artist R Stewart and a few others. Further east at Zion Hill Cafe, Andy Jís Gallery ìChildrenís Art Foundation/ Painted T Shirts and unique itemsî is worth investigating. A short distance further on, a roadside stall offers custom made wicker craft.
Tour 17
The Maroons of
the Rio Grande Valley
The rafting trip covers only 7 miles of the beautiful RIO GRANDE, but will whet your appetite to explore more of the lush valley. This is Maroon country. The runaway slaves of Portland, called the Windward Maroons were particularly fierce and bold. In the early days of British settlement they would swoop from their mountain strongholds to raid the coastal settlements, and for more than a century the Rio Grande was the scene of guerrilla warfare. For a long time the Windwards were led by a woman, the legendary Champong Nanny or Grande Nanny, a fierce lady, reputed to have magical powers. It is said that she kept a cauldron of water boiling without any fire into which unwary British soldiers fell and perished. It was also believed that Nanny ìnever went into battle armed like the rest (but) received the bullets of her enemy that were aimed at her and returned them with fatal effectî ñ in (blush) a manner of which decency forbids description. The first and most famous Jamaican matriarch, Nanny was made a national heroine during the Feminist 1970s although there is no documentary proof of her existence. In 1734 the British finally succeeded in driving the Maroons from their mountain fortress when the canny Captain Stoddart approached from ST THOMAS dragging some swivel guns through a district called HALF A BOTTLE and over a peak now called STODDARTíS PEAK.
NANNYTOWN, high in the JOHN CROW mountains was never resettled, and to this day people swear that the site is haunted ñ ìa spirit place.î The weird experiences of the last military expedition to visit there (during the ë70s) tend to substantiate the claim. Stalwart British soldiers reported a landslide on Mount Abraham opposite Nanny Town when a piece of the mountain fell away with a roar like thunder, and told Reuters that they had seen faces and heard voices among the trees at night. One of them was mystified when his watch disappeared from his wrist while he was securely zipped into his sleeping bag. The few hardy hikers who tackle the Nanny Town trail report a profusion of rare plants and animals. Experienced guides can be hired at Windsor or Johnís Hall.
After Nannyís death, the Windwards were led by Quao, one of her Captains. He has to his credit the massacre of a large British force. In 1739, four months after Cudjoe of the Leeward Maroons made peace with the British, Quao also signed a treaty. By this, lands were ceded to the Windward Maroons and they were allowed to live in peace and semi-independence. Today many of their descendants are small farmers in the Rio Grande Valley where the story of their gallant fight lives on in legend and place names.
Leaving Port Antonio by the cluttered, shabby road south you come first to RED HASSEL where it is said, the land ran red with blood after one battle. At BREASTWORKS the British built a fort to keep the Maroons at bay. At FELLOWSHIP there was a temporary truce. Here the road branches R to BERRIDALE, starting place for the rafting trip.
FELLOWSHIP is now the headquarters of the RIO GRANDE VALLEY PROJECT, an agricultural and community development project funded by the government of the Netherlands. The project office and community centre was built by the Womenís Construction Co-operative. Floods caused by deforestation and erosion on the hills are becoming a recurrent problem ñ and the main reason for abysmal road conditions in the valley. In response, conservation has recently become a key element of the project. Agro-forestry and bench terracing are being promoted and farmers are being encouraged to minimize the use of chemicals that can pollute the river and prevent careless disposal of the blue plastic bags used to ìsleeveî the banana bunches. Project officers Barrington Hall and Hubertus Gaymans are also assisting communities to develop eco-tourist accommodation and facilities. ETAG, a local Eco-Tourism Action Group has trained guides who are available to accompany you to nearby eco attractions like the SCATTER FALLS and FOXES CAVES. To find these you will cross the river on a raft and take a short, fairly level hike along the river bank to a tributary called the Sarah, alias ìSAYî river where the Scatter Falls tumble into the river from both sides for about half a mile. Crossing the river by stepping stones you walk beside the lower Scatter Falls to the Thaxter property and Foxes Caves. The larger cave, which is lighted has 10 chambers, the smaller one boasts a stream and waterfall. For information about guides and other attractions phone ETAG at the project office, 993-2543.
From the Fellowship junction the road crosses the Rio Grande and winds upstream through farmland and banana cultivations, small and large farms and government land settlement schemes. Rich alluvial soil and high rainfall makes this the most fertile farmland in the island. Golden Vale, the name of one large privately owned plantation describes it well. Proceed with caution, you never know what lies around the next corner ñ country bus, market truck, or mega pothole. Roadside vegetation includes tree ferns, wild ginger lilies and blue Thumbergia, a domestic creeper now running wild. Frequent vantage points reveal vistas of banana fields, the majestic, blue-green river and the mountains that guard the almost inaccessible site of Nanny Town. Some people say that SEAMANíS VALLEY is the place where Quao ambushed and massacred a British force including 200 sailors from a warship. Others that this was the place where Maroon sentinels could first discern approaching soldiers and would give the ìsee manî signal.
Take the road that branches L to MOORE TOWN, modern seat of the Windward Maroons. It is a small village scattered along a stream with a school, playing field, post office and seven churches. No one can explain the name. Some think it was named after a governor of Jamaica, others that the correct spelling is More because it was the site chosen when the Windwards demanded more land. It is said that Nannyís mortal remains were removed from Nanny Town and buried here at the BUMP GRAVE. At the time of her elevation to heroine status in 1975 the government erected a memorial here over the alleged grave. Close by lives the modern leader of the Maroons: Colonel Harris, better known as Teacher Harris. Unlike the Accompong Maroons who hold hotly contested elections at five year intervals, the Maroons of Moore Town have retained Harris as Colonel for close to 30 years. He is a retired schoolteacher, past JLP Senator and frequent author of letters to the press. As we went to press Colonel Harris was co-ordinating efforts to create a Maroon Museum in Moore Town.
Your valley trip could be enhanced by accepting the services of guides like Bigger or Lucky Osborne, two of Col. Harrisís adjutants. They know everyone in the valley and can advise on the state of the roads, the sites of unfrequented waterfalls, how to find the hot springs on the Guava River, etc.
On the outskirts of Moore Town a dirt road follows the river to CORNWALL BARRACKS, once occupied by British troops, now the site of another ETAG eco-attraction called Twin Apple Park where you can sample Maroon food and absorb Maroon lore. From here a very old swinging bridge crosses to GINGER HOUSE where there is a particularly beautiful waterfall called JUPITER beside a cave and mineral spring. The river here is ideal for swimming and picnics. You can cross by the swinging bridge (locals and their mules and donkeys still do) or return to Seamanís Valley and turn L to ALLIGATOR RIVER where, legend insists, an alligator dressed in black was once seen entering the church. Then cross the river by a more substantial bridge and continue to Ginger House, COMFORT CASTLE and MILBANK. The river swirls over and around huge worn stones, is joined by numerous small springs, and there are myriad small waterfalls and swimming holes to tempt you. Comfort Castle has a post office, police station with telephone link, and, of course, several churches. Milbank is headquarters for rangers attached to the BLUE MOUNTAIN/JOHN CROW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK. They will be glad to arrange camping or hiking trips and can recommend guides from the local community. BOWDEN PEN on the Mattie River is the end of the line. Donít be tempted to proceed into St Thomas unless you have guides, a fourwheel drive and the weather is very good.
Tour 18
East to Reach Falls
At the FAIRY HILL crossroads you turn R for Nonsuch Caves and Athenry Gardens. Left of the main a road leads down to WINNIFRED BEACH and further on another leads to the WINNIFRED REST HOUSE. An almost illegible sign tells you that Winnifred House was ìdonated by the late F.B. Brown as a Rest Home for Missionaries, Teachers, and the Respectable Poor.î F.B. Brown was a Quaker Minister and his daughter, who died in childhood was named Winnifred. Brown left a property of several hundred acres including the beach, which was to be administered by a Trust. The trust is now almost defunct and the property ñ what is left of it ñ is administered by the Administrator General. The rest of the land was sold to the Ministry of Agriculture which leased it, long term, to small farmers and then later transferred ownership to the Urban Development Corporation. Currently, an interesting situation exists in which the UDC is trying to relocate the farmers, and tourism developers have their eyes on the lovely beach. So far, the farmers are refusing to budge. They are encouraged by persons who feel that Winnifred Beach should be preserved for the nation rather than sold to private developers. The Winnifred House on a hill away from the beach has five bedrooms and is rather shabby and spartan. It can still be rented by Missionaries, Teachers and the Respectable Poor.
WINNIFRED BEACH, like many in Portland, has streams running into the sea and good swimming.
A mile beyond here, smoke rising from a cluster of ìjerkî huts heralds BOSTON BAY a beautiful beach donated to the government during the 1950s by Robin Moore (author of The Green Berets, The Happy Hooker, etc.). As we went to press, the beach has unkempt showers, changing rooms and a snack bar but no lifeguards as the Parish Council is hoping to lease it to private operators. An exceptionally scenic bay with good surf may tempt you to swim ìat your own risk.î
Boston is the home of jerked pork, a spicy snack which originated with the Maroons who hunted wild boar in the Portland mountains and smoked it over open fires. You will see and smell it being smoked over pimento wood in the ìjerkî stalls. There are still wild boar in the hills of Portland and they are hunted around Durham.
Errol Flynnís Estates start at Boston and include 3,000 acres of coconuts and cattle pasture with a large herd of Jamaica Reds. The properties are managed by his widow Patrice Wymore Flynn ñ one-time winner of the title Champion Farmer of Jamaica. Mrs Flynn, who also runs a boutique at the Jamaica Palace hotel, enjoys a warm rapport with the local people.
Turn L after Castle Mountain Police Station on to the old road for the scenic bay where PRIESTMANíS RIVER enters the sea, a picture taking stop and delightful for a swim or picnic.
The FAIR PROSPECT Secondary School, a short distance R of the main road is built on the site of an old sugar works and an old windmill survives in the grounds. The main crop around here is coconuts.
Along the coast LONG BAY provides a spectacular view, especially with a norther blowing. The beach is beautiful but dangerous for swimming because of an unpredictable undertow. More and more of the seascape is being hidden as cottages are built along the beach. Some of these can be rented. Midway along the beach, painted in Rasta colours and built of bamboo is the Long Bay Beach and Fishermanís Park, with a sign
warning ìChildren at Play, drive
carefully.î Drinks for the thirsty and hammocks for the weary available here.
Past the Long Bay Service Station turn along a rough road to view the lifework of one of Jamaicaís grand eccentrics: KEN ABENDANA SPENCERíS CASTLE. Ken paints to support his building habit. For years he has been constructing a cross between a fortress and a multi-storied Grecian temple. He is up to six stories now and still planning a penthouse and elevated tennis court. Ken is certain that one day his ìarchitectural sculptureî will actually be completed and serve as a cultural centre or luxury hotel. Till then, he is thankful to be able to provide steady work for some local masons and youths. A fascinating host, he welcomes visitors who are interested in Jamaica, building, art, and ìprepared to spend money on pictures.î
Just beyond Long Bay you can detour R up steep RURAL HILL to St Maryís, a quaint old Anglican church with a superb view of the coast. Further on, the seacoast here has some dramatic rock formations, and there is a lonely stretch of road bordered with thick rain forest where a deep hairpin bend is known as DEVILS ELBOW or See-me-no-more. A local legend tells of a horse and buggy Baptist Minister who miraculously escaped from a cutthroat here.
At KENSINGTON, once a Methodist enclave, a stream enters the sea by a lovely beach. The locals call it Christmas River Beach and it is a favourite place for doing the washing or taking a bath.
The DARLINGFORD ESTATE took its name from the original owner, the Duke of Darlingford. Now it is owned by a prominent Portland family which produced a former JLP Minister of Works, Ken Jones, and his brother, author Evan Jones whose poem ìBanana Manî captures the essence of the Portland small farmer. (ìThank God and this strong right hand, I will live and die a Banana Maní). Evans Jonesí novel ìStonehavenî is a thinly disguised portrait of his colourful family, and of Jamaican life and politics; it includes a fictional account of his brother Kenís supposedly accidental death at a political retreat. Their mother, a Quaker missionary came to Portland from America, defying race and religious prejudice she married Fred M. Jones a hardworking farmer who later became the richest man in the parish.
MANCHIONEAL took the name of a poisonous seaside plant which presumably used to grow here. It is a large fishing village, formerly one of the first ports to ship bananas. The road skirts a long beach. Just beyond the Police Station and a tiny cut stone Anglican church turn R through Muirton property to REACH FALLS on the DRIVERS RIVER ñ a leading candidate for the title ìMost Beautiful Place in Jamaica.î Travel 2.5 miles along a narrow road bordered by coconut and bananas with distant vistas of the Blue Mountains. REACH, secluded and undeveloped ñ and long may it remain so ñ has for the past 20 years been unofficially managed by Frank Clarke who farms the land beside the river. He built the unobtrusive steps that lead down to the river, employs local boys as guides and lifeguards. and recently put in changing rooms a short distance away. His helpmeet ìAngieî has a small shop by the car park and Rastafarian Renford Kenton sells some craft. Apart from this, Reach is almost untouched. The main falls cascade into a pool deep enough for diving, there are ìpools upon poolsî for half a mile above them and the ìMandingo Caveî which is reported to be a quarter of a mile long with a whirlpool in the middle. If you are especially energetic you can even follow the river all the way down to the sea.
Afterwards, it is worth proceeding into St Thomas. At GRANGE HILL a short road leads down to the beach at INNIS BAY ñ very neglected and rather grubby like all public beaches in Jamaica but quite scenic nevertheless. Just beyond the beach road Leeís small wooden cross roads shop is a minibus stop and meeting place for he district. It has cold drinks (and hard liquor) and is always open. (ìJust knock if the door is closed.î)
The school at HAPPY GROVE was founded in 1889 by Quaker missionaries for the children of plantation workers. It is now run by the government.
HECTORS RIVER marks the boundary of Portland. From QUAW HILL there is a magnificent view over the St Thomas plains and sugar cane fields to MORANT POINT lighthouse and the easternmost tip of the island.
Tour 19
West to Annotto Bay
and via Junction to Kingston
Leave Port Antonio by West Palm Avenue, bordered by a few remaining Royal Palms. On your R is BOUNDBROOK wharf, the inspiration for Harry Belafonteís Banana Boat Song. Today, however, there are no stevedores working all night on a drink of rum or waiting for the Tallyman to tally their bananas. The loading of the fruit is mechanized. NORWICH is almost a suburb of Port Antonio. SNOW HILL was a Quaker settlement whose name may derive from the chalk white cliffs above the beach.
R of the main road the PASSLEY GARDENS TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGE, trains Primary School teachers. The buildings were designed to evoke the layout of a rural village and won
the Governor Generalís Award for architecture. They are complemented by extensive gardens. A pleasant place. Visitors welcome.
Next R at PASSLEY GARDENS, the COLLEGE OF
AGRICULTURE can be toured by appointment. (Telephone
993-3324/6-8)The college, a relatively new concept for the Caribbean offers a 2 year course culminating in an associate degree in agriculture. Current President is Dr James MacKenzie. The campus and farm occupy 600 acres encircling a low hill crowned by a cut stone great house built circa 1840. The house can be rented by visitors. It has five bedrooms, catering facilities, and a terrace overlooking the coast.
The curriculum of the College includes much practical farming and you are likely to meet students and lecturers in water boots and carrying machetes on their way to the field. Livestock includes sheep and goats, pigs, poultry and a dairy herd of Jamaica Hope (a dairy breed developed by Dr Thomas Lecky by crossing Zebu cattle with Guernsey and Jersey). There are pimento and lime groves and cultivations of bananas, plantain and vegetables. An interesting project is an organic coffee plot, the brainchild of Dr John Lamey. No chemicals are used. Pimento leaves used as mulch discourage pests and water grass grown beneath the trees keeps weeds at bay and replenishes the soil with nitrogen. The project is especially appropriate for Portland where widespread coffee cultivation in the hills is causing erosion and chemical pollution of streams and rivers.
In the pipeline is a project to create a living ìmuseumî of plants that are now seldom grown or threatened with extinction in Jamaica ñ for example Annotto, nutmeg, and many types of breadfruit.
The Passley Gardens estate has 2 miles of seafrontage. Offshore of an old Spanish fort (now converted into the dwelling of a lecturer) is SHIPROCK, a treacherous reef that has caused numerous shipwrecks. The college of Agriculture was generously funded by U.S.AID.
Just beyond here, on a hill L of the road RIO VISTA RESORT has a fine view of the lower Rio Grande. Self-catering apartments in the 10 acre garden overlook the sea, and double rooms and meals are available in the main house overlooking the river.
RIO GRANDE RAFTERS REST, left of the river mouth is the terminus for the rafting trip. It has clean washrooms, a well-stocked gift shop and pleasant open air restaurant with food prepared and served with Trident flair but at more moderate prices. A curve of shingle beach east of the riverís mouth has smooth, multi-colored mountain river stones.
The iron bridge over the Rio Grande, 500 feet long, was built in 1891 at a cost of 18,000 pounds sterling and replaced one mile of road and a fording. It was opened by the then Governor Sir Henry Arthur Blake.
The road and railway track at St MARGARETíS BAY was destroyed by hurricane Allen in 1980 and trains stopped coming to Port Antonio 10 years before the recent islandwide closure of the Jamaican Government Railway. Concrete groins have been built in an attempt to protect the shoreline from further erosion.
KEN JONES AIRPORT R of the main road and at right angles to a long black sand beach, was named for a former Minister of Works and son of Portland. It can accommodate light planes but perennial plans to upgrade it to international status remain on hold. Recently installed lights make it officially possible to land there after dark, but marijuana flights have been doing so for years, hence the frequent presence of JDF soldiers.
Bottlebrush and Red Ginger announce L of the road
SOMERSET FALLS. Here the Daniels River cascades through
rain forest and the natural garden is embellished with plantings of crotons, heliconias, wild bananas and torch lilies. Trees festooned with moss, ferns and creepers arch over head as you climb beside cataracts for a plunge in the ìCool Poolî or further up to take a small boat for the brief ride to the ìHidden Fallsî where you may swim or plunge from a high rock that doubles
as a diving board. There are rest rooms and a refreshment counter. Friendly tour guides include Judith Cassie and Donovan Shakespeare and the only visual flaw is the plastic piping
leading water to the ponds of the adjacent fish farm.
HOPE BAY is a large fishing village with a derelict railway station in a coconut grove where the waiting room has been labelled Sylvia Drive Inn Bar and displays a warning sign ìMr Trust Dead. Bad Payment no kill him?î (Translation: No Credit!).
In the centre of the village opposite the Police Station turn L up the COOLING SPRING road towards CONTENT to find the mountain retreat of ìSISTER Pî, who was once a fashion executive in New York, and is now a nature worshipper. Drive about one mile to Cashew Ridge and take the left fork of a very bad road towards Content. Continue, less than a mile, asking directions from any one you meet. Park and climb the wooded hill on your L It is tough going, but worth the effort. Sis. P. lives right at the top with a 360 degree view of mountains, sea and more mountains. She can provide a unique all inclusive nature holiday with herbal teas and meals prepared from her own organic garden. Half-hidden in the trees are three tiny rustic cottages: two overlook the Blue Mountains, one overlooks the sea. Amenities include rainwater from drums and outhouses. Campsites are also available. Hiking and river swimming can be arranged.
The road crosses the SWIFT RIVER. This valley, stretching back towards the mountains, is one of the most fertile areas in Jamaica. Main crops are coffee and cocoa. You twist and turn through plantings of coconuts and bananas to BLACKHILL, site of a prehistoric volcanic eruption, and back to the coast at ORANGE BAY, another fishing village with a fairly healthy reef, good for snorkelling.
Across the SPANISH RIVER is SPRING GARDEN, one of the earliest sugar plantations on the north coast. A colourful former proprietor, William Bancroft Espeut, established the first railway here in 1868 to transport his cane from field to factory. In an attempt to control rats in the canefields, he introduced the mongoose ñ a small carnivore also partial to eggs. Five mongooses imported from India thrived and multiplied. Espeut sold the progeny to other farmers; thus ìSonny Espeutî became the pseudonym for mongoose. In the wild, the mongoose exterminated indigenous snakes, iguanas and conies ñ all of them now endangered species in the island. The mongoose also preys on birds and domestic poultry and is now regarded as a pest ñ illustrating the danger of upsetting the ecological balance with introduced species. They resemble ferrets: small and brown with short fur and long tails and can often be seen scurrying across the roads.
Spring Garden, now owned by Mr Joseph White is the site of NATUREíS WAY, R of the road. Camping, canoeing, fishing, river swimming and snorkelling are available here and a restaurant and other facilities are in the pipeline.
A short distance further on a sign points the way to CRYSTAL SPRING. Turn L off the coast road and follow the signs to Crystal Spring, a working farm, botanical garden, bird sanctuary, restaurant and eco-tourist haven around a pristine mountain stream. Owned and operated by Jack and Pauline Stewart it features a water-wheel designed and built by Jack, currently a consultant to the UWI on sustainable development. Pools have been created to raise St Peters Fish for the restaurant and Japanese Koi. Near the streamfed swimming pool in a secluded garden, birdwatchers can see close at hand, dozens of quits and doves and every variety of humming bird swarming the feeders. At the foot of the hill some exotic birds are on show in cages.
On the hill above the garden are campsites and cottages for rent. One is furnished with Jamaican antiques, others, patterned after traditional country cottages are wallpapered with old newspapers ñ interesting reading. This place is very popular with Jamaicans, Kingston firms rent it for fun days for their staff and there are occasional
open air music shows ñ no Jamaican believes he can be having fun unless he is listening to Reggae or Dancehall. This is another aspect of Jamaican culture that eco-tourists may find interesting, but if it is peace and nature you are after, donít visit on these weekends.)
One mile from Buff Bay Kildare estate was the United Fruit Companyís largest banana plantation until Panama Disease decimated cultivations in the 1920s. Subsequently, Kildare was bought by the government and became one of the earliest land settlement schemes for small farmers. The hills north of here are another site of the coffee expansion schemes that are inexorably destroying the mountain forests, aggravating erosion and polluting rivers and streams throughout the
Blue Mountains. Despite the protests of environmentalists and foresters, the government is committed to increasing the acreage under Blue Mountain Coffee by 10,000 acres and has received large soft loans from the government of Japan for a development scheme around Clavery Cottage. So far, protests from PEPA and other environmental activists have not persuaded
the government owned Coffee Industry Development Corporation to reassess its methods.
BUFF BAY was the nineteenth century capital of an erstwhile parish called St Georges, now swallowed by Portland and St Mary. It had its own vestry, courthouse and parish church and is one of the best laid out towns in rural Jamaica. It is currently the town centre for hundreds of banana and coffee farmers in the Spanish River and Buff Bay River valleys. Like most small towns in Jamaica it is well supplied with bars and churches having at least 15 of the former and 17 of the latter. One very photogenic church is the Anglican church on the main road. Opposite this on your L is the PACESETTERS cafeteria run by Mrs Pet Brown and Mr Earle Brown. Open 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., it offers snacks, meals, excellent pastries, natural juices and the best (and cheapest) cup of Blue Mountain Coffee you are likely to get anywhere. Added bonuses are clean rest rooms, and a chance to meet and talk to members of the community. The fork L in the town centre takes you to Holywell and Newcastle through the Buff Bay river valley. This is a chameleon route: scenic even during drought it is magically transformed when rains give birth to myriad ephemeral waterfalls gushing from the hillsides and, sad to say, quite a few landslides.
ANNOTTO BAY is heralded by a disused railway crossing with vendors offering ìjangaî (mountain shrimp), Irish Moss, and motor oil. The town straggles along the coast, a sleepy, grubby place but not without charm and interest with its seaside market, old Court House and along the main street the imaginative Baptist Chapel built in 1894. The St James Anglican Church is reached by a bridge over the railway line. In its graveyard some elaborate tombs of the Pringles and their attorney (ìA good and faithful servantî) recall the heyday of the banana barons. An erstwhile Tourist Rest Stop along the coast road was closed when we went to press. During the transient banana boom of the early 1900s, Annotto Bay was a busy place, exporting fruit from all the surrounding estates. In more recent times the townís economy was dependent on an ailing sugar industry and Grayís Inn sugar factory used to process cane from many small farms. The factory, owned by the government and heavily subsidized finally closed in 1985. The discontinuation of the rail route after hurricane Allen in 1980 has increased the townís stagnation. Nowadays, bananas are making a comeback. The Jamaica Banana Producers Co and its subsidiary the St Mary Banana Co. have a large and expanding banana farm on former cane land, a high tech operation with drip irrigation and cableways to support the trees and reap the fruit.
Southwest of Annotto Bay the ruins of Agualta Vale great house overlook the narrow coastal plain. It was built in 1907 by Sir John Pringle, a canny Scots physician who came to the island as supervisor of the lunatic asylum in Kingston and later made a fortune by buying up derelict sugar plantations and planting bananas. His family became leading members of the Jamaican plantocracy and produced a most successful Director of Tourism, John Pringle, now resident in England and promoting the marketing of Jamaican Bananas there. Agualta Vale, is owned by Jamaica Banana Producers Ltd, a company founded by Jamaicans in 1930 to challenge the United Fruit Companyís monopoly in the banana trade. They have diversified into other crops: coconuts, ground provisions and citrus, and more recently mangoes. During reaping season it is possible to purchase reject mangoes from a shop at the Sports Club. These large, robust Tommy Atkins mangoes were developed locally as suitable for export.
Bear left for the JUNCTION road ñ the most popular route between Port Antonio and Kingston. The road follows the Wag Water valley crossing the river several times. The Arawak name for the river Guayguata mutated under the Spaniard to Rio de Agua Alta and under the British to Wag Water. The level of pollution in this river is evident from the amount of bright green algae visible in it. Fish kills have also been reported. The cause, as yet unproved is believed to be chemical runoff from coffee, banana and other cultivations throughout the valley.
The road is winding but the surface usually in fair condition. The hills tower on either side, their cover of grass and feathery bamboo broken occasionally by massive outcrops of black rock. Roadside stalls offer fruit, vegetables and fresh crayfish.
At BROADGATE a suspension bridge leads across the river to the district of MAHOE HILL with a primary school part funded by U.S. AID.
In rainy seasons a high waterfall spouts from a black outcrop halfway up the mountain. A few miles further on at FRIENDSHIP GAP, look for a pub on your L advertising Oriental Fried Chicken. It is excellent.
CASTLETON GARDENS midway on your journey is a relaxing stop. The main road bisects 15 acres of gardens filled with a fascinating variety of foreign, naturalized, and native plants including 35 varieties of palms, exotic fruits like the African Velvet Apple, rose-apples, flowering and fragrant shrubs and huge tree ferns. Shady trees and grassy slopes tempt you to picnic, the gardens slope down to the Wag Water river where you can wade between smooth waterworn
boulders. An interesting riverside plant, Jobís Tears, bears silvery seeds that are strung into bead necklaces. Castleton Gardens were established in 1862 by a landscape artist who served his apprenticeship at Englandís famous Kew Gardens.
From Castleton, at an elevation of 500 feet the road climbs to TEMPLE HALL, a small coffee estate.
In GOLDEN SPRING flowers and foliage thrive in the cool moist climate and there are several export horticultural projects. From STONY HILL village, a suburb of Kingston, you descend via Long Lane to Kingston, emerging at Manor Park plaza and Constant Spring.