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Buff Bay is a dusty coastal town along the route between Port Antonio and points west. There is little to keep visitors in the area and few accommodation options. In the hills a few minutes inland along the B1, Charles Town is a Maroon community where a cultural heritage tour with the local Maroon Colonel Frank Lumsden makes a detour away from the coast--worthwhile for a few hours’ visit.
Some five kilometers above Buff Bay along what used to be an old Maroon Bridle path up the Buff Bay River (now known as the B1) is the Maroon community of Charles Town.
The Maroon Museum (free admission) located at Asafu Yard has artifacts and crafts of Maroon heritage. There’s an adjoining commercial kitchen producing Jamaican cassava cakes, a gluten-free staple starch dating to the Taino and known locally as bammy.
A traditional country-style lunch (US$12/person) can be arranged at Quao’s Village a bit farther upstream, where Frank’s brother Keith Lumsden (cell tel. 876/440-2200) manages a swimming hole and rustic restaurant attraction.
Blueberry Hill Guest House (Kildare district, near the Digicel phone tower, contact Devon or Doris Williams, cell tel. 876/913-6814, US$2535) has seven rooms with private baths and standing fans. Some rooms have TV with a few channels. Some rooms have a nice view overlooking the sea; otherwise, the common veranda is suitable for enjoying the breeze.
B&G Jerk Centre (contact owner Glen Ford, cell tel. 876/859-5107) on the east side of town is the best spot for a roadside bite of jerk pork or chicken (US$4/quarter pound).
Hibiscus Restaurant (adjacent to courthouse, cell tel. 876/466-0946, 9 a.m.11 p.m Mon.Sat., 511 p.m Sun., US$23) serves Jamaican staples like fried chicken, curry goat, and stewed peas.
Buff Bay police station (9 First Ave., tel. 876/996-1497) is located opposite the Adventist Church.
Points between Port Antonio and Annotto Bay can be reached via route taxi or microbus for under US$5. Route taxis typically run between the closest population centers, and you will have to string together several legs for longer distances. Most route taxis also offer charter service, where rates are not regulated and have to be negotiated.
The Lower Black River Morass is one of Jamaica's largest wetlands, with 142 square kilometers of mangrove and swamp providing a rich habitat for a variety of animal and plantlife. Turtles and crocodiles are still abundant, while manatees, once relatively common around the mouth of the river, are gone today.
