Close Menu

Jamaica Homes News

Independent Jamaican journalism worth supporting.

No algorithms. No noise. Just the stories that matter.

Trending
Advertise Subscribe Sign In
Tuesday, October 13

St Catherine

Middlesex County · Jamaica’s Historic Gateway
Spanish Town · Portmore · Original Capital · Highway Gateway

Overview

St Catherine at a glance

Area
1,192 km²
Population
~600,000
County
Middlesex
Capital
Spanish Town
Founded
1534 (Spanish Town)
Key Community
Portmore ~300,000

St Catherine is Jamaica’s largest parish by area and second largest by population — a vast, historically rich territory stretching from Kingston’s western edge to the hills of the interior. Spanish Town was Jamaica’s capital for over 300 years; Portmore is one of the Caribbean’s largest planned bedroom communities.

History

The story of St Catherine

1534
Villa de la Vega founded by the Spanish — becomes Jamaica’s colonial capital.
1655
British capture Jamaica at the Battle of Rio Nuevo. Spanish Town remains the capital.
1700s
Spanish Town is a thriving colonial city — government, courts, the Square, King’s House.
1791
Rodney Memorial erected in Emancipation Square — commemorating Admiral Rodney.
1834
Emancipation proclaimed — many freed slaves settle around Spanish Town.
1872
Capital moved to Kingston — Spanish Town’s decline begins.
1960s–70s
Portmore developed as a planned community to house Kingston’s overflow population.
Today
Portmore has grown to ~300,000 residents — one of the Caribbean’s largest bedroom communities.

Real Estate

Property market overview

St Catherine has Jamaica’s highest volume of residential real estate transactions — driven by Portmore’s massive affordable housing market and the Kingston commuter demand. NHT schemes are heavily concentrated here. The Spanish Town to Kingston highway corridor is a major development zone.

Portmore Home (2–3 bed)J$12M – J$40M
Spanish Town HomeJ$10M – J$35M
NHT SchemeJ$8M – J$25M
Highway Corridor LandJ$15M – J$80M/lot
Browse St Catherine Properties →

Key Areas

Communities and neighbourhoods of St Catherine

Spanish Town
Historic capital — Emancipation Square, heritage sites, national archives
Portmore
Massive bedroom community — Edgewater, Waterford, Greater Portmore
Old Harbour
South coast town — fishing, residential
Linstead
Interior market town — Flat Bridge gateway
Bog Walk / Flat Bridge
Dramatic gorge — historic narrow bridge, highway junction
Hellshire
South coast recreational beach area — seafood, weekend tourism

Things to Do

Experiences in St Catherine

Emancipation Square
Spanish Town — baroque colonial architecture, Rodney Memorial
Jamaica National Archives
Repository of Jamaican history from 1655 — genealogy research
Hellshire Beach
South coast black sand and seafood — Kingston day-trip destination
Flat Bridge
Famous narrow bridge over Rio Cobre gorge — engineering landmark
Cathedral of St Jago
Spanish Town — built on site of original Spanish church, oldest in Jamaica
Caymanas Park
Jamaica’s horse racing venue — race days draw major crowds

Latest St Catherine News

Live from Jamaica Homes News

Loading latest news…

View all St Catherine news on Jamaica Homes →
Part of the Jamaica Homes Parish Guide · Jamaica Homes News · Jamaica Homes
jamaica-homes logo

Jamaica Homes News brings you the latest Jamaican news, property, business, tourism, development and community stories from across the island. Discover the people, places and developments shaping Jamaica today, with timely news and local insight you can trust.
Your source for the real estate news. 

JAMAICA HOMES LTD
Registered in England and Wales. Company No. 17386190.
Registered Office: 14/2E Docklands Business Centre
10-16 Tiller Road
London
E14 8PX

Email Us: admin@jamaica-homes.com

News

Company

Services

© 2026 JAMAICA HOMES LTD Registered in England and Wales. Company No. 17386190.