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Southwest of Kingston, a causeway connects the city
to the bland but booming dormitory town of Portmore
in the neighboring parish of St Catherine. Portmore lies at
the eastern fringe of the Hellshire Hills, an arid
and scrubby expanse of "makko" thorn bushes and towering
cacti that shelters the closest beaches to the capital.
Virtually the only inhabitants are the migrant birds, a few
conies and a handful of Jamaican iguanas, once
thought to be extinct.
From the small fishing community of
Port Henderson, the signposted road to the Hellshire beaches
runs under the flanks of the hills. Follow the road to
Hellshire beach (no set hours; free), separated from the
less enjoyable Fort Clarence beach (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat &
Sun 8am-6pm; J$100) by a barrier reef that makes the
Hellshire water a lot calmer. Hellshire buzzes at the
weekends, with booming sound systems and a party atmosphere.
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Most Jamaicans come here for the fish restaurants as
much as the sea and sand, and Hellshire fried fish, best
eaten with vinegary home-made pepper sauce, beats anything
you'll find in town; for excellent cooking and friendly
service, try Flo's shack. On weekends, watersports
operators offer jet-ski rental and snorkeling equipment,
and there are horse rides for children.
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Jamaica
Travel Guide
Montego Bay, Kingston, Ocho Rios, Negril, Blue Mountains, Portland
Caribbean Travel Guide
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