Port Antonio is a most seductive town on the rugged north-east coast of Jamaica, offering all the charm of the Caribbean without the hordes of visitors. It is famous for its years as a glamorous getaway for celebrities, but on any given day you’d never know it as they’re nowhere to be seen.
Quiet and secluded, unlike Montego Bay at the other end of the northern coast, Port Antonio – surrounded by lush mountains on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other – offers the chance to escape the crowds and meander peacefully around the town.
Port Antonio is Jamaica’s third largest port, known for shipping bananas and coconuts before becoming a tourist attraction around the turn of the 20th century. Hollywood stars descended decades later, most famously swashbuckling actor Errol Flynn in 1946, who made quite an impression and helped to establish Port Antonio’s reputation as a celebrity hangout.
A popular attraction is the Blue Lagoon (above, top), which owes its colour to its depth of 60 metres (197 feet). Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT the location where the 1980 movie of the same name was filmed (it was shot in Fiji). Other sights include the secluded Frenchman’s Cove Beach, which has in fact featured in numerous films, the ruins of Folly Mansion and the historic DeMontevin Lodge (above).
