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| Our Deserted Island |
Many North Americans go to Jamaica looking for paradise in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Negril. As it turns out, they’ve been looking in the wrong places. Paradise can be found just 15 miles west of Kingston, in the shadow of the Blue Mountains, in an isolated group of small islands in a big bay called Portland Bight.
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| Lime Cay |
Each of the cays here were all inclusive: a stretch of fine white sand, a few mangroves, some pelicans, colourful fish, and surrounded in more shades of blue than one ever thought possible. And other than the occasional friendly Jamaican fisherman, we had all of these islands to ourselves.
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| Portland Bight |
Over the next ten days we slipped into the kind of routine we had been longing for while sitting in the stinking hot Cartagena anchorage: In the morning we would wake up and have our coffee and breakfast while watching the sun rise and the fisherman head out in their colourful boats. We’d dinghy over to the nearest beach for a walk and go for a snorkel if it looked enticing. We’d come back to the boat for an early lunch before setting sail or motoring an hour or so to the next island. By this time in the afternoon it was often clouding up and mum would disappear down below to make us a cup of tea. If we were lucky, whoever was on dinner duty would have it ready just as the sun was slipping over the horizon, illuminating our island paradise in a soft orange glow.
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We couldn’t get over the absence of other sailors in this area. Yes, Jamaica is off the usual north-south path for most people. And yes, the country does have a bad reputation for safety. But it is definitely undeserved in our opinion. Indeed if others knew what a beautiful experience we were having here they would be arriving by the dozens…. maybe we should keep this place secret a bit longer.
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| Perfect Beaches... |
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| Rays |
As it often does when we are in more remote locations, the beer running down meant it was time to think about moving on. We put out a sail and headed west with the trade winds…
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