An unexpected visit to Turtle Bay in Manchioneal Portland
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien
I remember being speechless with how many places to visit on the island when I first began exploring Jamaica. I am someone who is always looking to get off the beaten path and explore untouched places that I didn’t know existed.
Portland always left a real impression on me. It‘s filled with plenty of different sceneries, some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, stunning adventures and modest exquisiteness.
Muirton to Prospect Main Road
I was scrolling through Instagram and saw an amazing picture of a beautiful beach in Manchioneal Portland called Turtle Bay. Instantly, I wish I could teleport there. On June 29, 2019, Angel Hylton and I ventured to Portland to find this hidden beauty. We had no idea how to find Turtle Bay.
We took a St Thomas bus from downtown Kingston to Morant Bay in St Thomas. Then We got a Portland minivan to Manchioneal in Portland.
While we were waiting for the Portland minivan to be filled with passengers, I asked a lady that was sitting beside me if she knew Turtle Bay in Manchioneal. She said no but she had a friend that might know where it is.
She called her friend but we were unable to get the exact location. I asked the conductor on the bus if he knew Turtle Bay. He said yes and also someone who can be our tour guide. He made a phone call and upon reaching our final stop which was at Muirton to Prospect Main road, the tour guide was waiting for us. Machioneal is a couple minutes after leaving the community of Long Road.
We then made a right turned on Sandshore Main road. We continued walking until we saw the Seven day Church of God reformed church. We made a right turn passing a graveyard. We then made two more right turns before seeing out landmark which was a house owned by the sweetest man. He was very accommodating on my second visit. He has a beautiful view of the sea and space to park your vehicle. At this spot is where you will need a guide to carry you to the beach.
We got a beautiful spot. I forgot I was in Jamaica. We took a few pictures and told the guy we were ready to continue on our journey to Turtle Bay. He then said this is Turtle Bay. I disagreed because most of the times when someone visits a location, they know more about the area than persons who reside there.
He was convinced that he had the right Turtle Bay and he was right. There are two Turtle Bays in Portland that I know of. Turtle Bay in Manchioneal and Turtle Bay in Long Road.
I did not have pictures of Turtle Bay to show the tour guide. I messed up again. I promised myself I would be extremely prepared for all my trips especially when I am exploring a location of the first time. But it worked out perfectly. If it wasn’t for my unpreparedness, I would not have found Turtle Bay in Manchioneal Portland.
I was upset and decided to leave and so I did. On our way, we saw some members of the community and I asked if there's only one Turtle Bay Beach and they said yes. We decided we would just stay. The sun was scorching hot. We just wanted to be in the ocean.
We met a young lady called Cavel Domer. She was very sweet and decided she would accompany us.
As soon as we returned to Turtle Bay, I got in the water. I was prepared. I already had my swimwear on because I knew no restrooms or bathrooms would be available. We had a great time. The water was amazing. I took a lot of pictures and Cavel gave me a short tour of Turtle Bay.
Head to Turtle Bay in Manchioneal Portland if you want to experience the real, untouched Jamaica and see the best it has to offer uniquely.
Here are some images from my trip to Turtle Bay in Manchioneal in the hopes that it might encourage you to take a trip too. Have Fun!
Would you visit Turtle Bay in Manchioneal Portland?