Bluefields Bay Villas

The views and food were fantastic, and we really appreciated the privacy. Bluefields Bay felt like a distinctive experience compared with the mega resorts. We’ll be back.

Bluefields is really about quiet beauty and time with the people you came with, along with the other guests you get to know. There’s no party scene here, and that was exactly the kind of atmosphere we enjoyed. We spent five nights at Hermitage from 10/1/25 to 10/5/25, and it went well beyond what we expected. The villas sit right by the sea with a lot of privacy from one another, and your own staff are there to make sure you’re happy. The villas we saw all had a striking, elegant old-time feel. Hermitage made me think of Jay Gatsby. I’m not sure how old it is, perhaps under 30 years, but it felt like being in the 1920s when it was new. The food and drinks were wonderful, and meals felt like an experience of their own. We ate in beautiful dining rooms with vintage furniture, silverware, glassware, china, and linens. I put on five pounds during those five nights. The chefs were amazing, as was all the staff, including the maintenance crew. The beach itself is small, though the properties have a lovely stretch of coastline. During our low-season week, we had the beach to ourselves on three of the five days, and on the other two there was just one other couple. The water was clear, warm as bathwater, and that Caribbean blue. Being on the island’s leeward side meant few waves and calm swimming. It felt more like a big lake than the ocean, which suited us old timers just fine. I could swim as far as I wanted without worrying. It isn’t inexpensive, even though we were there at the lowest-season rates, but I thought it was incredible value. I’m sure we wouldn’t go during Christmas week because it’s very expensive, though I can’t blame a business for charging that. The regular rates the rest of the year still seem like great value. There can’t be many places in the Caribbean, or the world, where you can stay in a private villa right on the sea with your own staff. The whole vibe was intoxicating. Bluefields is not for everyone. It’s the anti-Cancun, a place for peaceful enjoyment rather than partying until you drop. No loud music and karaoke here. More to follow....

A few practical things from my post of October 9, 2025: the drive from Montego Bay airport takes about an hour and a half, though it can vary. The road down to the south coast is rough in places, narrow, and full of potholes. It’s no Taconic Parkway, more like a path through the mountains of Jamaica. The journey also gives you a view of how much of the rest of the planet lives. Around there, people are trying to get by with little more than a cement shack, which might be squatted in, and maybe a couple of goats if they’re lucky. It makes you think about why people in a third-world country might risk everything to head north and try to build a better life in a country like ours. If you were born there and part of everyday life, I imagine you’d think hard about trying to find a better one. Bluefields is part of everyday Jamaica, not cut off from the world. The main south coast road runs right behind the properties, so you’ll hear trucks, cars, and motorcycles at the villas. It didn’t affect our enjoyment, unless you let it. There’s also a public beach right beside the property that locals love. During the week, at least when we were there, people came to enjoy the Caribbean and spend time together. A group seemed to swim very early, around sunrise, and you could hear them talking if your suite or villa was near the public beach. On the weekend there were still local people swimming and enjoying life, with music too. I don’t know how often they do that, but speakers played music for everyone, a mix of popular songs and reggae. The reggae made the Jamaican Caribbean beach even more beautiful to me. Swimming in the warm, calm turquoise water, looking back at the sand and mountains, and listening to one of my favorite kinds of music was the week’s high point. I don’t partake in the local herb anymore, but the water, views, and reggae brought back memories of when I did. Bluefields is a rare treat, a very good value, and not cheap but not expensive either. The people who work there are wonderful, and the villas and suites are sweet and nostalgic. If a few things the property can’t change, like the road or the neighboring public beach, keep you from having a grand time, that’s on you. We’ll go back, though I don’t know when, and would love to bring friends. It’s somewhere you want to show off to select people, while keeping the secret for as long as possible.

The views from every room took my breath away, and I loved unwinding on the porch while the staff looked after us so warmly. My daughter and I also had a lovely time wandering the lush paths to the kids’ play area and down to the beach. It all felt a little magical. We’re already looking forward to coming back.