Travel to Jamaica with travel insurance from Essential Travel

click here for a travel insurance quotation

Information on Jamaica with travel insurance from Essential Travel

Travel to Jamaica

Jamaica’s art and cuisine are also remarkable, and the island nation boasts some excellent golf courses, amazing scuba diving, and exhilarating river rafting. It also has a surprising legacy of history.

The capital city, Kingston, is not all that appealing on the surface, but has many hidden charms. As the centre of commerce and culture, the city is bustling, especially during one of the many annual festivals. The natural harbour is one of the largest in the world, and no other place in Jamaica offers so many bars, clubs and cultural outlets. Outside of the city, the Blue Mountains are thought by many to be the most stunning in the West Indies, and offer a good choice of trails, rivers and waterfalls.

The National Gallery houses the most important art collection in Jamaica and also contains the controversial bronze statue of the late Bob Marley, created by Christopher Gonzalez and originally meant to stand in Celebrity Park. Another major attraction, Devon House was built in 1881 and has been restored to its original glory by the Jamaican National Trust.

Hope Botanical Gardens and Zoo offers 20 hectares of beautiful landscaping and a cute little zoo. Nearby, the University of the West Indies is set on the Mona Sugar Estate and dates from 1948. Here, guests can explore the ruins of old mills, storehouses and aqueducts, which are sharply contrasted against the modern buildings. The Bob Marley Museum is the most-visited sight in Kingston.

Montego Bay (locally known as MoBay) is a little more laid-back, though not quite as romantic as its name suggests. MoBay is also the main market town for most of western Jamaica, and many cruise ships bring tourists here.

The fastest growing resort area in Jamaica is Negril, to the west of Montego Bay. This seven mile strip of resort and bar lined beach remains more relaxed than other areas of the island though, and you can even sunbathe in the nude here. There is more opportunity to interact with locals in Negril at the plethora of small stalls on the beach, selling anything from handicrafts to health food and jerk-pork.

Ocho Rios has a scenic location backed by lush hills and highlighted by the lovely Turtle Beach and a reef-sheltered harbour: it is also a popular destination for cruise ships. You can escape the crowds by heading to Fern Gully, just a bit inland. But by far the biggest attraction is Dunn River Falls, which featured in the James Bond movie Dr No and now attracts the crowds on days that cruise ships dock nearby.

' '
' '

back to city guides