Category:Portland Parish

From Jamaica Wiki

The Portland Parish is the seventh largest parish of the Caribbean country of Jamaica. The parish has its capital in the town of Port Antonio and comes within the Surrey County. It is located towards the eastern side of the island bordering the St. Mary and St. Thomas parishes. The Portland parish is home to a rural population of more than 81,000 people and is also well known for its beautiful beaches.

The Portland parish has a lot of interesting history to offer. Portland, as we know it today, was actually formed by the combination of the parish of St. George and a part of St. Thomas. Spanish seafarers originally discovered Port Antonio in the 16th century. After becoming a British possession, the town was developed into a naval stronghold by the 18th century. The evidence of the British presence is still widely available in the form of 18th century buildings and constructions of British architecture like the Anglican stone church (1840), Fort George (1729), Titchfield School (1785) etc. The parish was originally populated by the slaves and workers brought to work in the plantations and their masters. Portland was also the scene of several battles between the settlement of escaped slaves (Maroon settlement) and the British.

The Portland parish is a richly blessed piece of land with very fertile soil, wonderful green mountains and exquisite beaches. The Blue mountain range, with the highest peak in Jamaica at 2256 meters, comes within the boundaries of Portland. These mountains had provided safe haven for many an escaped slave when slavery was still practiced. The mountains also ensure that the parish receives the highest rainfall in the island from the northeast trade winds. Port Antonio also has two harbors. Portland has as many as 17 rivers watering the whole parish largest of which are the Rio Grande, Buff Bay and Hectors Rivers. The entire Portland coastline has several land formations like caves, bays, waterfalls and hills. It is no wonder that this beautiful land is a tourist’s paradise.

The fertile land of Portland is also a leading producer for several crops like bananas, coconuts, breadfruit, coffee and mangoes for both export and local use. Manufacturing industries too contribute a bit to the economy. With so many attractions to offer any tourist, tourism is the big business in Portland. Tourism in Jamaica originally bloomed in Portland with the tourists arriving in the banana boats returning from America. There is significant tourist infrastructure in the island suited for a variety of tastes and budgets.

Like most other Caribbean islands, Portland has a number of wonderful beaches on offer including the Frenchman’s cove, Boston, Winifred and Dragon Bay. The mountains, especially the Blue mountain peak, are an added attraction with options for walking and trekking. The Blue Lagoon is another main attraction of worldwide renown in this parish. It is a landlocked cove, believed to be the crater of an extinct volcano, which has a deep blue color due to its depth (approx. 55m). Rio Grande River is a favorite destination for people interested in river rafting. Jamaican cuisine is another thing that every visitor to the island usually tries a hand at. Well-maintained 18th and 19th century architecture is another plus point for Portland’s tourism. The wide scope for tourism is easily understood from the fact that all these tourist attractions are located in an 814 sq. km area of Jamaica.