Ken Jones Airport

Ken Jones Airport, serving Port Antonio and the lush parishes of Portland, is a small domestic airstrip rather than a full international hub, which means you won't find a sprawling food court or chain restaurant inside. What you will find, however, is something far more memorable: the warmth of a truly local operation where the staff often know the vendors personally and the food reflects the honest, unpretentious cooking that Portland is quietly celebrated for across Jamaica.

Airside amenities are modest, so the smart move is to arrive having already eaten or to grab something from the small refreshment area near the waiting lounge. Vendors typically offer Jamaican patties — flaky, pepper-kissed pastries stuffed with seasoned beef or chicken — alongside cold Red Stripe beer, fresh coconut water, and the occasional styrofoam plate of rice and peas with stewed chicken. It's simple, satisfying, and genuinely Jamaican in a way that no airport food court in Kingston or Montego Bay can quite replicate.

For a proper meal, the surrounding Port Antonio area is one of Jamaica's great undiscovered food destinations, and travelers with any time to spare before their flight should venture into town. Boston Bay, just a short drive away, is the legendary birthplace of Jamaican jerk, and grabbing a plate of smoky, allspice-fragrant pork or chicken from the roadside pits there is practically a rite of passage. Plan your schedule generously — once you taste Boston jerk cooked over pimento wood, leaving becomes considerably harder.