| Lushly covered mountains, waterfalls cascading to beautiful beaches, exotically colored flowers -- it's all just a hint of what Jamaica has to offer. You can tour plantations; fish, dive, sail and golf; raft down rivers; bathe in mineral springs; stain in hotels, inns, guest houses, villas-for-rent or all-inclusive resorts, or just sip Blue Mountain Coffee, the world's finest. The fanciest resorts can be found along the beach trimmed north coast -- Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio. To the west is Negril, with its seven-mile white-sand beach, and on the south coast is the capital, Kingston, home to an unusual combination of reggae music and restored historical sites.
Jamaica is a diverse island whose stellar attractions range from beautiful beaches to lush jungles, a wealth of activities to a packed schedule of special events, a dynamic culture to fine cuisine.
Sports: Jamaica's north and west coasts are favored destinations for scuba diving and snorkeling. Among the locations are Negril; Montego Bay, known for its wall dives, and Port Royal , with its sunken ships that are home to a variety of tropical fish. There's terrific rafting on the Great, Martha Brae and Rio Grande rivers; beach or mountain horseback riding; deep sea fishing off Port Antonio, and bird watching at Rocklands Wildlife Station, where the island's 27 unique species include the vervian hummingbird and the Jamaican tody. The island has several challenging golf courses including the newest and one of the Caribbean's most spectacular, the Ritz Carlton's White Witch of Rose Hall Golf Course in Montego Bay.
Things To See and Do: Cultural attractions abound in the island capital of Kingston. Among them are the Institute of Jamaica, a natural history museum; the National Gallery, devoted to native artists, and the Bob Marley Museum, the former home and recording studio of the famed reggae artist. Outside of Ocho Rios is Firefly, the former vacation home of composer and performer Noel Coward. Many Jamaican towns- like Mandeville, Port Antonio, Port Royal , and Spanish Town - are well worth a visit to see historic local sites and lovely architecture. The island's vast natural attractions include the Blue Mountains and Dunn's River Falls.
Shopping: Hand-loomed fabrics, wood carvings, silk-screened items, resort wear, paintings and other fine arts are among the distinctive buys in Jamaica. There are some tasty goods as well including Jamaican rum, the coffee liqueur Tia Maria, and the prized Blue Mountain and High Mountain coffees. Visitors will also find duty-free luxury items.
Festivals: Filled with music and dancing in the streets, Carnival is held in April and May throughout the island. Both established and new reggae artists how up for the Reggae Sunsplash International Music Festival in August. Port Antonio's Blue Marlin Tournament in August is internationally recognized.
Island Trivia: Ten miles east of Port Antonio, the Blue Lagoon, a gorgeous cobalt-blue cove, was the location for the movie of the same name, starring Brooke Shields.
Language: English
Electricity: 110 volts
Currency: The Jamaican dollar, but U.S. dollars are also accepted everywhere. |
