Jamaica Things To Do

Come stay in Jamaica and let down your dreads! Scale a rock-climbing wall, and sink into freshwater pools at their perfect, natural temperature. Wade up to a swim-up bar for some Planter's Punch. (Rumor has it that the backstroke is more fun after a cocktail or two.)

Great for: beaches, scuba diving, sport fishing, bird watching, jerk chicken,
Bob Marley and Reggae
Location: Greater Antilles
Population: 2.5 million
Size: 4,245 sq miles
Capital city: Kingston
Airports: Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston, KIN
Donald Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, MBJ
Negril Airport, NEG
Language: English
Currency: Jamaican dollar ($ or JMD) - check exchange rate
Time zone: EST
Area code: 876

Did you know?
Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean archipelago are part of a mountain range, which in prehistoric times probably formed a land bridge between what is now Mexico and Venezuela. Many years ago, volcanoes thrust up from the ocean floor, forming Jamaica's mountains, which reach up to 7,402 feet in height. The mountains, located in an east-to-west line in central Jamaica, contain more than 120 rivers and many waterfalls, as well as thermal springs. The island is about the size of Connecticut. It is 146 miles long and from 22-58 miles wide.

Pull on your bathing suit for a climb up Dunn's River's magnificent 600-foot waterfall. Hear the gush of water below and let the fall's cool spray on your skin power your climb. When you reach the top, reward your legs and sit down in the shade of a leafy palm for a traditional hair-braid.

If the fall isn't the only thing watering, head for Ocho Rios Village Jerk Chicken Center and order up some icy Red Stripes and platefuls of jerk-seasoned chicken and spare ribs. After lunch, wash off your sauce-covered face and sticky hands with a snorkel session in St. Anns Bay.

When night falls, feel Jamaica's rhythm in your hips; swivel them on over to Reggae Strip lined with houses painted in bright colors and where the sound of steel drums fills the air. End the evening with a mai-tai at Mahogany Beach, where people come together to down rum and dance on the beach.

Regions of Jamaica

Landmarks

Beaches

Golf

Jamaica has a lot to offer. Its cultural life is rich and varied, with its own unique music, art, and cuisine. Jamaica's lush vegetation, scenic mountaintops, clear waterfalls, and pristine beaches are among the highlights of this magical island.

Regions of Jamaica:

Montego Bay - 'Mo Bay', along with Ocho Rios, are Jamaica's north-coast pleasure capitals. The region's appearance in numerous Beach Boys' tunes is now ancient history, but the fabulous beaches and resorts continue to enchant visitors and residents alike. Montego Bay is Jamaica’s second largest city, after the capital of Kingston, in terms of population, but is the undisputed tourist capital of the island. The city is divided into three parts: the city center, the hotel area, and the surrounding hills with their picturesque villas. The city streets of Montego Bay are crowded and lively: full of crafts and culture. The architecture is a mix of wood frame houses, Georgian design, and modern office buildings. Not far from the city center are the deep-water piers where enthusiastic passengers disembark daily from visiting cruise ships.

Montego Bay offers attractions that are both natural and manmade. The most famous of its beaches is the Doctor's Cave beach. The beach is fed by healing mineral springs, and it has some of the clearest and most sparkling water to be found at any beach in the world. Visitors will also want to tour the local rum-producing estates for a taste of Jamaica’s best. Just minutes away from the center of the city is the Barnett Estate Plantation, home of the oldest plantation family in Jamaica. The Belvedere Estate is also nearby. It encompasses thousands of acres, and is still in operation. An evening on the Great River is an experience not to be missed. The evening boat rides along the river's torch-lit banks are spectacular.

Montego Bay's world-famous beaches attract thousands every year. Some seek solitude in a phenomenal setting; others are attracted to the feeling of romance and excitement that pulses through the island's air. The sun shines on Montego Bay, inviting visitors to experience the vacation of a lifetime.

Negril - Situated near Jamaica's relatively arid western tip, Negril's Seven Mile Beach is one of the longest uninterrupted stretches of sand in the Caribbean. That beach, its laidback lifestyle, and its wild parties are the main attractions in Negril.

The South Coast - The little-visited South Coast, lying east of Negril along the A2 (the road to Kingston), is undiscovered Jamaica, although it is becoming better known all the time. In contrast to the island's lush, tropical image, this area is dry and arid. Hotels are few and far between, and they are frequently small, family run establishments. The chief draw is Treasure Beach, tucked away on the secluded coast.

Mandeville - Located in south-central Jamaica, Mandeville is the country's highest-altitude town and is built in a style strongly influenced by the British. It is now the center of the island's noted coffee cultivation; a sense of slow-paced colonial charm remains a trademark of the town.

North Coast - The North Coast's primary natural attractions include its steeply sloping terrain, the setting for panoramic public gardens and dramatic waterfalls. Set on a deep-water harbor easily able to accommodate cruise ships, Ocho Rios boasts a dense concentration of resort hotels and other vacation spots. Its surrounding area contains a number of Jamaica's premier attractions, including Dunn's River Falls. What the area offers in abundance, are some of the grandest resorts in the Caribbean

Runaway Bay - Directly west of Ocho Rios, Runaway Bay boasts a handful of resorts opening onto some good beaches and has the distinct advantage of not being as populated by tourists as Ocho Rios.

Port Antonio - The hub of eastern Jamaica still basks in nostalgia. Frequently photographed for its Victorian/Caribbean architecture, it offers a change of pace from Negril, Ocho Rios, and

Kingston & Spanish Town - Located on the southeast coast, Kingston is Jamaica's capital, largest city, and principal port. It is a cosmopolitan city with approximately 750,000 residents in its metropolitan area and serves as the country's economic, cultural, and government center. Residents proudly call it the world's reggae capital, as well. Twenty minutes west of Kingston by car is Spanish Town, a slow-paced village containing the Cathedral of St. James.

Port Royal - Once an infamous hideout for pirates and renegades.

The Blue Mountains - A land of soaring peaks and deep valleys with luxuriant vegetation, the Blue Mountain range rises to the north of Kingston. Mountain roads wind and dip, and are in bad repair. Tours from Kingston are a safer bet. You can book tours throughout this region of coffee plantations and rum factories. Maintained by the government, the prime part of the mountain range is the 192-acre Blue Mountain-John Crow Mountain National Park.

Plantations & Landmarks:

Barnett Estate - 'Barnett' and 'Jarrett' are names well known on the island. Still among Jamaica’s most powerful families, the Barnetts and Jarretts were plantation owners and have owned land for many generations. Today, a visit to the Barnett Estate offers a look back at the past to the days when this land grew everything from sugarcane to coconuts. You can take a one-hour horseback tour of the estate or a guided tour by a costumed docent. This plantation tour is one of the island’s best. (Granville Main Road)

Belvedere Estate - Belvedere was one of the first estates to be burned during the 1831 Christmas Rebellion, so today most of the sites on the plantation are ruins or have been reconstructed. The uprising brought about the end of slavery in 1838. Tours include a look at the ruins of the great house, dating back to the early 1800s, the ruins of a sugar factory, a horse-drawn sugar mill and herb garden. Visitors can watch a blacksmith at work, see a bakery using a clay oven, talk with an herbalist and see a canoe-maker carving the trunk of a cottonwood tree. Also on site is the Trash House Restaurant and Bar (where the sugarcane trash was once stored). Lunch is served daily and visitors can picnic on the grounds.

Inaccessible Cinammon Hill - Cinammon Hill on the North Coast Highway is presently the home of country singer Johnny Cash, who spends quite a bit of time on the island and has done charitable work in Jamaica. Cinammon Hill, located near Greenwood Great House, was the birthplace of Edward Moulton Barrett, Elizabeth Barrett Browning's father.

Greenwood Great House - This was once the home of the Barrett family (as in Elizabeth Barrett Browning). Tours include a look at the finery enjoyed by the plantation families. Like Rose Hall (below), Greenwood is a reminder of the turbulent period in Jamaica’s history when wealthy plantation owners lived in luxury thanks to the profits of the slave labor used to power sugar plantations. (North Coast Hwy., 15 miles east of Montego Bay)

Croydon In The Mountains - This 132-acre working pineapple and coffee plantation offers half-day estate tours. The property was the birthplace of Samuel Sharpe, a national hero on this island. Sharpe led a slave rebellion in 1831 that helped bring about the abolition of slavery. You can learn about the preparation of coffee, honey, pineapples and more. (Located near the town of Catadupa)

Rose Hall - Rose Hall is the best-known great house in the country and is an easy afternoon visit from Montego Bay. This was once the home of the notorious Annie Palmer, better known as the White Witch. Guided tours take you to the ballroom, dining room, and Annie's bedroom and grave. The gift shop displays photographs of what many believe are ghostly apparitions in the bedrooms of Rose Hall. (North Coast Highway)

As the story goes, Annie (the Withe Witch) was born in 1802 in England to an English mother and Irish father. At the age of 10, her family moved to Haiti, and soon her parents died of yellow fever. Annie was adopted by a Haitian voodoo priestess and became skilled in the practice of voodoo. Annie moved to Jamaica, married, and built Rose Hall, an enormous plantation spanning 6,600 acres with over 2,000 slaves. According to legend, Annie murdered several of her husbands and her slave lovers.

To learn more about the tales of Rose Hall, read the novel 'The White Witch of Rose Hall', which you'll find in gift shops around the island.

Must See Beaches:

Seven Mile Beach - Negril's Seven Mile Beach is one of the longest uninterrupted stretches of sand in the Caribbean.

Montego Bay beaches - Montego Bay beaches such as Doctor's Cave and San San are among the most alluring in Jamaica.

Golf in Jamaica:

Montego Bay has the best collection of golf courses in Jamaica; most take full advantage of the city’s location, offering gorgeous views of the sea and hills. Fees include golf cart and clubs. Caddies are mandatory and will cost an additional fee.

• You must have a valid U.S. passport.
• Beginning in December 31, 2005, a passport will be required to enter or re-enter the United States.
• Non-U.S. citizens, please contact the nearest consulate or embassy of the country to which you are traveling to determine your entry/visa requirements.
• Passport, visa and travel advisory information may be found at the U.S. Department of State's Jamaica pages. Although most travel to international destinations is completed without incident, Caribbean-TravelDeals.com urges passengers to review travel prohibitions, warnings, announcements and advisories prior to booking.