Parish Guide
St. Mary Parish Guide: Oracabessa, Port Maria & the Quiet North Coast
August 1, 2026 · 7 min read
St. Mary Events Calendar
Planning Your St. Mary Visit? See What's Happening During Your Stay & Book Your Airbnb Early.
September 2026
This month in St. Mary
St. Mary is the north coast most travellers drive past. It has the coves, the rivers and the greenery of Ocho Rios with a fraction of the visitors — plus two of Jamaica's most famous houses: Ian Fleming's GoldenEye and Noël Coward's Firefly.
The lay of the land
- Oracabessa — the parish's polished corner: GoldenEye, James Bond Beach, the fish sanctuary and quiet villa coves.
- Galina & Port Maria — clifftop views and working-town Jamaica, with better value than Oracabessa.
- Robin's Bay — the off-grid eastern end: black sand, rivers and waterfall hikes.
- Annotto Bay & Highgate — inland farming towns on the road back toward Kingston.
What to do
GoldenEye & James Bond Beach
The house where every Bond novel was written, and the small white-sand beach that carries the name. Bizot Bar for sunset.
Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary
A community-run reef restoration project with hawksbill turtle nests on the beach. Autumn evenings often bring hatchling releases — one of Jamaica's genuinely special wildlife moments.
Firefly, Port Maria
Noël Coward's hilltop home, preserved as he left it. The view over Port Maria Bay is arguably the best on the north coast.
Robin's Bay & Kwaaman Falls
A guided hike east along wild coastline to waterfalls and empty black-sand beaches.
Brimmer Hall Estate
A working plantation tour through banana, coconut and cocoa country.
Where to eat
- Fisherman's Beach, Oracabessa — fried fish and festival straight off the boats.
- Bizot Bar (GoldenEye) — cocktails on the water at sunset.
- Port Maria roadside jerk — the parish's best pork, cheap and smoky.
- Woody's-style rum shops in Galina — cold Red Stripe and dominoes.
Where to stay
St. Mary is villa and cottage country: coastal homes around Oracabessa and Galina, hillside houses above Port Maria with sea views, and rustic properties at Robin's Bay for travellers who want quiet above everything.
What's on: the St. Mary Events Calendar
Turtle season runs through September and October at the Oracabessa sanctuary, Heroes' Day (October 19) is marked at Claude Stuart Park in Port Maria, and Christmas Eve Grand Market takes over both Port Maria and Oracabessa. Boxing Day is beach day at Robin's Bay and James Bond Beach.
When to come
December through April is driest. September and October bring rain and the best turtle activity — a fair trade if you're happy to plan around a shower.
