Germaican-Hostel

After a long bumpy ride up a winding “road,” guests arrive on the front lawn of a charming yellow house with a large front porch. A gaggle of dogs race to sniff new arrivals, and established guests wave hello from their hammocks. The atmosphere is informal and laid-back, like a friend’s house. Many guests drop their bags and immediately join the front porch crew, were someone is always hanging out, usually smoking weed. Marijuana is unavoidable at Germaican Hostel — and Jamaica in general — so it’s probably not the place for travelers offended by the presence (or smell) of weed. 

Unsurprisingly, the majority of guests at Germaican Hostel are German. Though Marian, the hostel’s young owner, speaks perfect English, he says he sometimes feels bad for his non-German guests because they may feel left out. Like most hostels, nearly all guests here are between the ages of 18 and 30.  

Germaican Hostel is located high in the hills above Port Antonio. The property offers stunning views of the tiny city, the ocean, and the surrounding mountainous landscape. But the property’s secluded hilltop location means it’s difficult to reach, especially considering the condition of the “roads” leading up to it. Unpaved doesn’t even begin to describe the road conditions that lead to Germaican Hostel, and anyone unfamiliar with driving across this type of terrain will definitely have trouble. Because of the road conditions, the hostel’s owner, Marian, offers free transportation to and from the property. He picks up all new arrivals in his Jeep, and makes several runs to and from town each day. During our visit, Marian informed us that a few travelers have attempted to reach the hostel with their own rental cars, but none have been successful. 

Port Antonio is a tiny laid-back town with an authentic Jamaican feel. It doesn’t draw the same tourist crowds as Montego Bay or Negril, but adventurous travelers tend to appreciate Port Antonio’s “locals-only” atmosphere. Many travelers use Port Antonio as a base to explore the natural wonders of the lushest -- and rainiest -- part of Jamaica, including the Blue Mountains, Rio Grande Valley, the Blue Lagoon (the same one featured in the 1980 Brooke Shields flick), and beautiful Frenchman's Cove beach. One serious pitfall to Port Antonio is its remoteness. The closest international airport is in Kingston — a whopping three-hour drive away.  

Germaican Hostel has both shared, dormitory-style rooms and private rooms. However it should be noted that none of the private rooms have private bathrooms. Within the main house, there is a six-person dorm, a three-person dorm, and one private double room. There’s also a freestanding private room in the front of the property. Because business has been booming since Marian opened the hostel in 2015, he’s currently in the process of building more freestanding private rooms around the property. Both the dorms and the private rooms are kept immaculately clean, and are decorated with simple island-inspired decor. Rooms do not have air-conditioning or TVs, but all are equipped with fans and storage lockers beneath the beds. Bathrooms resemble those you’d find in a private home — with a single walk-in shower, sink, and toilet. There are two shared bathrooms in the main house. Since the hostel relies on rain water for its water supply, Marian urges guests to be hyper-conscious of water consumption. 

Germaican Hostel doesn’t really have any communal amenities, but guests are welcome to use the house’s main kitchen if they’d like to prepare their own meals. The hostel serves free breakfast daily, which typically includes fresh fruit, pancakes, cereal, and Jamaican coffee. Wi-Fi is also free, and works well across the property. Since the hostel is so secluded and difficult to reach, Marian also offers free rides to and from town several times per day. Guests can coordinate pick-up and drop-off times and Marian will brings them to and from their desired location.