Alternative things to do in Portland

Portland, one of Jamaica’s most scenic parishes

A quick search on Google Image for Portland reveals breath-taking photos of Portland’s prettiest spots and there are many.
Portland beaches, waterfalls, lagoons, rivers and mountain trails all offer spectacular scenery, as well as a sense of tranquillity and rejuvenation.  You can also find a good range of places to stay, from five-star hotels to outdoor eco-friendly camping venues.  
For most visitors Portland means:

•  Passing the day swimming or taking a boat ride at the Blue Lagoon, where the river and sea meets.
• Rafting on a bamboo raft down the Rio Grande river for spectacular riverside views.
•  Swimming at the shaded beach of Frenchman’s Cove located on a 45-acre private estate
• Indulge in more water activities at Reach Falls, for climbing the falls and swimming in its clear pool at the foot of the falls.
• Having a meal at the home of jerk, Boston Jerk Centre; with rustic roadside restaurants where a variety of meats are barbequed in the authentic Jamaican jerk style.

For the more curious, Portland’s monuments both past and present tell the story of this parish’s evolution over five hundred years.  Do a whirlwind tour and see:

•    The relics of Fort George from the early 1700s on the grounds of Titchfield High School, founded in 1785.
•    The monuments dedicated to Nanny (1686-1733) the nation’s heroine.
•    The distinctive architecture of Portland Parish church, built in the years 1837-40 and which remains a landmark in Portland’s main city of Port Antonio
•     Orange Bay railway station, one of the few remains of the island’s once thriving passenger railway system
•    The deMontevin Lodge Hotel which has distinctive Victorian architecture
•    The Fahmi building shopping mall with its quirky architecture
•    The new Port Antonio Parish Council building and Resident Magistrates Court House in the capital of Portland
•    Folly Point lighthouse constructed in 1885 not far from the Folly Mansion and an excellent vantage point in Portland for seeing Port Antonio and Navy Island.

It is always good to have a local with you to learn more about Portland’s history and culture.  The Jamaica Tourist Board’s “Meet the People” programme is a reliable way of finding the right host.

For more go to JTB Portland walking tour: http://www.visitjamaica.com/port-antonio-walking-tour

Other great links about Portland:
https://theculturetrip.com/caribbean/jamaica/articles/10-top-things-to-see-and-do-in-portland-jamaica/
Mockingbird Hill Hotel: https://www.experiencejamaique.com/hotel-mockingbird-hill

Geejam Hotel: https://www.experiencejamaique.com/geejam-hotel

Also visit our gallery for contemporary Jamaican/Caribbean fine art:

  https://www.experiencejamaique.com/product_gallery

Updated January 2021