A small town on Jamaica's north coast and 45 mi/70 km north of Kingston, Port Maria is best known as the site of Firefly, the estate where actor and playwright Noel Coward lived prior to his death in 1973.
At 1,000 ft/300 m above the coastline, Firefly offers a stunning view of Port Maria Bay and the town. Firefly was renovated in the 1990s to evoke the heyday of the great playwright, who is buried in a corner of the garden, precisely where he enjoyed his evening brandy. His books, piano and other personal effects are on display. http://www.firefly-jamaica.com.
You may also want to pay a visit to Port Maria itself to get a look at its Anglican church and courthouse, both constructed in the 1800s.
Just southeast of Port Maria is Brimmer Hall Estate, a working plantation that includes a colonial-era great house built in the 1700s. A tractor-drawn jitney tour of the 700-acre/280-hectare property lets you observe the cultivation and harvesting of coconuts, bananas, coffee, sugarcane, cocoa and pimento. A good restaurant serves local Jamaican dishes, and there are shops and a swimming pool for cooling off.
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