Ideally situated in the heart of the Caribbean, Jamaica is home to the majestic Blue Mountain Range, miles of white sand beaches, natural waterfalls, rivers and streams. A place where the people are as warm as the weather, with a culture that has become a global phenomenon, there is no place on Earth as individualistic as Jamaica.

Ruled first by the Spanish and then by the British, Jamaica’s history is a tapestry of facts that sound more like fiction. The Spanish army, in an attempt to bolster its numbers, freed all Spanish-owned slaves in 1655 and encouraged them to go to war for Spain. This backfired in a major way. The freed slaves retreated into the island’s hilly interior, leaving Spain at the mercy of the British army, then turned around and provided the British army with information on their former slave masters. These freed slaves called themselves Maroons. As a show of thanks, the British government signed a treaty with the Maroons giving them autonomy in Jamaica. They still exist as a respected second civilization in Jamaica today.

Aside from her colonial past, Jamaica was once the destination most preferred by pirates. The wickedest city in the west, Port Royal was the port of choice for notorious historical figures like Blackbeard and Henry Morgan. Some of the world’s worst criminals and degenerates spent their ill-gotten gains gambling, drinking, smoking and partaking of the prostitutes that swarmed the port waiting for a loaded ship to come in.

In 1692, one of the Caribbean’s largest earthquakes sentenced ¾ of the city to the bottom of the Caribbean Sea.

In the 20th century, Jamaica began developing its high-end tourism industry and became the playground and second home to celebrities such as Ian Flemming, Errol Flynn, Noel Coward and Johnny Cash to name a few. In more recent times, Jamaica has continued to be a pied-à-terre for the stars with home owners ranging from Ralph Lauren to Keith Richards, Dave Stewart and Naomi Campbell as well as a host of royal families and business tycoons.

World leaders, politicians and high-ranking dignitaries continue to flock this island to soak up its authentic energy, unique land and seascapes while offering an eclectic mixture of privacy, culture and intriguing entertainment which has been dubbed as the soul of the Caribbean!