Photos by Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
LEFT: Strawberry Fields Together has two beaches on the 18-acre property. This one is public and is 40 metres wide. It is one of the few white-sand beaches in St Mary.
RIGHT: Robin's Bay in St Mary is a beautiful and fragile ecosystem and one of the last virgin areas of the north coast. Here, Everton McKenzie shows Sharon Kelly some of its wonders.

Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter

There are many hidden gems across the island and Strawberry Fields Together in Robin's Bay, St Mary, is one of them.

Kim Chase, a foreign national who came to the island and decided to make it her home, owns the resort which began in 1972. Back then, it was a cottage and camping resort with big army tents and bamboo kitchenettes. It was a kind of hippie getaway.

"Celebrities such as Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones are said to have stayed here," said Chase.

She first visited the island in 1979 as a tourist.

"I came to visit the resort by taking a bus that left me at the entrance and the conductor pointed me in the direction of the resort. Little did I know it was four miles away and I had to walk with two suitcases and a backpack."

Love at first visit

Despite the unfortunate introduction to the island, Chase fell in love with it anyway. She purchased the property and moved here with her daughter and son in 1987.

Back in the '80s, the property was called Sunrise Beach Resort, but she changed it Strawberry Fields Together. The 18-acre resort has nine villas and offers a weekend and daily activity package that includes the beach, a nature trail, volleyball, table tennis, trampoline and guided tours.

They are in the process of adding an eco-nature tour where hiking, boating, ATV and horseback riding will be offered. However, they are still awaiting the final approvals from the relevant authorities.

Everton McKenzie, the property redevelopment project designer, said the new ecotourism projects will have environmentally friendly cottages, which will be powered exclusively by solar energy.

They are planning to build the cottages between the trees, leaving the landscape as undisturbed as possible. These cottages will be geared at nature lovers.

Beach view

"Plus, the cottages will have a magnificent view of the beach complemented by the splendour of nature," he pointed out.

He also said the redevelopment team was trying to reimage the property by introducing a tourism-driven village inclusive plan (VIP). The VIP will be a new market for the community ecotourism market in Jamaica.

Currently, the property has nine villas and can accommodate 40 persons. You can get a villa to rent for as low as $3,200 per couple per night without meals. Also, they offer weekend retreats and day-out packages. Guests may bring their own food or dine at the restaurant. It's the perfect place to relax and enjoy nature at its best.

keisha.shakespeare-blackmore@gleanerjm.com