Nanny Falls in Portland, Jamaica

Nanny Falls in Portland, Jamaica: Explore its History & Beauty

Nestled in the highlands of Portland, eastern Jamaica lies the beautiful Nanny Falls. Nanny Falls is located in the historic community of Moore Town, one of Jamaica’s four remaining maroon communities. Formerly known as New Nanny Town, Moore Town was founded in 1740 after the signing of a Peace Treaty between British colonial authorities and the Windward Maroons following the First Maroon War. This treaty granted the Windward Maroons 500 acres of land on which they currently reside. Today, Moore Town is a quiet village and its residents enjoy self governance and a self-sufficient way of life in harmony with nature and ancestral ties. Despite this, Moore Town faces modern challenges such as a dwindling community and aging population, as many of its young people migrate to urban centres or overseas in search of greater opportunities. That being said, here’s how to plan a trip to Nanny Falls and enjoy a slice of Jamaica’s rich maroon heritage.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle20 Comments

A Local’s Guide to Spanish River in Portland

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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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle26 Comments

Rafting on the Rio Grande in Portland, Jamaica

Rio Grande was the final river to complete my Jamaican bamboo rafting bucket list. This rafting experience is the most meaningful, as the Rio Grande is the birthplace of rafting in Jamaica. Originally designed to transport bananas from deep inland to the coast for export, these bamboo rafts were made popular by Errol Flynn in the early 1900s for recreation. The Rio Grande is one of Jamaica’s largest rivers at 3034km and lies in a beautiful valley. Rio Grande was named by early Spanish settlers in the 1500s, and rafting down a 10-km stretch of it is now one of Jamaica’s top tourist attractions. Here’s how my birthday rafting trip to the Rio Grande went.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle36 Comments

Unwind at the Orange Bay Camp Ground in Portland

Picture this: you escape to warm, sunny Jamaica with your loved ones to unwind for a few days. Would you want an unforgettable camping experience surrounded by the beauty of nature or to stay at your private villa in the countryside with all the modern amenities at your convenience? Wouldn’t it be great if no one had to compromise on their travel taste because one property offered both options? Exactly. Welcome to the Orange Bay Camping Ground in Portland, Jamaica, which offers a diverse range of accommodations in paradise.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle22 Comments

Folly Ruins & Lighthouse, Portland

Isn’t it magical that everywhere has a story to tell? Tales of romance, tragedy, wickedness, bravery, cowardice etc. If you’re familiar with my travel posts, you’ll know that I love to give a historical perspective. That’s because the past explains the present– how did a place get its name, why does it looks the way it does now or even just for general knowledge and appreciation. However, history is sometimes the only thing that entices people to visit a place. That, my friends, is how I found myself at the old Folly Mansion (Folly Great House) on my way back to Kingston from the Portland Sea Cliff Resort & Spa.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle25 Comments

The Sea Cliff Resort in Portland, Jamaica (Review)

Portland is easily the most beautiful corner of Jamaica. The parish is home to unspoilt beaches, cliffs, mountains, rainforests, rivers and waterfalls. For an island which thrives on tourism, Portland has been spared from mass tourism by some miracle. The all-inclusive hotel model was introduced to Jamaica by local hotelier John Issa in 1978, but to date, there are still no all-inclusive hotels in Portland. Instead, the welcome alternatives are luxurious waterfront villas, rustic wellness retreats, intimate bed-and-breakfasts and secluded boutique hotels. Before now, my only trips to this parish had been via daytrips which limit the number of places and activities one can accomplish each trip. Thus, when a special occasion came around last December, I traded my usual daytrips for a weekend stay in the parish. Here’s how the Sea Cliff Resort exceeded my expectations.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle19 Comments

A Guide to the Two Turtle Bays of Portland, Jamaica

Portland is my favourite place in Jamaica as the parish is home to some of the most breathtaking views I’ve ever seen. This northeastern parish has been spared from the gigantic all-inclusive hotels and over-commercialization of our other resort towns. I find it amusing (– and confusing) that they named two places Turtle Bay in the Manchioneal district of Portland, and they are ten minutes apart from each other. This trip, I visited the two Turtle Bays of Manchioneal so read on for more details and pictures of these delightful destinations.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle19 Comments

Millbank Falls, Portland

By some stroke of luck, my favourite parish of Portland in the northeastern side of Jamaica remains lush, green and untouched by mass tourism. Portland is home to the Jamaican Blue and John Crow Mountains which has species not seen in other parts of the island, let alone the entire world. It houses the Windward Maroons, an indigenous group of Jamaicans who are direct descendants of runaway Africans and Amerindians. The Jamaican Maroons are a proud people and have called the rugged inhospitable mountains home for over three centuries. Their governance is largely independent of mainstream Jamaica, they live off of and respect the land, and have managed to preserve their rich heritage and traditions to this day. It’s in this region of Jamaica that Millbank and its majestic waterfalls are located: the Upper Rio Grande Valley which is Windward Maroon country. Here’s how that adventure went.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle45 Comments

Winnifred Beach, Portland

Winnifred Beach in Portland, Jamaica is a success story of what can happen when a community works together and fights for a worthy cause. Majority of Jamaica’s best coastline is in the hands of private owners, auctioned off and sold by the Jamaican government to large hotels and investors who rather keep the beaches of their beachfront hotels and resorts exclusive for paying guests. This practice prevents citizens from enjoying most of the country’s best beaches. It’s a prevailing notion in Jamaica that only tourists get to see and enjoy Jamaica’s finest attractions since the prices charged for us to visit these places, even with cheaper rates for locals, still make them inaccessible to many. This wasn’t something I thought much of until I visited another Caribbean island last December and realized that none of their beaches had an admission fee.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle38 Comments

Blue Lagoon & Monkey Island Tour, Portland

Blue Lagoon is located in Port Antonio, a quaint picturesque town in Portland which hasn’t been hit with mass-tourism like our other resort towns. Portland is my favourite parish in Jamaica because literally around every curve is a beautiful beach, cay, river or waterfall waiting to be discovered. Does Blue Lagoon look or sound familiar? Well, there may be a reason for that. Brook Shields’ movie by the same name Blue Lagoon was filmed in Jamaica, and it’s also a popular spot used in filming numerous Jamaican music videos. This coastal lagoon shrouded by thick lush greenery is rumoured to be bottomless in Jamaican folklore but is actually 65m (210ft.) deep at its deepest point, and its colour ranges from a deep mesmerizing royal blue to shimmering turquoise depending on the way the light hits its surface throughout the day.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle29 Comments