Our Wilks Bay apartment is at Wilks Bay Resort - a small, quiet, private estate on the ocean at Wilks Bay, at the centre of San San, the resort area of Port Antonio. San San is an area of private villas and small hotels. The ocean around Wilks Bay is a fish sanctuary and the swimming and snorkeling are good in the bay. Our kayaks and paddleboards can be used by guests and there is no charge for this. Most times Wilks Bay Resort guests will have the bay all to themselves. Our 75 metres of private beach is the only beach area in the bay so guests also have the beach all to themselves. Our beach is bordered by trees so it has areas of sun and shade but our jetty into the ocean and most of our oceanside pool area are in the sun.
The apartment comes with a personal chef/housekeeper who will look after you. She will prepare and serve whatever you desire, provided that the ingredients are available locally - meals, drinks, snacks. She can prepare Jamaican and some international dishes and she will do all of the shopping for you. If she does not have a recipe for something that you request, she will find it on the internet. Meals can be taken anywhere on the property – in the garden, by the poolside, on the jetty or on the beach.
James and Mary are the resident owners of Wilks Bay Resort. We like to get to know our guests to ensure that every guest has the sort of vacation they wish for. Of course some guests, such as honeymooners, like to be left alone and we give them their privacy. Guests often come to Port Antonio to experience the local culture and we help them do that. Some guests just come to relax and we help them do that too. James was born in Port Antonio and knows the area well. He loves to help guests get to know his hometown and he may even take guests around. ‘Concierge’ does not describe what James does!
Before you arrive we like to be in email contact with you to arrange your first meals, help with transportation arrangements, make any special arrangements you may request and ensure that everything is just right for you. Your chef/housekeeper will look after you, keep the apartment clean and do your personal laundry. She is discrete and will respect your privacy. She can prepare your meals away from your apartment, if you wish. She can, if you wish, show you how to prepare local dishes and take you to the market with her. You will want to take her home with you when you leave!
Wilks Bay is next door to Frenchman’s Cove to the west and San San Beach to the east. From San San Beach you can go to Monkey Island and Blue Lagoon, either by one of our kayaks/stand-up paddleboards or by boat, which we would arrange for you. We give you free passes to go to Frenchman’s Cove. Port Antonio is a 15 minute drive away. Boston Beach and the Jerk Centre is 10 minutes away. Winnifred’s Beach is 8 minutes away. Wilks Bay Resort gate is on the main road from where you can get route taxis to move around or we can arrange for a driver to come for you. We can arrange for a driver to take you on excursions to Reach Falls, rafting on the Rio Grande and anywhere else you might like to go.
The nearest town is Port Antonio which is a small, rural town and it is where tourism in Jamaica started over a hundred years ago. The banana boats used to leave from the wharf and visitors used to arrive on them. Over the years the town has retained its old-fashioned charm with many interesting old buildings. In the 1960s it was very popular with celebrities who liked to get away from it all here. Many celebrities still do that. There are no high-rise buildings in Port Antonio!
