A Visit to the Old Pera Windmill & Beach

Old Pera, a small village in St. Thomas, Jamaica’s easternmost parish, is home to a historic windmill and beach by the same name. Built around 1780, this windmill is a remnant of the sugar estates which once dotted Jamaica. The Pera Estate dates back to 1682 and was originally owned by Sir Thomas Lynch, an English lawyer who had three stints as Governor of Jamaica before his death in 1684. The estate was eventually subdivided into two: New Pera and Old Pera, both of which are sleepy rural villages today. Here’s what’s left of them.

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Old Pera Windmill

View en route to the Old Pera Windmill

Driving to the Old Pera Windmill led us past New Pera, a private marina and some delightful coastal views. East of the village of Old Pera on a slight hill lies the ruined windmill built in 1780. This windmill was part of the Old Pera sugar estate and was used to grind sugarcane, a vital part of Jamaica’s economy during the colonial era. While its wooden roof and sails are long gone, the 50-foot cut stone tower stands much taller than the trees which shroud it.

Entrance to the Old Pera Windmill

Inside the windmill

Approaching the Old Pera Windmill meant hacking through neck high weeds, thorns and bushes. We were awarded for our efforts by finding an entrance. Like the true explorers we are, we went inside and had a look around. The stone walls appeared structurally sound but were a bit musty. It’s clear no one had been inside for a long time. What a find!

Old Pera Beach

My husband’s photo of Old Pera Beach in 2020

There wasn’t much to do at the windmill once we found our way inside and took some photos, so within 30 minutes, we set off for the rocky Old Pera Beach to end our St. Thomas road trip. My husband had visited in 2020 and recalled it being a photogenic beach, but not necessarily one for swimming. We used the Casa Angola landmark on Google Maps to guide us there like he did five years before, but we encountered a fence and locked gate instead!

We didn’t see anyone around to ask questions, and were tired anyway so we gave up and headed home. There’s another beach close by called the Rocky Point Beach, a fine white sand beach more suitable for swimming, but we left that adventure for another day. Not that I needed much excuse to revisit St. Thomas anyway; there’s something about the parish’s unspoilt rustic nature which beckons to me.

Wrap Up

Well, that’s a wrap on Pera and my recent St. Thomas road trip. My visit to the parish was long overdue. I need to revisit when Richmond Vale Falls is flowing again, and there are still four or five more St. Thomas gems remaining on my local bucket list. 🙂 Tell me, would you brave the bushes to discover inside the Old Pera Windmill? Fortunately, I made it home without a scratch or (visible) insect bite. Sound off in the comments section below!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:

• Stony Gut, St. Thomas
• Tryall Water Wheel, Hanover
• Cunha Cunha Pass, St. Thomas
• Stokes Hall Great House, St. Thomas

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