Port Antonio lodging for family with two teens
 

I've been reading posts on Jamaica for some time as I try to decide which island to plan for our vacation. Though it does seem Jamaica has its supporters and detractors I think it might be for us.

We will be first timers to Jamaica but we are very experienced international (Asia, Central America, Europe) travelers with the kids. We aren't too interested in the large AI type resorts but this trip has been promised to the girls as a real Carribean resort vacation.

So, we are looking for a compromise place where we can enjoy the beach, pools, etc. but be in a lower key spot with other local attractions and experiences. Port Antonio looks interesting! Any thoughts on where to stay and what to do???

Thanks.

If your family likes the beach....you should check out Negril. A very underrated family destination. CT&L had Negril #1 a couple of years ago. Many choices of lodging....all located on 7 miles of beautiful sand beach. No rental car needed....you can walk everywhere. I recommend that you look into Coco La Palm Seaside Resort if you feel Negril might fit what you are looking for. I have been up and down the entire north shore of Jamaica. Negril is where I first traveled to in 1985 as an 18 year old with my parents. Now I am 37 and married to a Negril addict (we went there for our honeymoon and every year since). It is a magical place. We are brought my 8 year old step-daughter and my 7 month old son last June. My step-daughter loved Negril! It is all she talks about!

A villa on the Blue Lagoon in Porty would be about the best accomodation available. Pricing starts at about US$6K/week and up. Until the new Sandals opens at the former Dragon Bay resort, 'resort' life is not what this area is all about/for that, go Negril which however is chockablock full of resorts with pools, beachfront.
Coco La Palm, Idle-A-While are lower-key
choices. Too bad you have to compromise. Port Antonio would be your cup-of-tea, if not the girls'.

We were in Port Antonio with our 2 young children last year ( 10 months ago ) It is definitely not the typical Jamaican resort area . We loved it ,and would go back in an instant ! The area is every bit as lush and exotic as Costa Rica ( just returned from our third trip ) minus the animals of course ! There are no hotels to speak of on the beach , Dragon Bay as Tiv. mentioned would have fit the bill but ..... Generally the hotels are older , no A.I.s , no pool activities , not the typical Caribbean vacation spot . But it was definitely our type of place . Very beautiful , amazing history , wonderful people , great vibe , you could look up my old trip report under Willem , port antonio trip report . [email protected] , Faith .

This site has great info. on Portie . www.portantonio-onestop.com , we stayed at Goblin Hill Villas . Faith

Renting a villa in Treasure Beach might be a good option. It's low key, you can rent bicycles to get around, lots of beaches, some villas/hotels have pools, no large AI's or other resorts in the area, and lots of neat day trips (by boat, especially) in the area.

Portland is more spread out. If you rent a car or rent a villa with a driver, you'll be in a good position to get around to the various beaches and mountains and wateralls and such.

Goblin Hill has individual "villas" (kind of condo-ey) with a pool and a cook, not too far from the beach, tennis etc., but not like a big resort at all.

There are villas in that area, as Tiv mentioned Blue Lagoon are right on the water and very nice, though quite pricey (I do know of 2 that are much less than the others - see norsehill.com - one is on the water, one is up on the hillside).

We have now decided to really give the girls the experience they crave, we will do Beaches, Negril for half of the trip. I think the teen disco and water park put them over the top although they even agree they couldn't do the resort for the whole trip.

So, I am now thinking about Treasure Beach or Port Antonio for the other 5 nights. It certainly would be more difficult to move from Negril to Port Antonio - how does one most easily do this? Is renting a car a good option?

I keep looking at posts and web sites for both Treasure Island and Port Antonio and I am just not sure. At this point in the trip, we will want to relax but also do some interesting side trips.

I am emailing tivertonhouse about Mar Blue to see if a rental less than a week would work.

Anybody stayed there? How is the beach? How about the activities?
Thanks,
Karin

OK I am getting excited! I just checked out the Norse Hill beach cottage and it is simply lovely. It does seem too far away from Negril though to be able to split a vacation in both places. What might be possible?

I assume there is no AC and I wonder about mosquitos and the heat? We would be there in July some time.

Thanks,
Karin

Hi Karin: Trust me....your girls will prefer Negril over anywhere else. Since this is your first trip....I recommend sticking to one place and possibly checking out a couple of others as part of a tour or daytrip. Negril Beach is awesome and your girls will have the time of their life (you will too!). I have not seen the beach post-Ivan, but have heard it is back even stronger and more beautiful than ever.

Norse Hill is really nice , we looked into staying there , and wrote directly to the owners . It is of course directly on the water , very sweet and tiny . It is a bit by itself , but not far from the row of other villas on the water . Actually is is just opposite Monkey island , take note that the back of this villa is on the road , although not a lot of night traffic . Faith

Alas, I do not think we will be able to enjoy the breathtaking cottage at Norsehill. Port Antonio is just too far from Negril and we've committed (to our kids anyway) to Beaches, Negril for 4 days.

It sounded like a good combination - Negril & Port Antonio but I think I must scale back the traveling for a 10 day holiday.

Now, I find myself wondering about the Rockhouse for the second part of our trip. We would only be staying in Negril and I realize we'd only get a narrow slice of life in Jamiaca but it looks like it would provide a nice balance to Beaches AI.

Any thoughts and/or experience?

Thanks,
Karin

Negril and Treasure Beach would make a nice trip, I think. TB is only 2 hours from Negril but a world away in terms of what it's like.

Negril is great - a real party town with a beautiful beach and cliffs - but you can get tired of being asked to buy stuff all the time, and tourists are everywhere. Treasure Beach is a lot like what Negril used to be 30 years ago, before the big resorts came.

Mar Blue is terrific but I don't think they take kids and am not sure if teens are considered kids. Jake's is cool (since you have teens and they'd probably enjoy the community there). Know that Jake's is known for it's funky atmosphere and laid back feel, not for having AC, TV, etc...it's kind of anti-today's intrusions (phones, TV, etc).

A villa is nice too, though a quieter, more laid back option than a multi-unit place like Jake's (which has a saltwater pool and very nice beach, restaurant, bar, etc.)

Rockhouse doesn't do children either, though teens may be OK.

I have some trip reports and photos (including of Mar Blue) here:

http://www.alink.com/personal/liz/negril/index.htm

Liza-
Your photos look great (especially on a cold, snowy eve in New England!)

The girls love the look of the Rockhouse. They can stay as guests (over 12 years of age) and we would be perfect for one of the 4 loft villas. I'm waiting to hear back on availability.

Pricing is better than for two rooms at Mar Blue and my husband just wasn't convinced Treasure Beach was right for us.

I guess it's just Negril for this trip - but two different experiences - the crazy & sterile AI Beaches resort and the serenity and beauty of Rockhouse.

We would like to spend a few half days or so out and about. Any ideas for trips and/or good drivers? We actually just enjoy talking with a local and learning a bit about local culture.

We will be going in July. It doesn't appear Rockhouse has A/C. How hot and humid? What about bugs?

Thanks,
Karin

Probably the best Negril driver/guide is Solomon Kerr at Talk of the Town Tours -- do Mayfields Falls to get away from Negril for the day, and up into the mountains.
LIZA: Mar Blue.Verandah now accepts a child in suites -- and teens are now ok at both Verandah and Domicil as well -- all pending the mix of guests in for the week.

Hi,

I think Rockhouse added AC to their villas when the hurricane forced a renovation of them, I'm sure you can e-mail them to check. In general I have found AC unnecessary on the cliffs if I am in a hotel that is designed not to have it...it's breezy.

I will recommend a sunset at 3 Dives, my favorite place to hang out in Negril, just down the road a bit from Rockhouse. it's very casual - picnic tables, but great inexpensive food, great sunset view, very laid back and lots of opportunity to hang out with the owners (Lloydie and Paula), good friends of ours since our first trip to Negril. See info at www.maherconsulting.com/3dives

I agree that Sala Kerr is a great guide, if he is unavailable you can also check with Chicken, he has a large bus with AC but charges the same as vans do. I have a cell # for him only, e-mail me at [email protected] if you would like it. He also can act as a taxi in and around Negril. Both will do the airport pickup/dropoff as well.

Mayfield Falls are wonderful.

Twice now (with our kids) we have done an all-day trip I highly recommend...we leave Negril in the morning, drive the 2 hours to Treasure Beach and eat breakfast at Jake's. Hang on the beach for a short time then get picked up by private boat to Black River. Along the way we have had dolphins come swim around our boat, and we've stopped at Pelican Bar, a very basic bar on stilts on a sandbar accessible only by boat. Then up the river to see crocodiles, birds and an incredible morass view, then we take a swim (further up...miles from the crocs). The large pontoon boats cannot go up the river as far as the private fishing boats can. We make a stop for fresh stuffed crab on the way down, and our driver meets us in Black River for the drive back to Negril. You'd get a look at Treasure Beach that way and a fun boat ride as well.

Closer to Negril, you can take a ride around the hills and stop by Jamaica Jurassic Park - the workshop and gallery for an artist that works in large metal sculptures - of dinosaurs, flowers, all kinds of neat stuff. Sala lives outthat way and can show you whatever you might want to see.

I haven't been to Royal Palm preserve in the Negril morass but mean to, I think it would be fun by boat especially.

Tiv that's EXCELLENT about Mar Blue! My children would love it there, I was thinking the only way we could have them there was to book the whole place :)