Savanna-la-Mar

Savanna-la-Mar, town and port, southwestern Jamaica, on an open bay at the mouth of the Cabarita River, west-northwest of Kingston. Chief exports are sugar (for which it has bulk-loading facilities), coffee, ginger, cacao, and logwood. The town has been frequently damaged by hurricanes, particularly in 1780, when it was swept to instant destruction, and again in 1988. Points of interest include Manning’s School (1738), which was established by means of a legacy from an early settler, and the seaside ruins of a partially completed 18th-century fort that was intended to serve as a defense against pirates. Pop. (2011) urban area, 22,633.