Perched on a cliff 13km east of Port Antonio is the little hamlet of Fairy Hill. Follow the road steeply downhill and you’ll reach Winnifred Beach, yet another totally gorgeous strip that puts a lot of the sand in more famous places to shame.
It’s the only truly public beach on this stretch of the coast, and has a great vibe, with food and drink stands, weekend sound systems and Jamaicans from all walks of life.
Winnifred Beach is a gorgeous stretch of unspoiled beach neatly perched along Jamaica’s north coast in Fairy Hill, Portland. Another testament to the magnificent beauty that is the parish of Portland; this strip of golden sand and turquoise waters is a popular local beach that lures visitors near and far for a day of fun and relaxation in the sun.
If there was ever a concern that the tourist resorts and hotels have grabbed up and privatized all of Jamaica’s most beautiful beaches, no worries. As one of Jamaica’s last remaining free beaches, Winnifred Beach proudly boasts crystal clear waters and finely milled powdery sand to rival any privately operated beach in the world.
The beach was named after the daughter of Quaker minister F. B. Brown and was designated as a rest place for missionaries, teachers, and the respectable poor. A few years back, there was much buzz about the beach as there was an attempt to turn it into a private beach. This garner so much attention that Winnifred beach was even featured on the late world-renowned chef, best-selling author and Emmy-winning television personality Anthony Bourdain’s CNN series, Parts Unknown
Fortunately, after a 5-year legal battle between the community members and the Government of Jamaica’s Urban Development Corporation (UDC), who sought to privatize the beach; ruling was made that the beach remain a free public beach for all to use. Therefore, Winnifred remains locally operated and is sometimes referred to as the people’s beach.
How To Get There. To get to Portland from Kingston, you can take one of 2 ways. Either you take the junction roadway which connects Kingston and St. Andrew to the parishes of St. Mary and Portland. Or you can drive via the North to South tollway and then enter from Ocho Rios/ Oracabessa side.
Depending on your chosen route you, the drive from Kingston to Portland takes anywhere from 2 hours to 3 and a half hours. With the journey to Portland from Kingston being quickest via the winding roads of the junction roadway.
The long drive may seem like a bit of a deterrent. But mesmerizing scenery of beautiful Jamaican coastline and lush foliage from the tranquil countryside make the trip well worth the drive. The drive is so picturesque that you’ll be captivated just making the journey to Portland alone.
Once in Port Antonio, you can use Google maps to assist you to find the Fairy Hill district and the Winnifred beach.
This unmarred beauty is just what the doctor ordered for a relaxing day out. Pristine white sands, crystal clear pools of blue and the sweet smell of salt water greeted our senses as we made our way to the beach.
Fairy Hill is approximately 13 km east of Port Antonio and is centered between the Blue Lagoon and Boston Bay communities respectively. Once in the Fairy Hill community, you’ll see a sign that directs you to the beach. From there, it’s around another 5-minute downhill drive along a well-paved roadway towards the beach. All in all, it’s a pretty straightforward trip once you follow the signs.
Although the beach is free for all to use, upon entering you are asked to leave a contribution of any monetary value to help with the upkeep of the beach. This is what is used to help keep the beach as immaculate as it is, so that visitors can continue to enjoy the pristine surroundings and amenities such as the bathrooms which is operated by members of the community.
The beach offers an onsite parking lot where patrons can safely leave their vehicles while they explore the beach. There is a bathroom/ changing room area. There are also a plethora of stalls and shops which offer visitors a variety of food, drinks, trinkets and knick-knacks. And an onsite restaurant where visitors can get their fill of scrumptious Jamaican cuisine. It’s one of the best places to get conch soup.
Winnifred beach also has an on-duty lifeguard present to add a little comfort for those of us who aren’t great swimmers.
And you can also rent beach equipment such as lounge chairs and floating devices to add a little spice to your beach day.
Portland has repeatedly been named one of Jamaica’s most beautiful parishes with the most amazing beaches and Winnifred beach is no exception. Visitors of the beach can revel in this tiny piece of paradise, as there is this sense of calm as you look out into the Blue Ocean. Winnifred beach is one of those places that is perfect for truly escaping and leaving your troubles behind. The laid-back feel and slow pace make you feel just wonderful to live in the present moment.
