| Port Antonio | |
|---|---|
| Port Antonio's Clock Tower. | |
| Location of Port Antonio shown within Jamaica | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Jamaica |
| County | Surrey |
| Parish | Portland |
| Population (1991 Census) | |
| • Total | 13,246 |
| • Portland Parish | 81,000 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
Port Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about 60 miles (100 km) from Kingston. It had a population of 12,285 in 1982 and 13,246 in 1991. It is the island's third largest port, famous as a shipping point for bananas and coconuts, as well as one of its most important tourist attractions, tourism being a major contributor to the town’s economy.
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The Wesleyan preacher James Vowles arrived in Port Antonio as a Christian missionary and died from a fever a few months later.
Port Antonio was a sleepy coastal town until the 1880s, when Lorenzo Dow Baker started the banana trade in Jamaica and successfully promoted Port Antonio as a destination for wealthy American travellers. "Portie" became a "boom town". The banana trade, and the tourists who came in the banana boats, was once so large that at one time, weekly sailing from Port Antonio was greater than weekly sailing from the great English port of Liverpool.
The island was glamorized by Hollywoodmovies such as Club Paradise and Cocktail. The movie star [[Errol Flynn] Zaca washed ashore in Jamaica after a tropical storm. He subsequently bought nearby Navy Island, part of British historic Fort George in Port Antonio as well as hundreds of acres of farmland along the Portland coast.
Many members of royal families, movie stars, great musicians, and well-known politicians have visited Port Antonio.
One popular sight in this area is the Blue Lagoon, Jamaica, which owes its colour to its depth of 200 feet, other sights include the secluded Frenchman's Cove Beach, the ruins of Folly Mansion and the historic DeMontevin Lodge. The Rio Grande River, Boston Bay and Reach Falls are also close by.
Port Antonio is a hub for bus transport in the north east of the island.
Port Antonio was the terminus of the now abandoned railway from Kingston via Spanish Town and Bog Walk, which was primarily built to serve the banana export trade.