Discover the Best of Portmore in 48 Hours

Portmore is known to be a large urban settlement located along the southeastern coast of Jamaica in St. Catherine. St. Catherine is the fourth largest parish in Jamaica with the longest coastline. The long white sandy beaches at Hellshire are very popular to beach lovers from Kingston and St. Catherine. It is also the home of Jamaica’s largest fishing beach, Old Harbour Bay. Portmore is just about 30 minutes away from the capital of Kingston, Jamaica.

For this 48-hour series, I explored Portmore. Follow me on my journey as I showcase the best of Portmore.

Day One

Beach Stop at Fort Clarence

One of the best things to do as a Kingstonian looking for a close beach is to visit Portmore. I decided to head out early to the newly renovated Fort Clarence beach. It is easy to find using Google Maps. If you are looking to avoid traffic depending on where you are coming from, it is best if you take the toll road.

I arrived at about 10:30 am, which was a good time, not many people were there. The entry fee was JMD- 1,000 for adults and JMD- 500 for children. The property has lots of space for you to relax and explore. If you are lucky, you can get a picnic table and chair to have lunch. Lounge chairs are provided free of cost if you want to lie down and enjoy the sea breeze.

There is also a full-in-service kitchen, where you can order reasonably priced food, juices, and liquors, just make sure you order your food early. To top it off, they accept debit and credit cards for those who want to go cashless. In total, I spent JMD-5,800 on food which included two fried fish that comes with festivals, and I ordered an extra serving of bammy.

Overall, the beach was very clean and well-kept. The water was just how I expected, nice and warm. The staff was super friendly and very helpful. It is a place I would revisit for a nice day out.

Location: Portmore

Hours: 10 am – 5 pm | Mondays – Sundays

Entry fee: JMD- 1,000 for adults (12 years and older) and JMD- 500 for children (five- eleven years old)

From there, I went to my resting place for the night and then to the popular “Hip Strip.”

Food on the “Hip Strip”

Later that afternoon, I checked into an Airbnb where I spent the night. It was a cute modern studio apartment at the Caymanas Country Club Estate. After a full day at Fort Clarence beach, I decided to get some food at Portmore’s original hip strip located on Port Henderson Road. This stretch of road is known for having an active nightlife in Portmore. On the strip, you can find bars, nightclubs, street food, and a few restaurants. It is very lively at night, with a lot of traffic and people traversing along the road. I saw people playing dominos and vendors selling food, snacks, etc.

I decided to get the traditional Pan chicken with white bread, a typical Friday food in Jamaica and some conch soup. I really liked the fact that I was able to choose from different food vendors along the strip.

Day Two

An Adventure at Rocket Experience

Day two began with a stop at a popular fish spot called Jolly’s to have lunch followed by some long-awaited adventure.

My final day in Portmore was spent at Rocket Experience, an amusement park located off Port Henderson Road. Rocket Experience is open on Fridays to Sundays from 2 pm- 11pm. I was super excited to visit this park and it was the highlight of my trip. If it’s your first time, you will have to register and sign a waiver form which was done digitally. Make sure you also carry a valid form of identification and wear closed-toe shoes. I did some mini golf, target shooting, and go-cart racing.

The mini golf had eight courses, it was fun, the only downside is the mosquitoes gave me a hard time, so make sure you walk with your repellent. This was a fun activity that took a bit of concentration. You have unlimited play time, and you even get a scorecard to keep your scores. The cost for this was JMD- 1,100 per adult.

After playing mini golf, I tried target shooting, I didn’t know they offered that, so I decided to try it out. You get one paintball marker, goggles, and 100 paintballs.

This was JMD-1,500 per person. It was fun, but for me getting to the target was hard. My final activity was the go-kart. You must carry a balaclava, or you can purchase one for JMD- 400. You are fitted with a helmet and will be given instructions on how to operate the cart. The cost was JMD- 400 per adult. My time there was fun and well worth it.

Rocket Experience is a perfect go-spot for weekend adventures, so if you’re in the area make sure to check it out.

Location: Lot Section 1B Congreve Park Naggo Head,

Port Henderson Rd, Portmore

Hours: 2pm – 11pm | Friday – Sundays

Phone: (876) 414-2852

Discover the best of Portmore; it is more than a community.