St. Mary is a parish located on the northeast coast of Jamaica. Tourism began in St Mary in the 1920s when the rich and famous were drawn to the beauty of the coastline.

Though St. Mary might be one of the smallest of Jamaica’s 14 parishes, it still has a wide array of interesting places to visit and tourist attractions.

Because of its location, it is most favored as a flourishing banana parish where you can see acres of bananas all around.

St. Mary is also home to some nice cultural and historical sites along with botanical gardens and beaches.

Here are five great attractions found in the parish of St. Mary.

Firefly

This English-style cottage was once the home of British playwright Sir Noel Coward, between 1956 and 1973.

The cottage is set among sprawling lawns on the top of a hill overlooking the beautiful coastline, about 2 miles from Port Maria.

Sir Noel Crawford fell in love with Jamaica while on holiday at Ian Fleming’s GoldenEye in 1948.

He later bought this property from the infamous pirate, Captain Henry Morgan, and renamed it Firefly. Sir Noel Coward left the property to a close friend before his death, which he turned over to the country.

The Jamaica Heritage Trust now owns the historic site and visitors can tour the grounds and see Sir Crawford’s final resting place.

James Bond Beach

Formerly known as Oracabessa beach, this public beach has a bar, a restaurant, and great changing and bathroom facilities.

James bond beach is a really nice hangout spot. The water is clean and calm and the facilities are well-kept.

You can take rides out to sea on a glass bottom boat, kayaks, or wave runners, and you can also find snorkeling and other watersport activities here.

James Bond Beach is also home to Stingray City where you can watch the experts interact with and feed the stingrays.

Guests also get to pet and feed the stingrays and if you are bold enough, even snorkel with them.

There is a separate admission if you wish to enter Stingray City.

 


GoldenEye

GoldenEye was the home of famous British author Ian Fleming. The property is a 15-acre resort, just about 20 minutes outside the town of Ocho Rios.

The resort features a luxury villa including Ian Fleming's home where he wrote all his 14 James Bond novels.

Former Island Records owner, Chris Blackwell now owns the property and has kept it furnished as Fleming left it.

If you're staying in the nearby town of Ocho Rios, book a trip to St. Mary and explore the wonderful attractions that the banana parish has to offer. 

Old Spanish Bridge

If you're seeking a picturesque spot to take a few Instagram-ready photos, try the Old Spanish Bridge.

It's the perfect spot to take a morning swim but be careful to wear comfortable footwear as the roads leading to this tourist attraction are a bit choppy. 

The water is shallow, allowing kids and the elderly to swim safely. 


Tacky Falls

Venture off-the-beaten-path to Tacky Falls, located in the quiet community of Kellits.

Expect to hike for about a mile to get to the waterfalls.

The hike may be a bit treacherous for kids, but it's a majestic experience for adventure-seekers through the deep greenery of the banana parish; taking a total of 20 minutes to arrive by foot. 

Local tour guides are usually awaiting your arrival at the foot of the steep hill to safely escort you to Tacky Falls. 



There are enough tourist attractions in St. Mary for you and your loved ones to explore during your stay in Jamaica.