Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is a little piece of paradise. Bask in the gorgeous confluence of refreshing spring water and the warmth of the Caribbean as you swim around Jamaica’s biggest spring-fed lagoon.

122 metres long and 50 metres deep, the lagoon is impressive in size. The first thing that strikes many visitors here is the incredibly vivid colouring of the water, which also alters in hue and intensity depending on the light and time of day. The blue of the spring is known to change through shades of green, navy blue and indigo.

The stardust of the silver screen is sprinkled all around here. Most famously, the immortal 1980 film Blue Lagoon, with Brooke Shields, was shot here. Film stars and authors have also often frequented the lagoon these include Errol Flynn and Ian Fleming, the writer of the James Bond books, as well as Robin Williams who visited during the making of Club Paradise. Robin Moore is also rumoured to have penned the French Connection here, while the Blue Lagoon was also the site of a breathtaking 1954 dive by Jacques Cousteau, one of the first deep water explorers.

It’s not an easy task to get to the lagoon. Local guides can show you, or you can get one to take you over in a boat from San San beach – be sure to bring your haggling skills with you! Cool down with a refreshing dip when you get there, and then savour the sun as you dry out on the rocks afterwards. Follow this with a trip to the tropical gardens, or take photos of the striking yellow-billed parrots and black-and-red frigate birds.

You can get further information about the ecology and history of the bay from your Jamaican guides, as well as hear the legends these include one that holds that the lagoon has no bottom, and another that a fierce monster dwells in the depths.

Head east from Port Antonio to reach the Blue Lagoon. It is a 20-minute drive, and is marked on road signs as the Blue Hole.