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Port Antonio

Jamaica travel guide

What to see in Port Antonio

Jamaica at its greenest and wildest: the Blue Lagoon, rivers, waterfalls and the birthplace of jerk.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 5 must-see places
  • Best time: from December to May
  • Typical food: Jerk chicken
Photo: Chaoleonard · CC BY-SA 3.0

Port Antonio highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. Blue Lagoon

    Water of an intense blue.

  2. Frenchman’s Cove

    A beach with a river.

  3. Rafting on the Rio Grande

    On bamboo rafts.

  4. Reach Falls

    In the jungle.

  5. Boston Bay

    Where jerk was born.

Day trips from Port Antonio

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

When to travel to Port Antonio

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Port Antonio are from December to May. If you can, avoid from August to October (hurricane season, hurricane peak).

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun with warnings
  7. Jul with warnings
  8. Aug with strong warnings
  9. Sep with strong warnings
  10. Oct with strong warnings
  11. Nov with warnings
  12. Dec no warnings
  • from June to November

    Hurricane season

    Hurricanes can form from June to November; August, September and October are the riskiest months. There are almost always days of heavy rain and humid heat.

    What to do: Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.

  • from August to October

    Hurricane peak

    August to October is when the Caribbean gets the most hurricanes and tropical storms.

    What to do: Take out travel insurance and follow the warnings; the best time is December to April.

Typical food of Port Antonio

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Port Antonio from your kitchen).

Jerk chicken
Photo: OUTography.com from Gilbert, AZ, USA · CC BY 2.0

Jerk chicken

Chicken marinated in a paste of allspice, Scotch bonnet chilli, spring onion and thyme, slowly smoked over pimento wood. It was born in Boston Bay, near Port Antonio.

  • Serves 4
  • 1 h 30 min

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg chicken thighs
  • 6 spring onions
  • 2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chillies
  • 4 garlic cloves and 1 piece of ginger
  • 1 tablespoon of allspice
  • 1 tablespoon of thyme
  • 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg
  • 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • Juice of 2 limes, and oil

How to make it at home

  1. Blend all the ingredients (except the chicken) into a paste.
  2. Score the chicken, rub it with the paste and marinate for at least 12 hours.
  3. Cook it over indirect heat with the lid closed (or in the oven at 180 °C) for about 45 minutes.
  4. Finish over direct heat so it chars on the outside.
  5. Serve with rice and peas, festival or bread.

The trick: A few bay or fruitwood branches on the coals give it that pimento smoke.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: a jerk centre or a roadside stall. The dishes you can’t miss are in the Jamaica guide.

Frequently asked questions about Port Antonio

What to see in Port Antonio?

Blue Lagoon, Frenchman’s Cove, Rafting on the Rio Grande, Reach Falls and Boston Bay.

What to see in Port Antonio in one day?

Don’t miss Blue Lagoon, Frenchman’s Cove, Rafting on the Rio Grande, Reach Falls and Boston Bay. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to Port Antonio?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Port Antonio are from December to May. If you can, avoid from August to October (hurricane season, hurricane peak).

What day trips can you take from Port Antonio?

Rio Grande.

What is the typical food of Port Antonio?

Jerk chicken. Chicken marinated in a paste of allspice, Scotch bonnet chilli, spring onion and thyme, slowly smoked over pimento wood. It was born in Boston Bay, near Port Antonio.

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More in Jamaica

Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.