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PORT ANTONIO |
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A magnet for foreign visitors during the 1950s and 1960s, the quiet
town of PORT ANTONIO feels more like an isolated backwater these days.
But that may change following the recent redevelopment of the harbour,
which now boasts a waterside promenade and increased marina facilities;
across the bay, the hotel and beaches at Navy Island (currently closed)
are slated to receive some much-needed attention, too. At this point,
however, there's not a lot to see, but "Portie" remains a friendly and
beguiling place, with a bustling central market and a couple of lively
clubs.
The Town
The obvious starting-point for a stroll around Port Antonio is its
central square , with a landmark clocktower opposite the red-brick, two-storey
Georgian courthouse , built in 1895 and fronted by an elegant fretworked
verandah. On the other side of the road is the Village of St George
shopping mall.
Due north from here, the Titchfield peninsula juts out into the
Caribbean Sea, bisecting Port Antonio's twin harbours . The tip of the
peninsula once held the British Fort George , whose ancient cannons and
crumbling walls today form part of Titchfield High School. The short
wander up from town takes you past the De Montevin Lodge hotel - high-Victorian
gingerbread architecture at its best - and the ruins of the Titchfield
Hotel , Port Antonio's first and once owned by Errol Flynn. Off Queen
Street, a footpath leads down to small but pretty Folly beach , a nice
spot for a swim or a drink at the open-air bar.
Back in the centre of town on West Street, which shoots off from the
clocktower, Musgrave Market is the liveliest spot in town, crammed with
stalls selling fresh produce, fish, meat, clothes and a handful of
crafts and souvenirs. Farther up West Street (now called West Palm
Avenue), Boundbrook Wharf is still the loading point for bananas being
shipped to Europe and the United States. This is the place that inspired
the banana boat song Day O , and the hulking freighter, which arrives on
Friday afternoons and leaves the following day, is an impressive sight.
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