Firefly Estate

by Dawn Matheson
May 8th, 2009

Coward's Desk Photo by Dawn Matheson

The last resting place of Sir Noel Coward is full of personal treasures and amazing vistas.

Far from the madding crowd, the original room with a view still commands the best vista in the Caribbean. This hilltop haven, some 1,200 feet above Blue Harbour on Jamaica’s North Coast, has had many incarnations—sacred burial ground for the Tainos Indians, lookout point for the legendary pirate Henry Morgan. But it’s most well-known as the peaceful English–style cottage retreat of famous wit Sir Noel Coward (and his posse of Hollywood elite), and was recently restored with the British author’s personal effects, snaps of Firefly’s celebrity visitors (like Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier), antiquarian library, record collection, writing desk and his own paintings.

Group bookings can toast the late playwright (he is buried here) with a rum punch over lunch while dancing to a traditional Mento (old reggae) band on the Firefly terrace. The estate grounds also make for a knockout wedding location, and Firefly can also host private parties and dinners.

Admission is $10 per person for guided tours.