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Heritage house and viewpoint · Ocho Rios

Noël Coward’s Firefly, Port Maria, St Mary: a local's guide

Researched by Michael RainfordPrices & hours checked Sources

Status unconfirmed. I couldn't confirm it's open right now. Check before you go; the guide below has open alternatives.

No car?

Hire a licensed JUTA taxi or a private driver from Ocho Rios for the round trip and agree the fare, including waiting time, before you leave. Only do this once Firefly has confirmed it is open.

On this page
  1. My local take
  2. How to get there
  3. What to expect
  4. Local tips
  5. Before you go
  6. FAQ
  7. Sources

My local take

Firefly sits on a small plateau high above Port Maria, and the view along the St Mary coast is the reason everyone who has owned it fell for it. The Jamaica National Heritage Trust records that the pirate Henry Morgan used the spot as a lookout, and that the English playwright Noël Coward bought it, built the house that stands there, named it for the fireflies on the property, wrote at Firefly and died there. He is buried on the lawn, near a statue of him looking out to sea. It is a national heritage site, leased by the government to Chris Blackwell’s Island Outpost and managed through GoldenEye, his resort at Oracabessa.

The honest problem: I can’t confirm when, or whether, it is open to the public right now. We found no 2026 notice from the Heritage Trust or GoldenEye about public visiting hours, Firefly is not on the Jamaica Tourist Board’s reopenings list after Hurricane Melissa, and the guidebook listings still online disagree on opening days and the fee. GoldenEye’s website still recommends Firefly to its own guests for sunset, which suggests the property is being looked after, but that is not the same as regular public opening. My take: it is worth the drive for the view and the Coward story, but only after you get a clear yes. Don’t turn up on spec.

Related guides: Prospect Plantation (Yaaman Adventure Park), a great house and estate tour on the way from Ocho Rios, and Seville Heritage Park for Jamaican history at St Ann’s Bay. For the wider area, see where to stay in Ocho Rios.

How to get there

Firefly is in St Mary, east of Ocho Rios. Follow the north coast road east through Oracabessa toward Port Maria; Wikipedia puts the estate about 10 km (6 miles) east of Oracabessa, up a hill road off the coast. From Ocho Rios, allow roughly 45 minutes to an hour each way. From resorts on the east side of Ocho Rios, such as Couples Tower Isle, it is a little shorter.

From Montego Bay it is a long day: roughly three hours or more each way. The last stretch climbs a narrow road, so go with a driver who knows it.

What to expect

Guidebook descriptions of a visit, from before the hurricane, cover a guided walk through Coward’s house, kept much as he left it, with his studio and paintings and the piano where he entertained guests; his grave and statue on the lawn; and Henry Morgan’s old stone lookout, rebuilt as a visitor center with a small bar. Coward’s guests at Firefly included the Queen Mother, who came for lunch on her 1965 visit, according to GoldenEye.

None of the practical details are confirmed as current. Hours, the fee, whether a guide is on site and what is open inside the house may all have changed. Check current prices and opening with the managers before you go.

Local tips

  • Before you go, contact GoldenEye, which manages Firefly, through the phone or email on goldeneye.com and ask whether Firefly is open to day visitors and when.
  • If you get a yes, go in the late afternoon. GoldenEye itself suggests staying for sunset, and the light on the coast is the best part.
  • Combine it with lunch in Oracabessa or Port Maria. It is too far to go out and back just for an hour at the house without planning the rest of the day.
  • Ignore old prices and opening days you find online. Several are years out of date and they contradict each other.

Before you go

  • Its current public opening is unconfirmed: we found no 2026 notice from the Heritage Trust or GoldenEye, and it is not on the Tourist Board’s reopenings list.
  • Guidebook listings online disagree on opening days and the fee, so don’t rely on them.
  • The road up the hill is narrow and steep. Plan on a driver rather than a route taxi.
  • It is a house and garden, not a big attraction. If you are not interested in Coward or the view, the long drive may not be worth it.

Questions people ask

Is Noël Coward's Firefly open to visitors?

I can’t confirm it. We found no 2026 notice from the Jamaica National Heritage Trust or GoldenEye about public visiting, and Firefly is not on the Tourist Board’s reopenings list. Contact GoldenEye, which manages the property, before you go.

Who owns and manages Firefly?

It is a national heritage site. Coward’s partner Graham Payn gave it to the Jamaican nation, and the government leases it to Chris Blackwell’s Island Outpost, with GoldenEye at Oracabessa managing visits.

Is Noël Coward buried at Firefly?

Yes. The Heritage Trust records that Coward died at Firefly and was buried on the property, at his favorite spot. A statue of him stands on the lawn looking out to sea.

Where is Firefly in Jamaica?

On a hilltop above Port Maria in St Mary, about 10 km east of Oracabessa. From Ocho Rios, allow roughly 45 minutes to an hour by car each way.

What can I do instead near Ocho Rios?

The old Prospect estate east of Ocho Rios has a great house tour run by Yaaman Adventure Park, and Seville Heritage Park at St Ann’s Bay covers Jamaica’s Spanish and plantation history. Both are open.

Sources & updates

Update log

  • — New status page. Public opening after Hurricane Melissa could not be confirmed; no hours or prices given.
  • — Link updated after merge

Spotted something out of date? Tell me and I’ll check it.

Where to stay nearby

Where to stay in Ocho Rios