This week’s travel dream: The other side of Jamaica

The northeast corner of Jamaica has a rhythm all its own, said David Kaufman in The New York Times. The “folksy and feel-good” music known as mento was born here, and bands like the Jolly Boys made it the soundtrack of the gated resorts and private villas surrounding Port Antonio back when area vacationers included a young Queen Elizabeth II. But mento and Port Antonio “faded into obscurity” as “cookie-cutter resorts with relentless reggae soundtracks” popped up elsewhere on the island. That makes it all the more remarkable that both “Porty,” as the locals call the town, and the Jolly Boys, now in their 70s, are enjoying comebacks.

Porty’s resurgence hasn’t been as rapid as the band’s. The area’s new, $14 million marina has yet to draw as many mega yachts as boosters hope. But its “trapped-in-time ambience” is hugely appealing. Port Antonio’s peaceful beaches and lagoons are nestled below rugged mountains, and surfers have long valued the “surging swells” of its “reef-tinged shoreline.” I ventured into the mountains to visit Reach Falls, a series of cascades where “families crowded the cool, clear pools.” Later, a guide led me deeper into the jungle to the Mandingo Tunnel, a vertical cave that leads to a subterranean pond hidden below “a massive boulder complex.” Following a quick dip and a “nerve-racking exit,” I headed to town for food. The area claims to be the birthplace of the spice rub known as Jamaica jerk, and jerk shacks are everywhere. My preferred hangout was the “aptly named” Chill Out Bar.

After a day of “languid” river rafting, I spent my final day hunting for mento recordings in town before heading over to the Geejam resort to catch the Jolly Boys in rehearsal. Geejam’s creator is also restoring the historic Trident Villas and its nearby Castle, “a grandiose private château” that should reopen next year. The Jolly Boys had just wrapped up a European tour opening for Sade, and lead singer Albert Minott, 73, shared news about the thousands of fans they’d picked up on Facebook. “But I’m not that surprised,” he said. “After all, the Jolly Boys and Port Antonio never really went away.”

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At Geejam (geejam.com), doubles start at $495.