San San

San San is a coastal town in Portland Parish, Jamaica, located about 5 kilometers east of Port Antonio. Spanning roughly 2,000 acres (809 ha) from Drapers to Blue Hole, San San’s modern history began in 1902 when Captain Lorenzo Dow Baker, known as “the Banana King,” purchased the western portion, Cold Harbour Estates, from the Crown. Subsequent acquisitions by the Baker family expanded the estate to include Fairfield and Pompey for cattle grazing and pimento cultivation. The property was sold in 1941 to Cold Harbour Limited, which later developed the area into a residential and resort community.

The name “San San” is thought to originate from a local nickname for a Chinese woman whose admirer built a house there. By 1948, Cold Harbour Limited divided the estate into over 300 lots, developing homes at Alligator Head, Goblin Hill, San San Hill, and Fern Hill. The area attracted prominent figures, including Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, Senator Harland Molson, and Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan.

In 1956, 45 acres were sold to Canadian mogul Garfield Weston, who established Frenchman’s Cove Resort, cementing San San’s status as a haven for affluent residents and visitors.