Film star Errol Flynn discovered Port Antonio in 1946 and made his home on offshore Navy Island until his death in 1960. Writer Ian Fleming arrived around the same time on a mission from British Naval Intelligence and remained to live, authoring his famed James Bond novels there. In recent years, various Hollywood stars, either filming on location or simply here for a frolic in the sun, have been smitten by Port Antonio's unique charms. The people here are warm and friendly, and the beaches are superior to any on the island. To be sure, the stunning beaches and dazzling ocean hues have an irresistible fascination, as though by some primal awakening one senses that the sea rather than the firmament is one's true and proper home.
Accommodations range from quaint to opulent.
Several hotels provide first-class comfort, spectacular vistas, and ready access to the local attractions, which in addition to beaches include picturesque waterfalls, pristine caves, and fascinating historic sites from British and Spanish colonial times. A deserted beach near Port Antonio on Jamaica's north coast. I had made arrangements for a stayover at Dragon Bay before venturing into the mountains. The Dragon Bay Beach Resort, by any definition, is a premiere vacation spot. I sat on the veranda of the dining room sipping the local coffee that's Jamaican Blue Mountain, relief setting in as I contemplated my escape from virus-infected Washington.