Green Castle – one of the best eco hotels in Jamaica

  Green Castle is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I've been to. There are hummingbirds everywhere and you have a spectacular view of the mountains and the sea,... read more with sun and moon rises over the ocean, and the lights of Annatto Bay twinkling in the distance at night. The grounds are very nice and the rooms are charming and comfortable. The staff is very friendly, helpful, and accommodating. There are many trails but I didn't get to explore them all during my short stay. Their COVID protocols were excellent as well and the outside dining room, balconies, seating areas made social distancing easy. More

  My wife and I just had a great week of birding and relaxing at Green Castle, traveling under the Jamaican covid "resilient corridor" protocols. The guest house was very comfortable,... read more and we had the expert local birding guide all to ourselves for the entire week. The covid procedures were followed carefully throughout -- masks in public locations, physical distancing, etc, and while stringent, were not onerous. Meals were overall very good, traditional home-style Jamaican cooking. They are not having buffet meals, so each meal is served plated from the kitchen -- no menu choices, just whatever that they choose to serve for that meal. The were very accommodating about and food preferences/dislikes. Bar service was also limited due to staffing, and housekeeping was only on-demand, but these were very minor limitations, and no bother at all. We had great birding -- saw all the endemics well plus another 70 spp -- and plenty of time to just unwind after 9 months of lockdown and working from home, so just having the opportunity to travel internationally and get away for a break made any minor inconveniences well worth it. It's a great location -- quiet, good walking, well removed from the big resort areas, and well-situated for day excursions to the blue mountains and ecclesdown road. And the staff there were very welcoming and helpful throughout. Highly recommended.

  My family and I enjoyed our weekend at Green Castle, the staff was friendly, the food delicious ,the room was great. We enjoyed the hiking trail and visited the... read more Eco beach. It really was home away from home so much that my 4 year old did not want to leave. We definitely will make another trip.

  We arrived as tourists and left as friends. This was exactly the type of vacation we enjoy - not a large chain resort but privately owned with personalized attention... read more to their guests. The room was clean and comfortable; i was a little unsure about the lack of a/c but the cooling sea breezes and room fan ensured it was never too hot to sleep. We mentioned a lack of water pressure and a broken window screen slat one morning and within a half hour Tallman (maintenance man) and crew had made all necessary repairs! The staff are friendly and accommodating to any dining preferences we had - they even found ackee for me, even though it was out of season, when I said how much I like it. We had some interesting talks with Richard, the owner and he arranged for my husband to go birding with Dwayne, a local man who is an excellent bird guide. If we get a chance, this is somewhere we will definitely visit again:)

  We arrived as tourists and left as friends. This was exactly the type of vacation we enjoy - not a large chain resort but privately owned with personalized attention... read more to their guests. The room was clean and comfortable; i was a little unsure about the lack of a/c but the cooling sea breezes and room fan ensured it was never too hot to sleep. We mentioned a lack of water pressure and a broken window screen slat one morning and within a half hour Tallman (maintenance man) and crew had made all necessary repairs! The staff are friendly and accommodating to any dining preferences we had - they even found ackee for me, even though it was out of season, when I said how much I like it. We had some interesting talks with Richard, the owner and he arranged for my husband to go birding with Dwayne, a local man who is an excellent bird guide. If we get a chance, this is somewhere we will definitely visit again:) More

  My wife and I had a great week at Green Castle. Thanks to our guide, Dwayne, qualified, dynamic and friendly, we had the chance to observe several species of bird... read more endemic to Jamaica and endemic to the West Indies on the Green Castle site. The other endemic species were observed during outings on Ecclesdown Road and in the Blue Mountains, this time thanks to Roger who did not hesitate to tell us all kinds of anecdotes on birds, but also on the habits and beliefs of his compatriots.

In addition, the food, always excellent, was served by very welcoming and friendly staff. Each room has its characteristics, but they are all clean and warm. At least, for the ones we visited.

What to say about Richard? He was always there to let us know about the day's schedule and to make sure everyone was okay.

It was one of our best birdwatching trips. We recommend it to everyone. In addition, the group’s chemistry was excellent and the humor was there.

Thank you Richard, and all your team, it was unforgettable.

  I did the one week special package of the birding tour that Green Castle operates. I also upgraded my room to be in the main building in a... read more bigger room. I had a fantastic time all round. The location is beautiful and there are a lot of wide easy walking trails to explore. I was greeted on arrival with a cold flannel and a welcome drink.

My room was lovely, nice and large, and faced the swimming pool and down to the sea in the distance, a beautiful outlook.

It was good to be in the main house to make it super easy to go back and forth to my room.

In particular the attention to detail and the organization of the week was superb.

We had two full days out and for each day before we left we had fruit and coffee at the estate and the bus carried goody bags for each person along with thermos's of Jamaican porridge which while somewhat sweet was really good after being up for an early morning outing.

Food during the week was plentiful for each meal, and there were a lot of different Jamaican dishes to try. Actually I would say that I was in danger of eating too much as the food was lovely. On the last night they organized a barbeque round the swimming pool and it was done really nicely.

The local bird guides Dwayne for around Robins Bay and Roger for the mountains were both excellent. The guides went out of their way to ensure that everyone saw every bird and indeed we saw all of the 28 endemics on the island which is quite some feat.

There was also time to relax and enjoy the estate or wander round by oneself. It was a good mixture of organized activities yet with some free time.

The value of the special one-week birding package was extraordinary and i particularly enjoyed the opportunity to have some time to explore by oneself.

A note about wi-fi. The wi-fi was unusually fast for a hotel and that was much appreciated.

The staff and owners were all friendly and helpful. They each would go out of their way to give us a good experience.

  Just as their website claims, this really is exceptional value. But it is much more than that. Richard, Lori and all the staff are genuine in their welcome .... which... read more extends to the small village of Robin’s Bay where many of the staff live. As it is a relatively small inn you get to know them, and other guests, by name. All the meals were delicious - with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. The location is stunning - views of the blue mountains and the sea - as well as trails throughout the property. Who could ask for anything more?

  I’ve been visiting Green Castle Estate since the 70’s when the property was a busy and noisy working plantation. The owners since the mid 2000’s have managed the property... read more to be a top destination for birders changing the vibe into a calm, quiet, and relaxing nature retreat. My wife and I were married on the property. Since her passing, I’ve been giving back to the community in Robins Bay by volunteering at their primary school. Visiting the school in November, April, and July my stays at Green Castle in many ways are like a comfortable second home away from my Minnesota residence. The warmth of the attentive staff, beautiful views of the Blue Mountains, the Caribbean Sea, a wonderful fresh water pool, a water fall, intriguing indigenous history, interesting and breath taking coast line, historical sites of Spanish and British occupation of Green Castle’s colonial past are a pleasure year around. This trip in February is a "Me Time" artist escape from Minnesota’s cloudy and cold weather. More

  I’ve been visiting Green Castle Estate since the 70’s when the property was a busy and noisy working plantation. The owners since the mid 2000’s have managed the property... read more to be a top destination for birders changing the vibe into a calm, quiet, and relaxing nature retreat. My wife and I were married on the property. Since her passing, I’ve been giving back to the community in Robins Bay by volunteering at their primary school. Visiting the school in November, April, and July my stays at Green Castle in many ways are like a comfortable second home away from my Minnesota residence. The warmth of the attentive staff, beautiful views of the Blue Mountains, the Caribbean Sea, a wonderful fresh water pool, a water fall, intriguing indigenous history, interesting and breath taking coast line, historical sites of Spanish and British occupation of Green Castle’s colonial past are a pleasure year around. This trip in February is a "Me Time" artist escape from Minnesota’s cloudy and cold weather.

  We know Jamaica well and as independent travellers we have our favourite places where we are assured a warm welcome and good service within a reasonable budget. We were... read more impressed by the Green Castle website and knowing the area were confident the place would suit us well. We chose the room called Vervaine because it looked spacious and had a large Verandah with an outstanding view. We knew it was not in the main house but we were anxious to be away from the bar and pool area which could have been noisy. We need not have worried, birders get up early! My husband suffers from Parkinson’s disease which means he does not walk well and has balance issues which make uneven ground and bad light a difficulty. Access to the reception and dining area is up steep concrete steps which was a tough start but thankfully we did not have to use them often. We found an easier route for every day use.
The room was well appointed and very clean with a huge bathroom and plenty hot water. Meal times were rather punctual for us but the food was well prepared by an excellent chef and good use was made of local produce. The cuisine was the best of Jamaican in ingredients and flavour. Good coffee for breakfast and plenty of it. Richard was welcoming and attentive and very helpful prior to our arrival. He is served by excellent and charming staff. The estate is a paradise for wildlife and the gardens full of colour, birds and butterflies. The views are amongst the best in Jamaica! I was sorry not to take advantage of a bird tour but the environs of the house were delightful. I would highly recommend Green Castle as a place from which to see the best Jamaica has to offer which has nothing to do with Tourist Resort type entertainment!

  I've been to other resorts in Jamaica but this was a completely unique experience. The location is up on a hill overlooking the Caribbean and the Blue Mountains. ... read more Tons of land to explore, extremely friendly and attentive staff. It's certainly off the beaten path and it just feels like you're in another world. It's a small place relatively speaking, so it feels more like a home away from home than a hotel - tons of charm. I'm so glad I discovered this place and can't wait to go back.

  We really enjoyed our room (in Main House) and facilities. It was an awesome location for hiking and bird watching, which we did every day. You can talk... read more to desk and get a guide if you wish. We saw many of the birds we were hoping to see while in Jamaica. Food options are yummy if a bit shallow in choice. One Caveat is that the surrounding town beach of Robin's Bay is a mess. FILLED with trash. No one seems to see this as a problem. Pity.

  Our birding tour had a delightful time at Green Castle. We used it as our base for birding at Green Castle itself and for forays to other parts of... read more the island. The trails at Green Castle are well maintained, and the area abounds in birds. The setting is gorgeous, the food is great, and the staff are friendly and as helpful as can be. My room was comfortable, and cleaned thoroughly every day. I don't know what more one could ask!

  Spent 4 days at Green Castle for a quick birding/vacation retreat. Bottoms line - the birding was awesome, the food was fantastic, Lori was incredible and the pool was awesome!... read more The house was nice and clean. Loved the atmosphere as we had the place to ourselves for the most part. Would definitely go back!