NAVY ISLAND

This 25-hectare island has had several existences: naval base, private retreat of a Hollywood billionaire (Errol Flynn) and then hotel complex. Originally named Lynch Island, after a governor to whom it was given as a gift for services rendered to the English Crown, the island became Navy Island when the first contingent of British sailors landed there to support the military forces then stationed at Fort George, on Tichfield Hill, across the bay. The island was converted into a military hospital in 1728. Navy Island's history is also tied to the breadfruit brought back from the Pacific Islands by Captain William Blight. The 350 plants he brought back from Tahiti were landed on Navy Island, before being transported to the Bath Botanical Garden. Forgotten by all, Navy Island was to experience a revival of fame and prestige when Hollywood actor Errol Flynn, a great sailor, fell in love with it in 1940, when he was diverted here by a storm. He bought the island to make it his favorite retreat from the stress of the studios. He popularized bamboo rafting down the Rio Grande and even organized a raft race on the river. When he died in the early 1960s, the island was sold by his family and changed owners several times. Then the state bought the island, now empty of any activity. It can be seen from the shores a few blocks away from Port Antonio.