Before I begin this review, here’s a bit of back story on how my visit came to be.

Last year, around this same time I was way out in Portland reviewing the beautiful San Bar Villa.  The young butler from that villa accompanied me to Reach Falls one day and on our drive back he pointed out a new-ish resort property in the area and suggested we stop in there for a drink.  That resort happened to be Sea Cliff and as luck would have it, the owner was on site the day we stopped in so he bought us a drink and offered us a tour of the property.  After telling him about this blog he invited me to come back anytime for a few nights to review and feature his property.

Fast forward to a year later and I found myself heading back to Portland for this review.  And I’m so glad I went!

 

The Location

Sea Cliff Resort and it’s accompanying restaurant and bar called Cliff Hanger, are located in Long Bay, in the parish of Portland – a LONG way from any form of tourism on the island.  The nearest major town of Port Antonio is approximately a four hour drive from the Montego Bay airport and about two hours from Kingston’s Norman Manley airport.

If arriving from the Montego Bay side, once you hit Port Antonio, Sea Cliff is roughly another 45 minutes drive heading east.  The town of Long Bay is the nearest but it’s very small so this resort is about as remote as you can get.

Once you arrive here you’ll discover the amazing secret this rustic hideaway on Jamaica’s eastern tip boasts.

 

 

 

 

What’s The Secret?

I can’t beat around the bush on this one.  The secret about this little resort property that will take your breath away is THE VIEW!  There are some incredible views all over the island but not all of them come with surround sound!

The views are powerful, majestic, breathtaking, and you can hear it!  The constant white noise of the Caribbean sea far below the property is incredible and I dare you not to miss it once you’ve had the opportunity to fall asleep to it a few nights in a row.  Their website reads, “On The Edge of Beauty”, and that’s certainly no overstatement.

This is where the REAL pot of gold at the end of the rainbow happens.  Yes, this rainbow magically appeared within my first hour on the property!

 

 

 

The Accommodations

Sea Cliff resort has several accommodations ranging from standard rooms to master suites, ALL with majestic ocean views as far as the eye can see.  The standard rooms are on the ground level and while they still have an amazing view, it’s not as full a view as the master suites on the top level.

Regardless of which level you stay on, every room is as cozy and rustic as the next, featuring hand-built, bamboo bed frames, showers made from natural rock carefully pieced together, quaint, handmade fixtures and fresh, white linens.  The decor is so unique, right down to hand-painted artwork on the walls, and towel hooks made out of rock.  The mastermind behind building this property, Errol Hannah, definitely had a vision for how he wanted these rooms to feel.  Rustic is truly the only word that comes to mind.

Each room is air conditioned, has ceiling fans, hot water, and they even thought of little details like shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel in each bathroom.

Study each of these photos and just take notice of the little details.  The bamboo beds give a true Caribbean vibe and the wood trim everywhere provides a homey, cabin-ish feel.

 

Standard Room

 

 

 

 

 

Master Suite

 

 

 

 

 

Bathrooms

 

 

 

 

 

Cliff Hanger Restaurant & Bar

Dining options at Sea Cliff include the Cliff Hanger restaurant on site.  For guests it’s an easy option for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I was on the road during the days so I only opted to eat dinners on the property.  The menu was decent with several fish dishes, chicken and a variety of other items.  They also seemed flexible and were willing to make up vegetarian options for me.  So I had the “Drunken Lion Fish” my first evening and a coconut curry vegetarian dish the next evening.  I loved the coconut curry veg so much I had it twice.  My travel partner had snapper the first night and baked barbecue chicken the next.

 

 

 

 

 

It is fair to mention that menu prices reflect the fact that this is a boutique establishment so be prepared to spend when you dine.  It’s also fair to mention that an automatic gratuity (called a service charge) is added to your bill.  Our first night dinner for two including one cocktail each was near $100.00 USD including GCT and this service charge.  Luckily the restaurant accepts credit in addition to cash.

Other dining options in the area include plenty of local cook shops on the road towards the town of Long Bay and beyond.  Sea Cliff is also only a twenty-minute drive to the famous Boston Beach and jerk centers that operate there.  It’s worth checking out one afternoon for lunch.  People say you simply can’t visit Portland without trying Boston jerk.

Cliff Hanger also has an extensive cocktail menu for those who like something a little different from just your plain old rum and coke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is also worth mentioning that although it’s not featured on the resort website, there is a pool on site for guests to use.  It is located in the yard on property where the owners live and definitely fills the need for a cool-off in the hot Jamaican sun since there is no beach to speak of here.

If you prefer a beach, Long Bay beach and Boston beach (paid access) are a short drive away as well as several beautiful strips of uninhabited beach along the road after you leave the cliffs.  Some of those stretches of beach are featured in a video compilation RIGHT HERE.

 

 

At Cliff Hanger restaurant and bar they host many social functions such as meetings, parties and weddings.  I follow their Instagram accounts and I can see they’re pretty busy with these functions in addition to just being a tourist resort.  In addition to what I’ve shown in photos there are expansive lawn areas on this property which are perfect for hosting social functions in a beautiful location!  Check their website or get in touch with them for more details.

 

What’s Nearby

The entire parish of Portland is home to some of the most beautiful attractions in Jamaica and all are within driving distance to Sea Cliff resort.

Follow this link to the excursions page on the Sea Cliff website for many excursion options in Portland, which I highly recommended!

The town of Port Antonio is 45 minutes away and offers everything you might be looking for such as ATM machines, a beautiful marina, Folly ruins and lighthouse, a wonderful milkshake shop called Crazy Shakes, and so much more.  Port Antonio is a bustling little town that’s fun to experience and then you can retreat back to the calm of Sea Cliff at the end of your day.

 

What to Expect While Staying Here

There are a few points I’d like to highlight so you know what to expect, since this is a remote location.  It’s good to be prepared.

Morning coffee:  There are no coffee facilities in-room so you’ll need to take a bit of a hike over to the restaurant area to grab your first cup in the morning.  I was told that there is usually a complimentary coffee station set up over there for guests to help themselves but we didn’t see one on any of our mornings so we had to ask a staff member.  It was a bit inconvenient to have to wake up and get dressed to go find coffee, then carry it back to our room.  I like to wake up and chill before having to see anyone.

Beverages in room:  There are no mini-fridges in the rooms however, the staff were more than happy to accommodate us with an ice bucket so we could keep our in-room drinks cold.

Remote location:  As mentioned above, Sea Cliff is in a pretty remote location so you’ll likely be at the mercy of dining here during your stay, unless, of course, you have a vehicle or don’t mind taking public transport to explore other dining options.  I drive so it wasn’t an issue for me.

Security:  As the only guests on the property our first night, we always felt very secure.  There are several large dogs on the property who do a fantastic job of securing the grounds.  We learned that our first evening when we invited friends over from the area and the big dogs surrounded their truck until they knew we were okay with our visitors.  It’s good to know the dogs are on our side.

 

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So……would I recommend traveling the distance to experience Sea Cliff resort?

If you’re looking for something far more unique than your average Jamaican getaway, ABSOLUTELY come stay!  This resort is very removed from the typical tourist areas which is so refreshing.  You know me, I can’t handle the crowds in the popular Jamaican tourist towns so this was a perfect hideaway.

If you want to truly RETREAT and be at one with nature on this gorgeous side of the island you should definitely come check out Sea Cliff.  And tell the owners, Errol and Brett Hannah, that you saw this review!