My local take
The Maroons are the Africans who refused slavery, took to the mountains and fought the British to a standstill. Every Jamaican learns about Nanny and the Windward Maroons in school, and Charles Town is one of the communities where that history is still lived, not just remembered. As the Gleaner puts it, the community grew out of the Windward Maroons’ victory under Captain Quao in 1739 and became one of Jamaica’s principal Maroon settlements. It sits in the Buff Bay River valley, with the Blue and John Crow Mountains rising behind it.
This is not a museum in the city sense. It is the Maroons’ own place, run by the Charles Town Maroon Council. The museum covers Maroon history, politics, treaties and heroes, and next to it is the Asafu Yard, the community’s gathering ground for drumming, dancing and ceremony. The Observer described the grounds as having grown to include a stage, a shaded dining area, a kitchen, a jerk pit and a small shop selling handmade products. My take: come for a guided visit with lunch, go in with respect and curiosity, and let the people who live this history tell it. It’s one of the best ways in Jamaica to understand where the country’s spirit of resistance comes from, and it suits curious travelers far better than anyone looking for a quick photo stop.
Charles Town fits well with a day on the Portland coast, or with rafting on the Rio Grande on the other side of Port Antonio. If you want more of the mountains, see my guide to Blue Mountain coffee tours. For the background, read my piece on Jamaica’s National Heroes, which includes Nanny of the Maroons, and for the wider parish, my Portland guide.
How to get there
Charles Town is a few kilometers inland from Buff Bay, the small town on the north coast road between Annotto Bay and Port Antonio; the Observer put it about 20 minutes’ drive from Buff Bay. From Buff Bay, take the road up the Buff Bay River valley and ask for the Maroon village; the community is small and everyone knows the museum. Roads in the valley are narrow and winding, and slow after heavy rain, so drive slowly.
From Port Antonio, Buff Bay is roughly 45 minutes west along the coast. From Ocho Rios, allow roughly an hour and a half to two hours east along the coast through Port Maria and Annotto Bay. From Kingston, allow roughly two hours via the Junction Road to Annotto Bay and then along the coast. These are estimates, not timed routes. From Montego Bay it’s too far for a comfortable day trip unless you book a tour that includes transport.
Without a car: Route taxis run along the north coast road to Buff Bay, and from there you can take a local taxi up the valley; agree the price and pickup time first. A tour that includes transport, such as the national park's community tours, is the easier option.
What to expect
A visit usually starts with a guided tour. The Tourist Board describes learning about Maroon politics, treaties and heroes in the museum and handling artifacts from the days of slavery, compared with things the community still uses today. Guides talk about how the Maroons used the forest, camouflage and guerrilla tactics against British troops, and about the herbs and plants the community still relies on.
At the Asafu Yard you may hear the drums and see the dancing of the Charles Town Maroon Drummers and Dancers, and the yard’s kitchen cooks Maroon food. The Gleaner’s festival coverage lists jerked chicken and wild hog, escoveitched fish, curried crayfish, run dung, bammy and blue draws among the dishes the Asafu Yard chefs are known for. What’s on offer on a given day depends on the group’s size and what you book, so ask when you arrange the visit.
The big event is the International Charles Town Maroon Conference and Festival every June, which ends on Ancestor Quao Victory Day. The Gleaner reported that the 18th festival ran over four days in June, with a Taino day, a drum festival in the Asafu Yard, an academic day of talks, and Quao Day ceremonies by the river and in the yard, plus camping packages for visitors. If you can time your trip for it, that’s the fullest picture of Charles Town you’ll get.
The Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, run by the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust, also arranges community tours to Charles Town and the other Windward Maroon communities, which is a good option if you’d rather book through an established body.
Local tips
Arrange your visit ahead. Call or message the Charles Town Maroon Council, or book through the national park’s community tours, and say how many people are coming and whether you want lunch.
Ask about the price before you go, including the tour, any drumming or craft session and food. There’s no current price list published online.
Ask before you photograph people, ceremonies or the inside of the museum. Some spaces and practices are sacred to the community.
Bring Jamaican cash in small notes for food, crafts and any donation; don’t count on a card machine.
Wear shoes you can walk in. The village is in hilly country, and some tours include a short walk in the bush or by the river.
Before you go
- Dress modestly, follow your guide’s lead and treat the Asafu Yard as the sacred ground it is.
- Facilities are simple. Don’t expect air-conditioned galleries.
- Around the June festival the village gets busy, and the concerts run late into the night.
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Questions people ask
Who are the Charles Town Maroons?
They are one of Jamaica’s Windward Maroon communities, descendants of Africans who escaped slavery and fought the British from the mountains. The Gleaner traces the community to the Windward Maroons’ victory under Captain Quao in 1739. The community has its own Maroon Council, which runs the museum and Asafu Yard.
Is the Charles Town Maroon Museum open?
Yes. The Jamaica Tourist Board’s list of reopened tours and attractions shows it open, and the Gleaner reported the community’s four-day festival going ahead in June. Hours aren’t published, so arrange your visit ahead.
What is the Asafu Yard?
It is the Charles Town Maroons’ cultural yard next to the museum, where the community gathers for drumming, dancing, ceremonies and festivals. It also has a kitchen that cooks traditional Maroon food for visitors and events.
When is the Charles Town Maroon festival?
The International Charles Town Maroon Conference and Festival is held every June and ends with Ancestor Quao Victory Day. The Gleaner reported this year’s edition running June 20 to 23. Check the next year’s dates with the Council before you plan around it.
Where is Charles Town in Jamaica?
Charles Town is in the parish of Portland, in the Buff Bay River valley about 20 minutes’ drive inland from the coastal town of Buff Bay, and Buff Bay is roughly 45 minutes west of Port Antonio.
Sources & updates
- Jamaica Tourist Board: How to experience Jamaica's living Maroon culture (Charles Town museum and Asafu Yard) · checked
- Jamaica Tourist Board: Tours and attractions reopenings list (Charles Town Maroon Museum open; record updated Feb 9, 2026) · checked
- Jamaica Gleaner: Four days of culture and history at Charles Town Maroon festival (Jun 20, 2026) · checked
- Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park (Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust): Charles Town community tours · checked
- Jamaica Information Service: Canadians learning about Maroon culture (Charles Town Maroons) · checked
- Jamaica Observer: A tale of two Maroon towns (Charles Town grounds; 20 minutes from Buff Bay) · checked
- OpenStreetMap: Charles Town (Maroons), Portland (map location) · checked
Update log
- — New researched guide; status and facts checked.
- — Moved source citations out of the text
- — Removed repeated advice
Spotted something out of date? Tell me and I’ll check it.