At Strawberry Hill in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains, Chris Blackwell gestures for his son to pull out a chair for a guest at the breakfast table. It’s an encounter one writer will mull over throughout their time in Jamaica. The founder of Island Records, Blackwell is 89 years old. The conversation is brief but memorable.
Sitting 1,000 meters above Kingston, the estate exudes tranquility. Its whitewashed wooden buildings, famous infinity pools, and meticulously maintained lawns create a picturesque scene. Inside, rooms are adorned with gold and platinum records, handwritten song lyrics, and various music-related memorabilia.
The cottages appear to float above the mountain range, offering breathtaking views. Each veranda overlooks the lush rainforest canopy, extending to the distant, misty plains of Kingston. Throughout the property, Jamaican sculptures and lively local crafts add artistic touches.
A Sanctuary for Artists
Blackwell acquired Strawberry Hill in 1972, having formed a connection to the land during childhood visits for afternoon tea.
The estate is rich with tales of recovery, seclusion, and celebrities living inconspicuously.
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According to the hotel’s public relations manager, guests visit for two main reasons: the music or the Bond connection. She offers a simpler explanation for the musicians’ attraction: “I think it’s because they can listen to the birds, hear the breeze going through the trees, and simply rejuvenate and relax.”
Children Collapse Distance
Traveling with children slows the pace and adds logistical challenges, but it also supports deeper connections with the places visited. In Jamaica, where cultural familiarity can feel overwhelming, children bring everything back to a human scale.
While wandering around Kingston or jogging through mountain villages, conversations become warmer and more natural when there’s a curious child present. A five-year-old can be handed fruit and flowers while chatting with locals about where they’re from and where they’re going. The family spends two nights at Strawberry Hill, feeling they’ve explored every winding path and hidden corner.
From Mountains to Coast
On a foggy morning, they board a shuttle and wind down the Blue Mountains on steep, curving roads. Beyond Kingston, the environment transitions to plains of banana and sugar cane, eventually revealing a stunning view of the Caribbean Sea.
Continuing east past Ocho Rios to Oracabessa Bay, they journey from mountain coolness to a Caribbean lagoon in one morning. While Strawberry Hill represents Blackwell’s mountain-themed Jamaica, Goldeneye is the full experience: sea, lagoon, villas, huts, and Bond-related items.
Most visitors arrive at Goldeneye through the front door of Bond mythology. Ian Fleming purchased the property 80 years ago, lived here, and wrote his 007 novels here. But the writer finds themselves drawn more to the place’s second life, the one shaped by music.
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Since then, it has hosted musicians and producers like Quincy Jones, Fatboy Slim, and Bono. Sting wrote ‘Every Breath You Take’ here in 1982.
Blackwell has said he wanted Goldeneye to be a place where people mix, meet people and become friends; he describes that as “the most important thing”. The cool thing is that it actually happens. At Bizot Bar, on the western arm of Low Cay Beach, they enjoy rum cocktails and Red Stripe under torchlight. Their daughter plays in the sand and befriends a girl her age at the table next door.
Goldeneye unfolds as a series of distinct little worlds. Low Cay Beach is its social centre, a broad sweep of white sand lined with spacious villas and a freshwater pool. The lagoon feels more private and elemental, its cottages opening directly onto the water from decks furnished with kayaks.
Further along the coast, the freestanding beach huts rise among tropical gardens. Their louvred windows, high ceilings, and outdoor showers are designed to let the sea breeze and sounds of the night straight in. At Button Beach, they meet the parents of the girl their daughter played with the night before. As the children catch hermit crabs together, the adults trade stories—the father is a fashion photographer and the mother a producer.
Family Fun at Goldeneye
Soon, they are drinking rum out of coconuts and exploring the lagoon by kayak and paddleboard. The kids make another friend; her mother sings in one of the family’s favourite bands.
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At Button Beach, the Bamboo Bar serves rum and jerk fish brought in by local boats. It is a hub of activity for young families. Unlike many hotels, the choreography of separation collapses here.
The Rhythm of the Night
The final evening ends with a drum circle beside the sea at Shabeen. Cocktails pass between guests while Rastafarian Nyabinghi drummers play in front of the breaking surf. Their rhythm carries across the water.
Blackwell’s Jamaican Roots
Blackwell has said a boating accident off Hellshire Beach in 1958 drew him towards Jamaica’s music and culture. He was rescued by Rastafarians, an event that later helped define Island Records.
Decades later, one finds children taking over. The writer’s daughter squeezes in around a drum with the two friends she has made. Blackwell’s grandchildren join them. Jamaica is full of larger-than-life stories.
The image that stays with one is of children drumming together after dark. They are oblivious to the history gathered around them. Their laughter mixes with the beat of the drums, leaving a lasting impression of the beauty and joy of Jamaica.