A paradise of eternal summer is located in the Caribbean Sea. Exotic natural beauty and a unique culture that gave birth to the reggae music style provide a great place to relax, unwind, and forget about problems and worries. Jamaica’s sunny and welcoming resorts are known for their modern infrastructure, beautiful beach areas, and hotels for any budget. The green island has several resort areas. Here is information to help you choose one of them.
Port Antonio
One of Jamaica’s main resorts is located in the Rio Grande Valley. Picturesque cliffs and a fast-flowing river attract active vacationers. Rafting on rafts along the river has become one of the island’s popular excursions. The city is surrounded by pristine natural jungles and beautiful waterfalls like Somerset and Reach Falls, which carry streams of the purest fresh water directly into the sea.
You can feel their coolness in the famous Blue Lagoon, where the water changes color depending on the angle of the sun’s rays. The city is home to the ultra-modern Crystal Springs resort area with a marina for the world’s most expensive yachts. Walking through the streets of Port Antonio, you can see luxurious mansions built during colonial times.
Accommodation options include luxurious hotels (Art-Gallery Jamaica Palace), family pensions, and small villas. Shopping enthusiasts can visit supermarkets, boutiques, bazaars, souvenir shops, and numerous Duty-Free shopping areas. You can always buy Jamaican rum “Appleton” and “Myers,” liqueur, “Red Stripe” beer, and “Blue Mountain” coffee. The nearest airport is in the capital of Jamaica, with domestic flights and car rentals available to reach Port Antonio.
Montego Bay
Located in the northwest part of the island, Montego Bay is Jamaica’s second-largest city. It is the center of a large resort area, housing 50% of the island’s hotels, entertainment centers, restaurants, and nightclubs. It boasts luxurious sandy beaches with rental points for any sports equipment. The best private beaches in the resort are Doctor’s Cave Beach and Walter Fletcher Beach. The city is surrounded by vast plantations of exotic crops and the best golf courses.
Activities include rafting on the Black River and Martha Brae River, hiking to the Blue Mountains, diving, surfing, and exploring unique city attractions such as the Saint James Museum. Historical buildings of interest include the Saint James Burchell Church and the Cage Prison. Montego Bay, with its large seaport, bustling city life, and the sound of reggae music, is considered the island’s most popular resort.
Negril
The resort area of the small town includes an 11 km stretch of white sandy beach. It has long been a popular place for diving and nightlife enthusiasts. Hippies were the first to discover this wonderful beach in the 1970s. The resort quickly grew and became popular with many tourists. Restaurants, bars, cafes, nightclubs (including the famous “Disco”), and modern hotels filled the coastline and town streets.
In cozy disco clubs, you can dance to reggae and have fun all night long. The recreation area is divided into two parts: Seven Mile Beach, favored by families, and West End, located among rocky cliffs. Extreme sports enthusiasts (such as cliff diving) come here. Along the Caribbean Sea coast runs a coral reef, forming a cozy lagoon ideal for swimming and water sports.
Tall coconut palm alleys enhance the beautiful beach landscape. According to local laws, modern hotel heights cannot exceed those of local palm trees. You can see the surrounding beauty from the Negril Lighthouse. Near it are mysterious caves that especially interest divers. During interesting excursions, you can visit Royal Palm Park, the Great Morass Swamps, and try the local rum in the town of Appleton.
Whitehouse Bay
People who prefer a peaceful, romantic vacation come to this resort. There is a hotel (Sandals Whitehouse) designed for lovers, built in the style of a Caribbean village. It also has the island’s largest pool. The turquoise sea waves, white sandy beach, and pristine tropical forests create an atmosphere for a wonderful vacation.
It is pleasant to swim with a mask in clear water alongside bright fish and other marine creatures. Diving enthusiasts get special pleasure by diving into the underwater kingdom. Walking around the area, you can visit the Rockland Bird Sanctuary, go to Appleton to try rum at the local distillery.
The resort is located in Westmoreland Parish, where ancient caves (which can be seen during walks) were inhabited by Indians, and Christopher Columbus stopped during his second expedition in the 15th century. Exploring the island’s history complements the vast beach fun at the resort.
Ocho Rios
The territory of a small fishing village has become a popular tourist center on the island. The small town is surrounded on three sides by mountain slopes. From their heights, silver streams of water invite you to their birthplace: the top of the cliffs. All vacationers strive to visit the most beautiful Dunn’s River Falls. With an excursion, the 182-meter height is easily and quickly conquered.
The reward is a view of the surroundings, the green city with blooming hibiscus, and bright exotic plants. Equally beautiful views can be seen by independently climbing Murphy Hill (the highest point in the northern part of the island). Any time of year, guests of the resort swim, dive, participate in fun water adventures on yachts, catamarans, and water skis. Any equipment is available for rent on the beach.
The town is home to the “Hedonism III” nudist resort. Accommodation is provided in cozy rooms in modern hotels built along the coast by “Super Clubs” — Super Inclusive Resorts. In your free time, you can visit the Columbus Park Museum and see ancient canoes made from giant tropical tree trunks, cannons, banana transport equipment, and more.
Runaway Bay
A vacation at this resort means unforgettable Caribbean Sea experiences with white sandy beaches, clear water, and numerous water and land adventures amid the wild beauty of pristine nature. Scuba diving, sea trips, and journeys along ancient pirate paths await you. In the caves of Runaway Bay and the Green Grotto, among the majestic figures of stalagmites and stalactites, escaped slaves hid, and sea pirates stored their treasures.
You can see these places and hear interesting stories from the past during excursions after a relaxing beach rest. In the small town with one main street, modern hotels, luxurious villas, restaurants, bars, entertainment centers, and supermarkets have sprung up. The resort quickly became a leader among the island’s organized vacation zones.
Despite modern buildings, it has preserved the traditional way of life of the local population. The main square features a church built in 1800 and monuments dedicated to Jamaica’s national heroes and Christopher Columbus. Fun, music, great local cuisine, and sunshine (rain usually falls at night) contribute to a comfortable vacation.
Westmoreland
The resort is located on the western part of the island. The first settlement here was formed 2,500 years ago by the Arawak tribes. The gentle sea, white sandy beaches, and the quiet of the sparsely populated town without industrial enterprises attract families with young children. The beaches have convenient children’s and sports playgrounds and golf courses.
Various types of sports equipment are available for rent. You can explore the underwater world, ride the Caribbean Sea waves on a yacht, catamaran, or water skis, and participate in exciting trips around the town. Extreme sports enthusiasts can engage in skydiving and paragliding. Quiet conversations in cozy cafes and pubs reveal the main secrets of local fishermen.
You can try delicious local seafood dishes or the famous “jerk” (Jamaican barbecue) invented by runaway slaves. The city’s nightlife is filled with fun and music. Annual celebrations include New Year’s festivities, Easter celebrations, and the Maroon Day festival on January 6, honoring freedom fighters. In July, the reggae festival takes place near the town. Tourists will not be bored.
Spanish Town
This small town is located inland. It was the capital of Jamaica for a long time. The Caribbean Sea’s waves do not crash here, and its amazing white sandy beaches are absent. However, the number of tourists in the city grows yearly. The town has not been subjected to destructive natural disasters. It has preserved the architectural heritage of Victorian and early colonial culture.
These include Saint Catherine’s Cathedral, Rodney Memorial, a 300-year-old dam, and Belvedere Estate. You can have a great time on the banks of the Martha Brae River. Sail on a bamboo raft (built in the traditions of ancient craftsmen). Get to know the island’s incredible plant and animal diversity. Many amphibian, reptile, and unusual fish species are found only here.
During city tours, you can learn about the harsh events in the island’s largest prison. The town has modern hotels (offering tours to any part of the island), many restaurants, souvenir shops, and markets. You can try exotic dishes, fruits like breadfruit, oranicu (a hybrid of orange and tangerine), ugli (a tangerine and grapefruit hybrid), and the famous Jamaican rum.
Kingston
It is difficult to organize a calm, relaxed vacation amid untouched natural beauty in Kingston. Jamaica’s capital is a noisy, large city with its complexities and problems. Business people come here for important conferences and negotiations, and those who love to see unique places on the planet. In ancient times, the famous pirate city of Port Royal thrived here. A powerful earthquake submerged it in the sea.
Even now, ancient ruins hidden in the depths attract daring divers (only with special permission). You can see artifacts recovered from the sea in the Archaeological Museum. Future projects include creating an underwater park open to all visitors. The island’s history is presented in the interesting exhibitions of the Maritime Museum, housed in an old fort built by the English. The best (and safest) area for accommodation is New Kingston, offering numerous island tours, spa salons, and pools.
From the hotel, you can travel to the white sandy beaches on shoals with the best reefs for scuba diving. See the Blue Mountains, sugar and coffee plantations, and Hope Botanical Garden. Buy souvenirs in the famous Devon House mansion. Its walls are adorned with paintings by famous artists, and luxurious antique furniture preserves the spirit of the family’s former glory. The mansion’s courtyard has two popular restaurants, and shady alleys with cozy benches surrounded by flower bushes attract attention during your rest.
Mandeville
The resort is located in Jamaica’s “English” town. It was built during English rule and stands about 660 meters above sea level. It is the only large city on the island not situated on the coast. The city lacks lively nightclubs and beach exotica. But you can fully admire the architectural features of the city, immerse yourself in old provincial life, and see almost the entire southern part of the island.
Beach entertainment, diving, windsurfing, and sea trips are recommended in the coastal village of Alligator Pond. In the city, you can see the old Mandeville Courthouse mansion (now the city court), Saint Mark’s Church, and the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Go on an ecological hike to Windalco Lake and play golf in the country’s oldest establishment, Manchester Club. Shopping enthusiasts will find unique opportunities to buy leather goods, souvenirs, and jewelry in the large Manchester center.
Best Time to Visit
Jamaica is part of the Greater Antilles. Located in the tropical climate zone, this small piece of land has high humidity and heat. The average annual temperature on the island is about 28°C. The water temperature always remains around 25°C. Rain and hurricanes complicate vacations in May and October. Warm night showers brighten and refresh the landscapes, bringing coolness.
September is considered hurricane season. The most comfortable time to visit Jamaica is during the winter months of our climate zone. Summer is unbearably hot, and it’s hard to participate in island excursions. However, the height of the island’s festivities falls in July and August. The choice of vacation time depends only on the traveler’s desire. But it is always good here, and a trip to a Jamaican resort will bring joy to people of any age.