Oh Portland, my favourite parish! I recently celebrated my birthday by rafting on the Rio Grande, followed by a weekend stay at the Orange Bay Camp Ground. Before visiting, I’d scanned the area for hidden gems I could combine with this trip and realized that the Spanish River would be in close proximity. A section of it which we wanted to visit is now unfortunately commercialized and closed to the public unless previously reserved and in groups of 20+ persons. However, by local tip I discovered this inexpensive section at the mouth of the Spanish River where it meets the sea. Here’s how it went.
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How to Find Spanish River
After leaving the Orange Bay Camp Ground, we look a left turn at the end of the Leyton Valley access road which connects to the main road in Portland (A4). We drove for a minute or two until we got to some large almond trees and a sign by the hunting club. The gate was open but initially, we were hesitant to go through it until several locals reassured us that we were at the right place and this was indeed their community swimming spot.
The area is a bit rundown with some old buildings and gazebos, but it was clear someone still puts a bit of love and care into this hidden gem. In fact, that someone revealed himself shortly after we parked and politely explained that they charge $200JMD (about $1.30USD) per person to assist with the river + beach upkeep. That sounded quite reasonable to me! He trims the bushes surrounding the river and keeps the premises clean-ish (there was some litter by the beach but the river was pristine). There aren’t any amenities like restrooms or changing rooms, but they do have a sound system which plays music on weekends and they sell food cooked over woodfire (likely seafood with traditional Jamaican sides).
Spanish River
The river looked a little murky upstream but quickly widened into a beautiful clear swimming hole at the point where it enters into the Caribbean Sea. The water was the perfect temperature– not too cold or too warm; just right. The current of the river was strong enough to prevent the mixing of its fresh water with the salty water of the ocean, so you could choose whether or not to swim in fresh or salt water. Fresh water will always be my pick! 🙂 That and the waves by the beach were a bit rough so the choice was obvious. Nonetheless, it was definitely a delight to watch the waves crash onto this pebbly beach. Adventures hit differently when they weren’t planned, and I love me a “hidden” community gem.
Wrap Up
There’s not much else to say about this surprise find, but I hope you enjoyed the photos. Consider checking it out if you’re ever in the area. I hope to visit further upstream someday as there is a waterfall along this river in the community of Chepstowe which made my list of 40+ waterfalls in Jamaica. However, given the threat of rain + the short time we had, this section of the Spanish River sufficed in quenching our insatiable case of wanderlust.
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