Top 8 Brunch Spots in Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica is known for its rich culture, vibrant music scene and delectable cuisine. One third of Jamaica’s population (roughly one million people) call Kingston home, so you can bet there are lots of entertainment options, and even free activities to check out in the city. Whether you’re a local or a tourist, one of the best ways to start your day in Kingston is with a delicious brunch at one of the city’s top restaurants. Here are eight of the best spots in Kingston for a mouth-watering brunch experience in 2025.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle27 Comments

5 Fun Things to Do in Portmore, Jamaica

Portmore is a large urban town located on Jamaica’s southeastern coast in St. Catherine. Much of Portmore is built on reclaimed swamp to offset the overpopulation and housing challenges of Kingston. Over time, Portmore has grown from merely a low-budget housing solution for Kingston’s working class to achieving municipality status in 2003. One day, it may even become Jamaica’s fifteenth parish! For that reason, shrewd investors have brought malls, restaurants, hotels, bed and breakfasts and entertainment activities to Portmore– rewriting Portmore’s history from dormitory town to promising metropolis. Today, let’s highlight five fun things to do in Portmore, Jamaica. While not marketed as a tourist destination, Portmore’s rapid growth may change that one day!

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle15 Comments

Stewart Castle, Trelawny

The sightseeing detours on a road trip are almost as exciting as the destination itself. On the drive home from my weekend getaway at Animal Farm, my partner and I made two sightseeing detours. Our first was the Persian Water Wheel in Falmouth which I covered in January; Stewart Castle was the second. Present-day Stewart Castle lies in ruin but was once an impressive cut stone mansion, built in the 1760s by enslaved Africans. Here’s everything you need to know about Stewart Castle near Duncans, Trelawny.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle21 Comments

Reggae Month in Jamaica

Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?

February around the world is a special time for people of African descent, such as myself. We celebrate the achievements of our race and our rich heritage, while pausing to reflect on the atrocities of chattel slavery which our ancestors endured and which interrupted our history for three centuries. However, in Jamaica, February has much more special meaning.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle38 Comments

Mountain River Cave & Falls, Saint Catherine

If at first you don’t succeed, try again, right? I tried visiting this waterfall one lazy afternoon in November 2022, but my travel partner and I were warned by three different residents in Cudjoe Hill that the river “come down” (was swollen) after recent heavy rainfall so that wouldn’t be a good idea. We heeded their warning and went home feeling despondent that we didn’t get to cross this one off the list. One month later we returned mid-morning and achieved success! Thus, now I can tell you all about the Mountain River Cave and Cudjoe Falls in St. Catherine. There’s some interesting Taino (Amerindian) history behind this one.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle36 Comments

Persian Water Wheel, Trelawny

On the drive home from my weekend getaway at Animal Farm, my partner and I made a sightseeing detour– something which has become our norm. We had both passed signs to the Persian Water Wheel before on different occasions but never stopped. The Persian Water Wheel was built in 1798 to provide water from the Martha Brae river to the town of Falmouth in Trelawny on Jamaica’s north coast. In 2008, it was restored using many of the original parts. It still turns to this day once the river’s water level is high enough, such as after recent rainfall. The water wheel now lies on private property which is used to host events such as weddings, but thankfully we came at the end of a function and were able to view the wheel without interrupting. Here’s how this excursion went.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle16 Comments

Experience Life Off the Grid at Animal Farm

Nestled in the Montpelier Hills near Montego Bay, Jamaica lies the alluring Animal Farm and Nature Reserve. This 40-acre sanctuary sits in a lush rainforest valley which is supplied by the Great River, one of Jamaica’s fastest flowing rivers. Dr. Geoffrey Williams, the owner of Animal Farm, acquired the thickly wooded land in the 1990s and transformed it into a beautiful off-the-grid farm. Animal Farm is solar-powered, harvests water from the Great River and uses bio-gas for refrigeration and cooking. Animal Farm opened to guests in 2000 and quickly became a naturalist and ecotourist’s paradise, teeming with ferns, towering trees, flowering plants and beautiful exotic birds. Today, one can escape the hustle and bustle of city life with a stay in one of the farm’s eco-cottages, or enjoy an edutaining farm tour, hiking, birdwatching, bamboo rafting excursion or even a self-guided tour through the farm at one’s own pace. In this article, I recap my weekend getaway and share why Animal Farm deserves a spot on your Jamaican bucket list.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle27 Comments

Glamping & More at Hidden Springs, Saint Ann

Last month, I was invited on a special road trip sponsored by Red Stripe. Red Stripe is a refreshing lager beer best enjoyed cold and on hot sunny days. This beer has become a Jamaican cultural staple, and is generously splashed onto jerk chicken during its preparation. Thus, there was no better company than Red Stripe to gather local talents on a ‘Jamaicanness Tour‘ to celebrate Jamaica’s unique food and adventure spots. They promised a day filled with fun, food and Jamaican experiences– and delivered. Our first stop was at Hidden Springs, an idyllic gem on Jamaica’s north coast which offers several accommodation options for the discerning traveler and nature-lover. These include two guest suites, glamping tents as well as a campground where you can pick a spot, and pitch a tent. Today, let’s recap my visit to Hidden Springs.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle17 Comments

16 Photos Showcasing Manchester, Jamaica

Manchester is one of Jamaica’s south central parishes. It’s often said that the north coast in Jamaica is for the tourists, while the south coast is for the locals. Of course, no parish is out of bounds for tourists, but it’s just that tourists seldom visit our quiet south coast when it’s more exciting up north. Manchester was formed in 1814 and is named for the Governor of Jamaica at that time. Manchester is primarily mountainous. Over 90% of Manchester’s surface is limestone which gives it an abundance of cockpits, sinkholes, caves and underground passages. That’s why most of the parish’s rivers run underground but form delightful swimming holes during the wet season. The longest and deepest caves in Jamaica are found in Manchester, namely the Gourie Cave near Christiana and the Smokey Hole Cave in Cross Keys. Manchester has large bauxite deposits, the raw material for aluminium production. Important crops in the parish are coffee, potatoes and citrus. Ortanique, a cross between the orange and tangerine, was developed here in Manchester, Jamaica.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle24 Comments

16 Photos Showcasing the Beauty of St. Mary, Jamaica

The St. Mary parish is located on Jamaica’s northeastern coast. You may know the parish for Port Maria, Annotto Bay, Oracabessa or Jamaica’s third international airport named for Ian Fleming. St. Mary has a long history and was one of the parishes inhabited by Tainos. Its parish capital, Port Maria, was the second town built by the Spanish in Jamaica. Many pieces of history lie in St. Mary such as the Rio Nuevo Battle Site which was the site of the final battle between the British and Spaniards for control of Jamaica in 1658. In 1760, Tacky led the most serious rebellion against slavery in the Caribbean at that time. You can visit the waterfalls named for Tacky and his fellow warrior Kwame today. After Emancipation, free villages were formed in St. Mary. As the price for sugar dropped, banana cultivation replaced sugarcane in the 1900s which explains why St. Mary is now known as Jamaica’s banana parish. Nonetheless, St. Mary is a very beautiful parish with several attractions and places to visit such as free rivers, beaches, historic forts, churches and even a maroon town (Scott’s Hall). Here are 16 photos to showcase the attractions and things to do in St. Mary.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle35 Comments