Villa Areas & Experiences | Bona Fide Jamaica

Description

St. Mary

Located in northeast Jamaica, next to Ocho Rios, St. Mary is one of the smallest parishes in Jamaica, boasts a small airport, rich agricultural lands & is home to a few of the most luxurious seaside/beach villas in Jamaica. For those seeking peace & serenity, St. Mary offers an intimate escape with easy access to nearby attractions.

What Makes St. Mary Unique?

The parish has a unique association with Ian Fleming, who made his annual winter home here & penned all 12 of his famous James Bond novels in this serene environment.
Its Ian Fleming International Airport (OCJ), offers AA direct flights from Miami International Airport (MIA) twice a week, on Wednesdays & Saturdays. Its runway is 4,700ft/1432m.

Nearby Activities Include:
Sun Valley Plantation, see numerous hummingbirds, learn about different Jamaican flowers, plants, trees & fruits.
Turtle Hatchings, where guests enjoy an educational, interactive turtle release.

Whether you're:
Exploring the tranquil lush seaside destination or visiting the Yaaman Adventure Park for activities like an ATV ride, St. Mary promises memorable Jamaican experiences.

Retreat to a luxurious villa in St. Mary for privacy, serenity, & comfort.

Things To Do

Experiences in & near St. Mary that visitors highly rate are:

Turtle Hatching (St. Mary)

If the turtles schedule line up with yours, a Turtle Hatching is a magical experience for individuals, couples or the entire family to enjoy. See these adorable Hawksbill (critically endangered) baby turtles walk on sand for the 1st time to catch the current that takes them on a world journey while setting their nature GPS to eventually return to the same area & perhaps to the same beach to mate &/lay their eggs. You being there helps keep their predators away so they have safe passage to the sea.

Sun Valley Plantation (St. Mary)

Learn about tropical fruits & plants, taste exotic fruits when in season, watch bananas being packaged for export & see hummingbirds busy in the gardens during a tour of Sun Valley, which also gives the history of the property. You may be able to spot the vervain hummingbird here, the 2nd smallest bird in the world. This tour is a treat for the eyes, ears, nose & taste buds.

Dunn's River Falls (Ocho Rios)

Feel a sense of adventure while climbing up 600-feet of gorgeous cascading waterfalls surrounded by tropical greenery & flowers. If you are staying at a villa that a small boat can access, we highly recommend heading to Dunn’s River Falls by boat where you get to see the island from another beautiful perspective. Several guests going to Dunn’s River Falls by boat also pre-arrange some time for snorkelling to be included in their outing.

Calypso River Tubing/Rafting (Ocho Rios)

Head down the river for a fun ride while enjoying the natural beauty of your surroundings. River Tubing allows you to have relaxing sections coupled with the adventure of some wild but friendly rapids that the family can enjoy. Bamboo Rafting on White River is an authentic Jamaican Experience where your bamboo raft Captain navigates you through the calm river waters coupled with a few rapids while you can sit back, relax & absorb the gorgeous scenery.

Deep Sea Fishing/Boating (Ocho Rios)

Head to the Ocho Rios Marina for an experienced deep sea fishing crew to boat you out to the best fishing spots. Fish known to be caught in the area are Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish, Tuna, Wahoo, Mahi Mahi & more. Other boating activates include a glass bottom boat ride, a speed boat outing, tubing, banana boat activities, a romantic day or night boat cruise & more.

Tour Hubs (Ocho Rios & St. Mary)

Chukka Caribbean Adventure tours offers horseback riding, ATV Safari, white water rafting, Blue Hole Experiences including cliff diving, ziplining & more. Yaaman Adventure Tours offers a farm tour jitney ride, mud buggies/ATVs, Dolphin Cove & more. Mystic mountain offers their SkyExplorer chairlift (700 feet), bobsled ride, ziplining, Anancy’s Web rope course, rock climbing & more.

Available

Add-on Experiences available at your St. Mary Villa

Get an exciting & fact filled show highlighting the creation of the universe & all it encompasses. View planets, the moon & nebula through a powerful telescope that is outfitted for guests to photograph what you see with your cell phones as well as view the telescope image on a multimedia projector.

Enjoy the convenience & privacy to Indulge in a massage your own villa. We are happy to pre-book a certified massage therapist to give you to help you achieve ultimate relaxation or a manicurist to pamper yourself even further.

Have a guitarist, saxophonist, violinist or steel/mento band to serenade you for a few hours at the comfort of your villa.

If you are looking for a special piece to spoil yourself or your loved ones we can arrange for one of the top jewellers in Ocho Rios to visit.

Move towards inner peace & relaxation with a private yoga session at your villa. If your villa has a tennis court we can arrange for you to have a session with a tennis pro.

In-house guests can gather together at your villa for a fun artistic experience. Have an interactive, fully supplied guided painting session from a local artist to recreate a painting example. Sessions are available online or in person.

View St. Mary Villas

Restaurants & Bars

Restaurants & Bars in and Near St. Mary that Locals & Visitors Highly Rate are:

World-class Italian cuisine that often has delicious freshly made pappardelle pasta in Tower Isle, St. Mary. Its special menu is always changing based on what is freshly available. In addition his sumptuous Italian dishes, PG's lobster salad & tuna tartar are often raved about.

Satisfy your sweet tooth at this popular ice-cream spot that offers a unique menu of non-dairy ice cream with both traditional & exotic flavours. Guava-passion, soursop & jackfruit are the most requested flavours. Try a sorbet made from local tropical fruits or non-dairy desserts including cakes & cookies. The only item on their menu that includes dairy is cheesecake. Babylove's Twist is located in St. Mary & Drax Hall, St. Ann.

Dine under the stars while enjoying live music from a local band at Jamaica Inn Hotel in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The Terrace at Jamaica Inn offers a menu of international cuisine, often with a local flair, that changes every night. If the music moves you, feel free to get up & have a dance between courses at this highly rated restaurant. A dress code of a shirt with a collar & no shorts is required for men & ladies should dress accordingly—no flip flops allowed. Reservations are required. Kids 10 years and older welcome.

John Crow’s Tavern is a popular open air little bar that has a variety of Djs on Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights. Sunday night is their oldies music night.
Oceans 11 is a seaside bar that has a karaoke night on Tuesdays.
Mongoose Restaurant & Lounge has a DJ on Friday nights & usually has a live band on Saturday nights.

Christopher's seaside restaurant, located at Hermosa Cove in Ocho Rios, serves up locally sourced gourmet fare on a sea view veranda. It specializes in traditional island dishes prepared with contemporary international flair. Experience Jamaica’s unique fusion of European & Asian flavors.

Ciao Bella in Ocho Rios, Jamaica has a unique shared space concept involving a cafe, Italian restaurant, sports bar along with a unique 100% Jamaican made art & gift shop.
With one of the owners from Italy, this casual restaurant provides homestyle Italian cooking from appetizers, pastas, mains, desserts & their popular pizzas. The cafe menu broadens their offerings with soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, desserts & more.

When Jamaicans living overseas visit home they will often have a Chinese food restaurant on their list of places to go. Chinese food in Jamaica has a special flavour that most Jamaicans say they can’t seem to find anywhere else. Hong Kong International is the longest standing Chinese food restaurant in Ocho Rios. It is located in a very casual setting on the top floor (stairs only) in the bustling Champion Plaza. They do a Dim Sum every Sunday from 10:00am - 4:00pm.

After becoming a popular seafood spot by White River, Jangalee Seafood Joint & Bar has opened a 2nd location in Ocho Rios Fishing Village. At this fisherman’s hub location, you can enjoy good quality seafood while overlooking the beach & straight out to sea. Some popular Jamaican seafood choices are escovitch/brown stewed/steamed fish & grilled/curried lobster.

Nestled in the picturesque hills of Walkerswood, on the outskirts of Ocho Rios, Lyming is famous with locals for it’s jerk & gorgeous views of surrounding hills & farm land. There is usually a Sunday Brunch of traditional tasty Jamaican dishes on the last Sunday of every month.

This award winning restaurant offers a variety of delicious Jamaican dishes prepared with creativity & originality. Their chef pan option includes 2 of their most ordered dishes curried goat & oxtail. Miss. T’s fish as well as oxtail pasta also has people going back for more. Located in the centre of Ocho Rios, Miss. T’s is a beautiful locally decorated oasis. Miss. T.s has a 2nd location at the stunning Murphy Hill where a minimum of 10 guests or more are required to prebook at least 48 hours in advance.

Located on a fisherman’s beach in Port Maria, St. Mary, Solo’S has a reputation in the area for great fish & seafood. This no frills spot serves some of the best fish & seafood in Jamaica. Depending on the time you are there, you may see fishermen coming in with their fresh catches of the day.

Elevated in the hills of Bamboo, St. Ann, Stush in the Bush offers a unique farm to table experience of creative vegetarian delights. Guests start with a visit to the garden where several home-grown ingredients & their farm philosophy are explained. Stush in the Bush uses the seasonal bounty of their farm and small craft producers to curate a tailored dining experience for a 7-8 course meal. Reservations are required.

Sugarpot Beach Bar Restaurant is located on quiet unspoilt beach in Rio Nuevo, St. Mary, so you can relax & make an afternoon of it. Sugarpot specializes in fish & lobster and offers other options like burgers, wings & fried chicken. Every Friday they do a seafood boil.

This long-standing jerk spot is a popular place for locals & visitors to enjoy some Jamaican jerk. Ocho Rios Jerk Centre has a very casual open air ambiance & can get quite busy sometimes. We recommend calling in your order if you can (dine-in & takeout available). Their jerk chicken & baby back ribs are especially noteworthy.

Description

Ocho Rios

Located in the heart of Jamaica's garden parish, St. Ann, Ocho Rios is a unique blend of laid-back ambiance & vibrant seaside living. Whether you're seeking relaxation or adventure, Ocho Rios offers the best of both worlds. It is home to a handful of luxury villas, providing an intimate & exclusive experience in one of Jamaica's most popular destinations.

What Makes Ocho Rios Unique?

Ocho Rios, affectionately known as Ochi, is a destination that balances nature & culture. This area has more activities in close proximity than anywhere else in Jamaica.

Nearby Activities Include:
Dunn’s River Falls, one of the most iconic attractions in the Caribbean.
Laughing Waters, featured in the James Bond film Dr. No, is a must-see spot for movie buffs & beach lovers.

Whether you're:
Deep Sea Fishing, Horseback Riding , Ziplining, Shopping in the local stores, or Dining by the sea, Ocho Rios promises a one-of-a-kind Jamaican experience.

After a day filled with excitement, retreat to one of the few luxury villas in the area, where you’ll find peace, privacy, & comfort in the heart of this vibrant destination.

Things To Do

Experiences in & near Ocho Rios that visitors highly rate are:

Shopping (Ocho Rios)

Take advantage of the fact that Ocho Rios has an abundance of duty free stores, including high-end quality jewellery stores like Bijoux & Milano. There are several shopping areas including Island Village, Taj Mahal Shopping Centre & Soni’s Plaza where you can have a relaxed shopping experience. In these shopping areas you will also find Jamaican arts & crafts, souvenirs, gifts, Jamaican Rum, Blue Mountain Coffee, Jamaica Spices, beach wear & t-shirts etc.