Up on Jamaica´s northwest coast, a 45-minute drive from Ocho Rios, one of its smallest parishes (pop. around 114,000), with its capital the town of Port Maria (pop. 7,500) low-key, laid-back St. Mary´s is definitely off the beaten path - and a welcome alternative to the big-resort scene in the likes of Ocho Rios and Montego Bay.

Highlights along this stretch of the coast include the centuries-old town and architecture of Falmouth; Blue Mountain coffee tours; stunning Johnny Falls, Kwame Falls, and Tacky Falls; historic homes Firefly Estate (once belonging to pirate Sir Henry Morgan, more recently to Noel Coward, and now a writer´s museum) and nearby Goldeneye, which belonged to James Bond writer Ian Fleming;exciting adventure activities such as ziplining and river rafting 265-year-old Fort Haldane in Port Maria; historic homes; and delightful sandy stretches such as like Pagee Beach, Oracabessa´s James Bond Beach (where Sean Connery came across Ursula Andress in the film Goldeneye), Reggae Beach on Tower Isle, and Robin´s Bay,.

Read more in Tripatini contributor Ed Wetschler´s post St. Mary´s Parish in Jamaica: A New Sustainable Travel Destination?