Villa Vacation

In Depth

There is a surprising number of good villas San San, the lovely section of coast juts to the east of Port Antonio. The area is exceptionally pretty to begin with, but this is only part of its secret, which is that it has had a following among illustrious travellers for many, many years. It is quite quiet and secluded now, but over the past century it has been the most popular area of Jamaica. It started with the wealthy visitors who came to Port Antonio on the banana boats. Then in the 1950s wealthy industrialists and the British aristocracy arrived, closely followed by Hollywood and the jet set. The result is some extremely comfortable holiday homes in simply fantastic settings. Port Antonio – and San San particularly - is a lovely area to visit and ideal for a relaxing villa holiday.

Villa Vacation rents out around 20 of these villas. They offer a good variety in style and size, ranging from a charming one-bedroom hideaway on the waterfront directly opposite Pellew Island to a grand seven bedroom house in the hills behind the coast. It is also worth noting that there is a high level of service in the villas here. All houses have at least a housekeeper and a cook. Larger houses come with a butler and a chef. In the background of course there are gardeners, caretakers and pool maintenance men. And backing them, there is the friendly service and staff of Villa Vacation itself, who will help you get the best out of the area. They generally come to meet you on the morning after your arrival to see if there is anything you need. This can range from concierge services such as baby-sitting, changing money, taxis, car rental and general recommendations about the area to arranging a special event.

The company is run by the very personable Yvonne Blakey, who grew up in Port Antonio and is consequently well known in the area. She has a BSC in chemistry and maths and a masters degree in microbiology, but she came to the hospitality industry via a family supermarket and money-transfer business. The company was set up relatively recently, in 2001, but it was actually formed out of an existing company that was run by a friend of Yvonne who decided to go to live in Nassau. Yvonne took it over and has developed it, adding some new villas of her own. In addition to holiday rentals, Yvonne manages some of the villas in the portfolio, for owners who do not live nearby (others are overseen by their owners who live in Kingston).

Port Antonio is probably the most charming area of an already exceptionally beautiful island. The area is probably best known for the Blue Lagoon, the stretch of water that runs from Alligator Head and San San beach down to the famous Blue Hole. On the waterfront here you will find around twenty villas and their settings are magical, looking across the shallow, aquamarine water to Pellew Island. Even the island has its romantic story. It was given as a wedding present by Baron von Thyssen to his bride, Nina Dyer. She later became the Princess to the Aga Khan. However, you shouldn’t forget the villas in the hills behind the beach, as they are just as attractive in their own way. If you would prefer the greenery of a tropical garden then there are some lovely houses, many with classic Caribbean style and their own romantic stories. And of course, as the coast is exceptionally pretty, with delightful views.