The 3rd generation resident of Bob Marley Beach is a 1st class host to visitors seeking an escape from Kingston.
18 kilometers east of Kingston, lies a hidden gem along the coast of Bull Bay. Known for its laid-back vibe and natural beauty, Bob Marley Beach offers a tranquil, spiritual escape from the city and the Thomas family has been helping to preserve it for decades. Free of commercialization, the beach is a popular spot for snorkelers, yoga practitioners, music video makers and beachgoers from around the world.
"My community has been a place where people have been free to come and connect with the natural energy of Jamaica," said Camala. "We have been grown by the elders to know that our purpose is to maintain the space naturally. To leave it the way we found it so that anyone from anywhere can enjoy it with us."
From their property at the far end of the car park, the Sugarloaf Beach Vibes Restaurant is where Camala and her mother serve up mouthwatering, freshly caught steamed and escoveitch fish, fried sprat and festival. The Thomas tuck shop stocks all the cold beverages and snacks you could want and they maintain the thatch huts close to the water's edge.
Camala's father, the late Vince 'Macka' Thomas (1958-2024), was an elder in the Rastafari community that settled at Bull Bay in the late 60s. In the Voices of Jamaica podcast produced in 2021 for Alpha Boys School Radio he told Peter ‘BreadlockX’ Harvey how Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Freddie McGregor and Alan 'Skill' Cole were a few of the music and sports personalities who frequented the beach years ago--moments immortalized in the recent feature film, One Love, about Bob's life. On any given day you can still catch star baller Skill Cole enjoying the vibes by the Thomas family land.
"I and I occupy the space and control the space so that we can have the space on a natural high," Macka told BreadlockX. "I keep it on a natural so ones can come from anywhere and hold a good meditation and a good vibration."
Listen to the complete interview below or, if you can, simply make your way to Bob Marley Beach and enjoy the natural vibrations personally. Directions follow...
How To Find Sugarloaf Beach Vibes Restaurant
The entrance to the beach is located directly across from the Bull Bay Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is a dirt lane called 'Beach Road'. Turn onto Beach Road, continue over the bridge and follow the lane until you reach the car park. The restaurant and tuck shop is at the far end.
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