Morgan's Harbour Hotel




 

   


The historical town of Port Royal is only a 10 minute drive away from the Norman Manley International Airport. Port Royal is technically speaking an Island, more precisely several small cays connecting during the centuries from surface projections of an extensive shelf. A small causeway is connecting the mainland of Jamaica with the Airport and Port Royal thereafter. A few hundred yards before entering the historical town of Port Royal lay’s Morgan’s Harbour Beach Hotel. Like most other buildings in this area the Hotel is situated on historical grounds. Morgan’s Harbor Hotel and the attached Marina has become our favorite watering hole in Jamaica, in fact it is now somewhat of a home base for our film team to start our expeditions to the nearby Islands.

 


It is not only the convenience of being near the airport or having a spacey mooring facility that makes us return, mostly because we are fond of the people at Port Royal and they seem to accept us too. They are extremely helpful and friendly and many in the village and the small fishing harbor nearby we know by name. A few years ago, the Hotel has undergone a major face lift so any visitors can expect new hotel rooms, a redesigned marina and restaurants with excellent food. The new owner seems to make a great effort to integrate some of the remaining historical ruins and buildings of the old pirate town in the new design of the Hotel which is only a few yards away from the famous sunken city of - Port Royal.  


This fact alone almost makes the hotel a cultural tourist attraction, especially as the historical Admiralty Houses are located only a stone throw away from the main entrance. With every step you take you walk through centuries of history with the ghosts of Captain Morgan and Admiral Nelson looking over your shoulder.

 


Port Royal’s reputation as the “wickedest place on earth” has not much to do with today’s situation on this famous peninsula, in fact this place is considered one of the safest areas of Jamaica and almost crime free according to the friendly constable at the police station in Port Royal.

  


Once you are there you might as well walk over to the St. Peter’s Church just down the road from the Hotel, but make sure to ask for the new church warden Mr. Alan Ridgeway. If he likes you he might show you some of Henry Morgan’s “Silver”, which the famous Buccaneer supposedly brought back from Panama on one of his most daring raids. It is said that Morgan donated the silver to the church because of all the sins he committed.



Here are some impressions from the beautiful St. Peter's Church.    


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