Port Antonio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Port Antonio
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Port Antonio's Clock Tower.
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Location of Port Antonio shown within Jamaica
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| Country |  Jamaica |
| County | Surrey |
| Parish | Portland |
| Population
(1991 Census)
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| • Total | 14,400+ |
| • Portland Parish | 81,000+ |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
Port Antonio (Jamaican Patois: Puot Antuoni) is a vibrant town located on the northeastern coast of Jamaica. It is the capital of the parish of Portland. This beautiful town is about 97 kilometers (60 miles) away from Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica.
Port Antonio is well-known for two main things. First, it's a busy port where many bananas and coconuts are shipped out. Second, it's a very popular place for tourists to visit. Tourism plays a big part in the town's economy, bringing many visitors and jobs. In 1991, the town had a population of over 13,246 people.
Contents
History of Port Antonio
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Port Antonio was first settled during the time of Spanish Jamaica. Back then, it was known as Puerto Anton.
In 1723, Portland officially became a parish. This happened by order of the Duke of Portland, who was the Governor of Jamaica at the time. The parish was named after him. The port was then named Port Antonio. It was planned to become an important naval base.
By 1729, the colonial government started building Fort George. This fort was on a piece of land that separated the two harbors, East and West. Its purpose was to protect the settlers. It kept them safe from attacks by the Spanish from the sea. It also protected them from the Jamaican Maroons, who lived in the mountains.
The Banana Boom and Tourism
In the 1880s, a man named Lorenzo Dow Baker started the banana trade in Jamaica. He also helped make Port Antonio a popular place for rich American travelers to visit. "Portie," as it was called, became a very busy and successful town.
The banana trade and the tourists who came on banana boats grew very large. At one point, more ships sailed from Port Antonio each week than from the English port of Liverpool.
Hollywood movies in the 1940s and 1950s made the island seem like a perfect paradise. Later movies like Club Paradise and Cocktail also showed this beautiful image.
Movie star Errol Flynn arrived in 1946. His yacht, the Zaca, washed ashore during bad weather. He loved the area so much that he bought Navy Island. This island was part of the historic Fort George in Port Antonio. He also bought many acres of farmland along the Portland coast.
Climate in Port Antonio
Port Antonio has a tropical rainforest climate. This means it's warm and rainy all year round. The average temperatures don't change much, staying around 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit) throughout the year.
While there's a slightly drier time from February to April, it never truly has a dry season. Every month gets more than 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) of rain. Port Antonio gets a lot of rain, averaging about 3,000 millimeters (118 inches) each year.
| Climate data for Port Antonio | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.1 (82.6) |
27.6 (81.7) |
28.6 (83.5) |
29.3 (84.7) |
29.5 (85.1) |
30.7 (87.3) |
30.7 (87.3) |
30.7 (87.3) |
30.5 (86.9) |
29.8 (85.6) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.5 (83.3) |
29.4 (84.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 19.2 (66.6) |
18.9 (66.0) |
19.4 (66.9) |
20.1 (68.2) |
21.1 (70.0) |
21.6 (70.9) |
21.8 (71.2) |
21.8 (71.2) |
21.8 (71.2) |
21.7 (71.1) |
20.8 (69.4) |
20.6 (69.1) |
20.7 (69.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 224 (8.8) |
144 (5.7) |
113 (4.4) |
170 (6.7) |
299 (11.8) |
339 (13.3) |
257 (10.1) |
250 (9.8) |
277 (10.9) |
352 (13.9) |
359 (14.1) |
298 (11.7) |
3,082 (121.3) |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 13:00) | 78 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 76 | 78 | 75 | 75 | 77 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 78 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 189.1 | 178.0 | 210.8 | 222.0 | 223.2 | 210.0 | 235.6 | 235.6 | 216.0 | 213.9 | 195.0 | 189.1 | 2,518.3 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 6.1 | 6.3 | 6.8 | 7.4 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 6.9 |
| Source: Meteorological Service (Jamaica) | |||||||||||||
Popular Tourist Destinations
Port Antonio is home to many beautiful places that tourists love to visit. One popular spot is the Blue Lagoon, Jamaica. It gets its amazing blue color from being very deep, about 60 meters (200 feet).
Other fun places to see include the quiet Frenchman's Cove Beach. You can also explore the old ruins of Folly Mansion. The historic DeMontevin Lodge is another interesting place. Nearby, you can find the Rio Grande river, Boston Bay, and Reach Falls. There are also resorts like Bay View Eco Resort and Pimento Lodge.
Transportation in Port Antonio
Bus Services
Port Antonio is a central point for bus travel. Many buses start or pass through here. This makes it easy to travel around the northeastern part of Jamaica.
Railways
Port Antonio used to be the end of a railway line. This line came from Kingston, passing through Spanish Town and Bog Walk. The railway was mainly built to help export bananas from the area. However, this railway line is now no longer in use.
Famous People from Port Antonio
Images for kids
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Blue Lagoon
See also
In Spanish: Port Antonio para niños
