Port Antonio and the Blue Lagoon

Portland parish is the Jamaica that mass tourism never reached: steep rainforest running down to a coast of small coves, and at its centre the Blue Lagoon, a deep pool where cold freshwater springs well up through warm seawater and turn the colour through every shade of blue and green as the light moves. Locals call it the Blue Hole, it is far deeper than it looks, and swimming through the shifting temperature layers is genuinely strange. Around it, Port Antonio keeps a faded elegance from its banana-trade years, and the coast east holds Frenchman's Cove, Winnifred Beach and San San, all a world away from the resort strips.

What you actually see

• The Blue Lagoon - swimming through the freshwater and saltwater layers.
• Frenchman's Cove - a river meeting the sea on a small perfect beach.
• Winnifred Beach - the community-run local beach with cook shops.
• Reach Falls - a jungle waterfall and pools inland from the coast.

When to go

The drier winter months from December to April are the most reliable, though Portland is the wettest parish in Jamaica and rain is part of the deal in any season. Hurricane season runs June to November. Early mornings give the lagoon its best colour and stillness.

Honest expectations

Portland's charm is its lack of development, which also means fewer facilities, rougher roads and less to do after dark than in Negril or Ocho Rios. Boat operators and guides at the lagoon can be persistent; agree the price before stepping aboard. Some beaches charge entry, others are free and community-run. Renting a car opens the parish, but roads are narrow and potholed in stretches.

Nearby

Reach Falls, Boston Bay's jerk pits and the Rio Grande valley are all within the same parish.