With the expansion and renovation of the Ian Fleming International Airport, a new highway and already established luxury resorts such as Goldeneye and Couples Tower Island, St. Mary is quickly becoming a modern tourist town in Jamaica. But the parish is already well acclaimed. St Mary was once home to several world-famous residents including playwright Noël Coward and James Bond author Ian Fleming. Noël Coward’s Firefly Estate is designated as a National Historic site while Fleming’s home was transformed into the Goldeneye resort. Check out these other popular spots in St. Mary.
Blue Hole, Ocho Rios
Blue Hole is not to be confused with Blue Lagoon in Portland. The natural wonder is an unofficial tourist attraction nestled in the mountains of St. Mary on the parish’s White River. The deep cavern, featuring swimming pools and waterfalls, gets its name from the beautiful deep hue of the water. With no vendors to haggle with you, no queues, all that’s left is for guests to surround themselves with the beautiful scenery and cascading waterfalls.
James Bond Beach
This famous beach, also known as Laughing Waters Beach and Roaring River Beach, sits on a small peninsula at Oracabessa Bay. The beach has brightly painted changing rooms, a water sports center, a bar, and a restaurant. It is surrounded by crystal clear water on three sides, and the mountains of St. Mary reach straight down to the sea, a sight which serves as the beach’s backdrop. Its expansive lawns are a regular venue for concerts by international artistes such as Rihanna, Ziggy Marley, and Lauryn Hill.
Reggae Beach
Reggae Beach is a 250-acre property located midway between Ocho Rios and Oracabessa. Reggae Beach is not very popular, so it can be deserted. More often this beach is chosen by tourists who want to escape from the noise of the city and are fans of ecotourism. Reggae Beach has a couple of bars and small grocery stores and shops. The property is owned by Jamaican Canadian businessman, Michael Lee-Chin.
Castleton Botanical Gardens
Nestled in the hills of St. Mary, Castleton Gardens is a haven for nature lovers who want a cool, quiet place to relax. In the past, Castleton had over four thousand species of plants from the great English Garden at Kew. Many interesting plants can still be seen at Castleton today. Added to the attraction is the cooling water of the Wag Water River, where visitors may swim. The lush green grass also provides an ideal setting for the weary who may lie and sleep or view the blossoms of the plants and listen to the rushing water of the river.
Firefly Estate
Firefly Estate is the former holiday home and burial place of Noël Coward, English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer. Named for the luminous insects seen in the warm evenings, Firefly Estate has entertained a wide range of guests, including both the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Winston Churchill, and neighbours Errol Flynn, Ruth Bryan Owen, and Ian Fleming. Firefly is now a small museum, with an art studio that holds Coward’s paintings and photographs of his coterie of famous friends, including Laurence Olivier, Errol Flynn, and Marlene Dietrich.
