Where to stay in Portland
Portland, in the north-east, is Jamaica at its greenest, with rivers, waterfalls and quiet coves around Port Antonio. It has small hotels and villas rather than big resorts, and suits nature lovers and travelers who want somewhere quiet.
Updated 
Is Portland right for you?
Portland suits travelers who have done the resort coast, or know they don’t want it: swimmers, hikers, food lovers, couples looking for quiet, and anyone who wants to see the green, mountainous side of Jamaica. Port Antonio is a small old banana port, and the coast east of it is a run of coves, rivers and waterfalls with country villages in between. Skip Portland if you want an all-inclusive, nightlife or a short airport transfer. There are no big resorts here, and from Montego Bay it takes most of a day to get in.
The places to stay are small: villas, guest houses and boutique hotels in the hills and on the coves. The Tourist Board’s reopening list shows Port Antonio’s properties open, among them Trident, Geejam and Goblin Hill Villas, and Frenchman’s Cove rents villas beside its beach. This site concentrates on resorts, so I don’t have full guides to Portland’s hotels yet. Book direct, and check what’s included, since most don’t work like an all-inclusive.
My take: give Portland three nights or more, because the drive in is the hard part. Swim in the Blue Lagoon and at Frenchman’s Cove on the same morning, spend half a day on a bamboo raft on the Rio Grande, and drive out to Reach Falls with a jerk lunch at Boston Bay on the way. For a free public beach where Portland people go on a Sunday, ask for Winnifred at Fairy Hill.
Port Antonio or the east coast?
Most visitors stay in and around Port Antonio or a few minutes east at San San, close to the Blue Lagoon, Frenchman’s Cove and Winnifred Beach. You get a small town with a market and places to eat, the shortest drives to the Rio Grande and Kingston. Pick this side for a first visit, or if you won’t have a car.
Past Fairy Hill the coast gets quieter: Boston Bay with its jerk shops and surf break, then Manchioneal, with Reach Falls up in the hills behind it. This side is for travelers who want a guest house by the sea, a surfboard or simply fewer people, and who are happy to drive. Evenings are very quiet, so plan to eat where you stay or bring dinner back.
Free Jamaica trip checklist
Heading to Portland?
Get my free Jamaica trip checklist, then guides for Portland.
Your checklist is ready
Download it below, then print it or tick the boxes on screen.
Getting to Portland
From Kingston. Norman Manley International (KIN) in Kingston is the nearest international airport. By car, allow roughly two to two and a half hours to Port Antonio over the hills, or two and a half to three hours to Boston Bay. The mountain roads are narrow and winding, so plan to drive in daylight.
From the north coast. From Ocho Rios, it’s about two and a half hours east along the coast road to Port Antonio. TPDCo puts Rafter’s Rest, where the Rio Grande trip ends just west of Port Antonio, at about 2 hours 15 minutes from either Ocho Rios or Kingston. From Montego Bay airport, the drive takes most of a day, so fly into Kingston if Portland is your main stop.
By coach. Knutsford Express has a Port Antonio station at Bayshore Plaza and sells tickets there from Kingston and from Montego Bay airport, with north-coast stops at Port Maria and Annotto Bay. From the station, take a licensed taxi to your hotel. Fares and booking are in my Knutsford Express guide.
Getting around. Once you’re here, Boston Bay and Winnifred are 15 to 20 minutes east of Port Antonio by car, and Reach Falls about 45 minutes. Route taxis run along the coast road; for Reach Falls or a day of stops, hire a licensed JUTA taxi and agree the price and pickup time first.
Questions people ask
Is Portland worth visiting?
Yes, if you want rivers, waterfalls, quiet coves and good jerk more than a resort. Give it at least three nights, because getting there takes most of a morning from Kingston and longer from the north coast.
How far is Port Antonio from Kingston?
Roughly two to two and a half hours by car over the hills. Knutsford Express also runs coaches from New Kingston to its Port Antonio station.
Are there all-inclusive resorts in Portland?
No. Portland’s places to stay are small hotels, villas and guest houses. The nearest all-inclusives are around Ocho Rios, about two and a half hours west.
Which airport is closest to Portland?
Norman Manley International in Kingston, roughly two to two and a half hours’ drive from Port Antonio. Flying into Montego Bay means a drive of most of a day.
What is there to do in Portland, Jamaica?
Swim at the Blue Lagoon and Frenchman’s Cove, raft the Rio Grande, swim below Reach Falls, eat jerk at Boston Bay and spend a beach day at Winnifred. The Charles Town Maroon Museum, a short drive inland from Buff Bay, adds some history.