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Jamaica map
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Nature
Jamaica has a unique topography, which ranges from the limestone karst terrain of the Cockpit Country to the volcanic Blue and John Crow Mountains and from savannah like landscapes in the south to beaches with both white (coral) and black (volcanic) sand. With a varied climate too, this has resulted in specialised eco-systems - tropical, sub-tropical and temperate (cooling with elevation). Consequently Jamaica has an extraordinary variety of flora. There are over 3000 species of flowering plants, almost a third of which are found nowhere else in the world, including around 200 species of orchids and over 500 species of ferns (with almost 100 endemics). See Flora & Gardens. Conservation of the island’s natural heritage faces considerable difficulties, but a number of eco conscious organisations do exist in Jamaica and do what they can. See under Conservation.
While Jamaica has much more wildlife than most islands in the Caribbean, like them the island’s animals are not so spectacular. With the exception of its birdlife, which is impressive and is becoming a fixture with birding enthusiasts. It has a good clutch of endemics (over 10%) in its 250 species. See Bird-Watching. Of the animals, the most widespread and successful species are reptiles. These range from crocodiles (found in the south-west of the island, particularly around Black River) to the rarely seen Jamaican boa as well as iguana, lizards and tree frogs. Tree frogs are a delightful part of tropical life. They sing with a rhythmic peep, often in unison, after rain and after dark. There are no large mammals on land, but rodents include the Coney, a native Jamaican relative of the guinea pig, which is very rarely seen. You will see the mongoose, generally skittering across the roads into the canefields. There are also 21 species of bats.
The other major group is insects, of which are limitless examples. You are quite likely to come across mosquitoes and sand flies - the latter appear on the beaches in the late afternoon and considering that they are nearly invisible they cause an irritating itch. The most delightful insect is probably the firefly, which you may see at night on a meandering, flashing trail as they search for a mate. There are more than 100 species of butterfly in Jamaica, a fifth of which are not found anywhere else in the world. They include the giant swallowtail. There are also some animals offshore. For information about corals and small fish, see Scuba Diving, but there are also manatees, shy walrus-like creatures (without tusks), which live in the south-west, appearing at Black River and sometimes Milk River. Finally there are turtles. These have been hunted near to extinction and to add insult to injury, the next generation is under constant threat too. Turtle eggs, which are buried in nests on the beaches, are often taken, first as a source of food, but also because they are considered an aphrodisiac.
The following wildlife are protected under Jamaica’s Wildlife Protection Act, see NEPA (National Environment & Planning Agency) under Conservation:
Jamaican Coney/Hutia - Jamaica’s only endemic terrestrial mammal, the Coney is a herbivore and lives in holes in the ground. It looks quite like a large guinea pig and is found in remote areas such as the Hellshire Hills, Portland Ridge, the Cockpit Country and the Blue & John Crow Mountains.
West Indian Manatees – also known as ‘sea cows’, these are large aquatic mammals, herbivores which have the look of a walrus without tusks. Weighing up to 1200 pounds and growing to over 9 ft in length, they are greyish in colour and have a flat, paddle-shaped tail. They are docile and graze on aquatic plants such as sea-grasses in shallow waters of estuaries, bays and slow-moving rivers on the south coast of Jamaica.
Crocodiles – featured on the island’s coat of arms, the American Crocodile (Crocodilus acutus) is Jamaica’s largest reptile. It grows up to 12ft in length and can be found naturally on the south coast, between Portland Point and Westmoreland, in rivers, swamps and mangroves and occasionally offshore. To see these carnivorous creatures in safety there are several Black River boat trips on the south coast in St Elizabeth, or you can visit J Charles Swaby’s Swamp near Falmouth. This is a nature reserve with snakes, birds and crocodiles (there is a breeding station), where scenes of the James Bond movie, “Live and Let Die”, were filmed.
Jamaican Iguana – endangered prehistoric-looking lizard with armour plating, found mainly in the Hellshire Hills east of Kingston. They can grow up to five feet or more.
Sea Turtles – the hawksbill turtle is still sees from time to time, but numbers of all turtles have dwindled (leatherback, loggerhead and green turtles are barely seen at all now). The nesting season of the hawksbill starts around May and goes through to October during which time they come ashore at night lay their eggs. The Sea Turtle Recovery Network (STRN) is a conservation unit which works to protect and monitor turtles and increase public awareness. See Portland Bight Protected Area.
Giant Swallowtail Butterfly – is a rare an endangered species that was once found in most of Jamaica and is now limited to remote areas within the Cockpit Country and the Blue and John Crow Mountains. The butterfly is the second largest swallowtail butterfly in the world, with a wingspan of around 6 inches. There are about 119 species of butterflies listed for Jamaica, 19 of which are endemic.
The Jamaican Boa/Yellow Boa – an endangered and extremely shy boa constrictor which grows to 6ft or more. The snake is either a deep tan, russet or olive colour and has random black scales, a yellow underbelly and a black tail. Non poisonous, the Jamaican boa is now extremely rare and is only seen in the Cockpit Country, Portland Ridge, Hellshire Hills and Blue Mountains. Jamaica has several endemic snake species (all non poisonous) including two species of thunder snake which are to be found in the Portland Ridge area.
If you want to get out and see nature up close one of the best ways is hiking, and there are a number of trails and companies that offer guided hikes, such as Cockpit Country Adventure Tours in Trelawny, Sunventure Tours in Kingston and Valley Hikes in Port Antonio. Please see further information on Hiking. |
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Nudity
Officially toplessness and nudity are illegal in Jamaica, except in certain designated areas. These are usually within hotels away from the public beaches. While they are slightly less prudish than many former British West Indians, the Jamaicans do not particularly like nudity. It may occasionally happen in the major tourist resorts, but you are advised not to strip off or go topless in remote or ‘local’ areas of the island. |
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Passports & Visas
Visitors to Jamaica require a valid passport and are supposed to have a return airline ticket. British citizens must hold a full 10-year passport valid for at least 6 months from entry date into Jamaica. Canadians are permitted to enter Jamaica with a certificate of citizenship with photo, along with an original birth certificate and American visitors may travel on a naturalization certificate or driver’s licence with photo along with an original birth certificate. As of 31 December 2006 however, all American citizens returning home from the Caribbean will need a valid passport. For further information please check with the U.S. Department of State.
VISAS
American, Canadian, British and EU citizens do not require a visa for short stays. Other nationalities please check with your travel organiser or with the Jamaica High Commission/Embassy or Consulate within your own country (see www.jhcuk.com/newguide-fr.html) |
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Places to Go/Activities
Jamaica has a very good variety of places to visit, probably more than any other Caribbean island. It is larger than most others, clearly, and so it has a more varied natural life, including extraordinary flora, including some lovely botanical gardens and now some treetop jungle walks, and some birds and animals, but the island also has a more significant history, so there is a tradition of architecture that other islands do not have, in the plantations and their great houses, monumental buildings and churches. There are also plenty of man-made activities that make for a good day out, including coffee and rum factories and reggae parks.
Perhaps unexpectedly, the rivers are a wonderful part of Jamaica. They are fantastically beautiful to begin with and have some superb waterfalls and rock pools in which you can swim. Dunn’s River Falls are always an amazing experience (they become overrun by cruise-ship passengers so go very early or late in the day), but there are many others worth visiting on a day out. It is also well worth trying out river rafting.
A full list of the best places of interest will be published with our Jamaica regional guides.
A Pick of the Best:
Rose Hall, east of Montego Bay, www.rosehall.com
A magnificent restored Georgian great house with a string of fanciful ghost stories.
Appleton Estate, Siloah, St Elizabeth, www.appletonrum.com
Jamaica’s oldest sugar estate and rum distillery, set in the valley below the Nassau Mountains an hour’s drive south of Montego Bay. See Rum.
Dunn’s River Falls, Ocho Rios,
An extraordinary, 600ft series of cascades and rockpools through a forest. Go early to avoid the crowds.
Devon House, Kingston
The town house of Jamaica’s first black millionaire, now surrounded by some good shops and cafes, an oasis in the middle of Kingston.
Tuff Gong Studios, Hope Road, Kingston, www.bobmarley-foundation.com
Bob Marley’s house in Kingston, tells the story of the reggae megastar.
Mavis Bank coffee factory, Blue Mountains
See the processing of Blue Mountain coffee beans, hulling, milling, drying, ‘resting’ and roasting.
Coyaba River Garden, Ocho Rios, www.coyabagardens.com
A delightful botanical garden with an extraordinary array of tropical plants, set on the hillside above the town.
Firefly, Oracabessa, www.goldeneyehotel.com/firefly
Noel Coward’s house in Jamaica. Simples seventies house with possibly the finest view in the Caribbean.
Boston Bay, east of Port Antonio
The home of ‘jerk’ (a method of cooking, originally underground, now barbecued after an extremely spicy marinade). The daily cook-up ready about midday.
Outameni Experience, Coopers Pen, Trelawny, www.outameni.com
An inspiring multi-media presentation (in music, dance, film, drama and cuisine) that reveals the many contributing cultural strains (Taino, African, British etc) that have culminated in the incredibly lively island that Jamaica is today.
Rain Forest Aerial Trams, Dunns River Falls, Ocho Rios, www.rainforestrams.com/jamicaintro.html
An environmentally friendly attraction with Jamaica's first jungle bobsled at Mystic Mountain, 1000 metres of track winding through 100 acres of unspoilt land. There is also a Sky Lift Explorer (a chairlift) to take you to the top of Mystic Mountain and the Tranopy that ziplines you down again. The rides are centred on a replica Jamaican railway station, which also houses a look-out tower, restaurant and gift shop. Next door, Mystic Pavilion displays memorabilia about Jamaica's history and information about conservation in the area. |
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Places of Worship
Jamaica has a mind-boggling proliferation of religions. There are reckoned to be more churches per square mile on the island than in any other place in the world. More than a hundred religions and denominations are represented. Just under two thirds of the population are Anglican, but within that, besides the established Anglican Church from British colonial times, there are also Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Moravians and the many members of the Church of God. Then there is Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and other sects such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons and the Bah’ai faith. Then there are many Jamaican spiritual cults which have their roots in animist African religions, such as Pocomania and Kumina. They have some aspects of Western/European religion, but also a strong belief in the spirit world. Some Jamaicans will happily believe in both these and the Christian religions.
But the most famous Jamaican faith is Rastafari. It originated on the island in the 1930s in a time of growing black consciousness in the Americas led by Jamaican Marcus Garvey (later a Jamaican National Hero), but it attributes its spiritual roots to Africa. Its followers believe that they are the lost tribe of Israel and looked to Ras (which means prince) Tafari Makonnen, who later crowned Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia. They believed that as the living God (Jah), he would lead them back to Africa on the Day of Judgment, to live in the Promised Land known as Mount Zion. Haile Selassie carried the title Kings of Kings, Lord of lords, Conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah, and of the Root of David (King David), matching those of the Messiah mentioned in Revelation in the bible. Rastas wear their hair in unshorn and unbrushed locks (dreadlocks) and they do not shave, which they do on the basis of the following from verse the bible “They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in the flesh" (which also prohibits invasive medical treatments). True rastas are peaceable vegetarians, who eat ital food (which contains no added salt) and they partake in the spiritual smoking of marijuana (ganja/herb) which they believe brings them closer to God. This is one of the aspects of the belief that has brought approbation in Jamaica itself, where despite their following and recognition outside the island they are generally considered a slightly odd, minority sect.
Here are the locations of some of the many churches around the island.
Anglican St James Parish Church, Montego Bay, t 952 2775 - Kingston Parish Church, t 922 6888, and St Margaret’s Church, t 927 0651, Kingston - St Mark’s Anglican Church, Mandeville, t 962 2876 - St John’s Anglican Church, Ocho Rios, t 972 2305 - Portland Parish Church, Christ Church, Port Antonio, t 993 9111 - St Mary Anglican Church, Negril, t 957 4578.
Roman Catholic
Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Montego Bay, t 952 2481 - Holy Trinity Cathedral, t 922 3335 and Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, t 927 6579, Kingston - Mary Gate of Heaven Church, Negril, t 957 4900 - St Theresa Catholic Church, Black River, t 965 2209 - St Anthony's Catholic Church, Port Antonio, t 993 2747 - Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Ocho Rios, t 974 2384, 972 2279
Baptist
Burchell Baptist Church, t 952 6351 or Calvary Baptist Church, t 952 4375, Montego Bay - Bethel Baptist Church, Kingston, t 926 8272 - Mandeville Baptist Church, t 962 3118 - Ocho Rios Baptist Church, t 972 2405, 974 7139 - Port Antonio Baptist Church, t 993 2789.
Methodist
St John’s Methodist Church, Montego Bay, t 952 2527 - Coke Methodist Church, Kingston, t 922 2224 - Ocho Rios Methodist Chapel, t 974 1420, Port Antonio Methodist Church.
Judaism
Jewish Synagogue, Kingston, t 922 5931
Evangelist
Port Antonio Church of Christ, t 993 9111 - Mona Church of Christ, t 977 5660 - St Ann's Bay Church of Christ, t 972 8513
Church of God
Church of God of Prophecy Jamaica, Head office, 6 Phoenix Avenue, Kingston, t 926 5571 / 926 8543 |
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Real Estate
Jamaica is an exceptionally beautiful island and it has captivated generations and generations of travellers, many of whom have decided to build homes there. In the late 1600s Henry Morgan, ever one for a good lookout (he was the most successful buccaneer and pirate of them all) owned a property with the finest view in the whole of the Caribbean, looking east from Oracabessa over successive headlands on the northern shore. Later the British entertainer Noel Coward built his house Firefly on exactly the same spot.
The most recent romantic call came early to Jamaica, as tourists began to arrive in the island over a century ago, before anywhere else in the islands. For the first fifty years of the twentieth century the most prestigious place to go to was Port Antonio. It was populated by Hollywood stars such as Errol Flynn, Bette Davis, and politicians such as Winston Churchill. In the forties and fifties they put down roots, creating their tropical dreams in the coves and mountainsides of what is probably the prettiest part of Jamaica. The result is that even now it has some truly spectacular homes available for rental or purchase.
Steadily interest spread west. Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond novels, built a home on the shorefront in Oracabessa, and Noel Coward settled on the hill above him. Elsewhere villa communities began to appear too. Round Hill, the most elegant villa resort on the island, opened in the fifties. Many of its villas still retain the beautiful colonial elegance that has been the hallmark of the resort since those days.
By the end of the twentieth century the two most important towns were Ocho Rios, where there were less formal communities of villas (more like private estates) above the town, and Montego Bay, where there are estates on the shorelines and hillsides on both sides of the town, such as Unity Hall and Great River Estate. ‘Villa resorts’ (villas communities with some central ‘hotel-type’ facilities) in this area include Tryall and Half Moon, which are still seeing building now. And the development is continuing, with newer estates at Rose Hall, which is currently being built around golf courses. You will also find a few condominium complexes with apartments. Some are within the towns themselves, but others are in free-standing developments along the coast.
Scattered in between the main resorts you will also find smaller clusters of villas, set on a good beach or in another spectacular setting. There are some very nice, mainly Jamaican homes lining the eastern shore of Discovery Bay and a long-standing development at Silver Sands. Finally, at the western tip of the island in Negril, there is such little available space (particularly on the narrow band between the beach and the lagoon) that there are relatively few houses to buy. However there is some opportunity in the West End (again usually inland), for instance around the Caves.
The south coast of Jamaica is of course completely different form the north and barely developed by comparison. It has far fewer facilities of the sort you might expect. There are just a couple of places where you might consider building. There is a slowly expanding community of mainly Jamaican-owned houses around Treasure Beach and some villas in the area of Bluefields. You might even consider one of the few of the lovely old Jamaican plantation estate houses (there were originally 300 of them, but many are in disrepair), but they are a labour of love and of course few are anywhere near the beach. Finally, there is a large real estate market around Kingston, but it is not particularly for foreign interest.
Prices range enormously across Jamaica. Of course the island is big, giving a great range, though most developments are concentrated around the recognised resort towns. Clearly the island as a whole it is not as popular as other Caribbean destinations at the moment, say St Barths or Barbados, or even Cayman, so relatively speaking prices offer good value. Jamaica also has a well developed villa rental market and so it offers good opportunities to buy a house as an rental investment.
A four or five bedroom home set in an acre of gardens in an established villa resort such as Tryall will cost upwards of US$1.5 million and in the prestigious new developments, for instance in the Spring Garden area of Rose Hall (a gated community of 4000 acres set in rolling countryside east of Montego Bay), a large house might cost US$3.5 million. An empty lot in this development will set you back anything between US$200,000 and US$1.5 million for a prime spot.
Of course there are many cheaper options. Apartments in Ocho Rios come onto the market from US$55,000 and you can pick up a 3 or 4 bedroom villa with pool at the Upton Country Club in St Ann’s at around US$400,000. Silver Sands also offers good value, with a 5 bed/5 bath villa with pool going for around US$680,000. In Negril and other tourist areas you might find homes for as little as US$50,000 for 7,000 sq ft. And if Port Antonio is out of fashion (temporarily, no doubt), you can buy a house in a delightful setting for less than you might expect. Or if the romantic dream of two centuries ago catches you, and you want to live in a plantation great house, you can find one with 4 or 5 bedrooms, a swimming pool and 15-20 acres of land for between US$500,000 and $900,000.
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Recommended Books
There is a lot to read about Jamaica, with a surprising and satisfying amount by Jamaican authors, and in good range too, from the journals of travellers in colonial times, through comic authors and poets to serious contemporary writers. A literary festival is held in the island in May each year. The Calabash Festival, www.calabashfestival.org takes place in Treasure Beach, based around the hotel Jakes.
Two early travelogues of Jamaica are Lady Nugent’s Journal of Residence in Jamaica 1801-3 and the Journal of a West Indian Proprietor by Matthew ‘Monk’ Lewis (he was famous for his gothic novel, The Monk). His journal was written in 1834 and published after his death at sea on his return from the West Indies.
Andrew Salkey’s A Quality of Violence looks into life in a Jamaican village during a drought at the start of the twentieth century. Roger Mais also wrote books about Jamaican country life at around the same time. The best known of his books is The Hills are Joyful Together, Black Lightning and Brother Man. Also look out for VS Reid (New Day). John Hearne’s excellent short book Voices Under the Window gives a very colourful description of the mercurial nature of the Jamaicans in the frenzy of a crowd. On a cheerier note, one of the loveliest memoirs of Jamaica from this generation is Morris Cargill’s Jamaica Farewell, which is a very touching read.
It might come as a surprise, but James Bond originated in Jamaica. Ian Fleming used to winter in the island, at his home in Oracabessa, Goldeneye, which is now a small Island Outpost hotel (see our review of Goldeneye). The Bond character had many adventures - and a few scrapes of course - in Jamaica, in the Bahamas and in Haiti and several of the Bond films were made in these islands, including Live and Let Die, Dr No and Thunderball. In fact, even Bond’s name was from the Caribbean. The original James Bond was a bird-watcher of a different kind from the famous spy, an ornithologist, the author of The Birds of the West Indies, which was the standard work on Caribbean birds for many years. It was first published in 1936 and went into many editions with different publishers.
There is some good contemporary literature coming out of Jamaica. Authors include Opal Adisa Palmer (try Bake Face), Olive Senior (Summer Lightning and The Arrival of Snake Woman) and Christine Craig (Mint Tea and Other Stories). Margaret Cezair-Thompson’s A True History of Paradise, paints a detailed portrait of middle class life in a difficult period in the 1970s. Other contemporary authors include Colin Channer (Satisfy my Soul, Waiting in Vain and Passing Through) and Patricia Powell (A Small Gathering of Bones, Me Dying Trial). Osmund James produces gritty and poplar writing, novels including Bangarang at Carnival and Tough Girls Don’t Dance.
There are even some comic book coming out of the island. Anthony Winkler, a Jamaican who lectures in the States has written several hilarious books about Jamaican life, including The Painted Canoe, The Lunatic, The Great Yacht Race and The Duppy. His Going Home to Teach is the story of a spell spent teaching back in Jamaica. His latest book is The Annihilation of Fish and Other Stories, many of which are equally fun and funny. Another lovely book, which catches the small eccentricities of Jamaican life is One People by Guy Kennaway. Slightly less successful as a book, but a revealing story of the development of Negril is Banana Shout, by Mark Conklin, who set up and ran a hotel of the same name for many years. Please see an article with reviews of several of these books. Also on a light note, there are some historical novels written in the form of bodice rippers by HG de Lisser, including Morgan’s Daughter, The White Witch of Rose Hall and Psyche.
Jamaican poets include Lorna Goodison (I am Becoming my Mother, Baby Mother and The King of Swords), Mervyn Morris and Claude McKay. Louise Bennet is extremely funny on Jamaican love, life and everything. Try Jamaica Labrish.
For a literary tour of Kingston, try the Cities of the Imagination series, Kingston, by David Howard.
The winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction 2005, Small Island by Andrea Levy, is actually set in Britain, but draws heavily on Jamaica. |
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Restaurants
With its large population and huge number of hotels you would expect there to be a buzzing restaurant scene in Jamaica. Unfortunately this is not really the case. With the exception of Kingston, which has its own centre of gravity and some good places to eat out that are designed for the Kingstonians in mind, the restaurants in the main towns are a little thin on the ground. The main reason is that the guests of all-inclusive hotels tend not to eat out a lot, giving a very small market for independent restaurants and making it hard for them to survive.
This said, there are a few places in each of the towns (some of them in the hotels themselves), which make a nice evening out. They tend to be fairly international in style, though a few do offer good quality Italian or French fare. Others have adapted Jamaican cooking to an international palate, using the best of the island’s ample ingredients and this can make for a satisfying surprise. At the other end of the scale, there are also many snacks available at the roadside and in the towns. Also, in case your children are pining for some chips, you will find many fast food restaurants in ‘American’ style.
There are two types of informal Jamaican restaurants that you should not forget, however. First Jerk Centres, see below, and then the simple and local Jamaican restaurants set on the beach and sometimes right at the roadside. Part of the fun is lingering in them, with a beer, sitting at plastic chairs and tables under the trees, while you wait for the food to be cooked round the back in huge pots. Usually the fare will be grilled chicken or baked fish accompanied by a mound of rice n’ peas and a volley of ground provisions. It is an authentic Jamaican experience and always worth taking the time for.
It is worth knowing that the more formal restaurants in the main towns often provide a free hotel pick-up or round-trip shuttle service within their area, so it’s worth checking this when making reservations.
Jerk Centres
No, not gathering points for the socially ungainly, Jerk Centres are restaurants where you can get jerked food (see Food & Cooking). They are usually open-air, with seats around the barbecue area. It helps to know the system (usually that you pay for you meal in advance at one window and then take it across to the barbecue area where you are given your food). Don’t be alarmed when the server pulls out a machete when you present your ticket. He will pull out the chicken or pork and hack it into bite-size pieces for you.
Our recommended restaurants will be listed when our regional Jamaican guides go live in the next couple of months. Meanwhile…
A Pick of the Best Restaurants in Jamaica
Little Ochie, Alligator Pond, south coast, inexpensive
Excellent fish, just as its landed, tucked away on the south shore
Macs Chophouse, 24-26 Trinidad Terrace, Kingston, t 960-6328, expensive
The smartest restaurant in Kingston - steaks, seafood, salads, modern decor and impeccable service.
Norma’s, Devon House in Kingston and the Marina in Port Antonio, expensive
Long-standing favourite for top-notch Jamaican fare
Red Bones Blues Café, 21 Braemar Avenue, Kingston, t 978-6091, Moderate-Expensive
Funky décor, interesting Jamaican dishes, lively Friday night bar scene
Scotchies, Coral Gardens, east of Montego Bay, t 953-3340, inexpensive
Undisputed hotspot for jerk fare and a lively bar.
The Houseboat Grill, Freeport, Montego Bay, t 979 8845, moderate-expensive
A delightful houseboat in a lagoon setting that has recently been completely rebuilt and includes a lobster tank below deck. Fusion menu changes every 4-5 weeks incorporates Thai, French and Caribbean flavours.
Toscanini’s, Harmony Hall Gallery, east of Ocho Rios, t 975 4785, moderate
Authentic Italian food cooked by Italian sister and brother team. Charming old colonial setting with good service and art to browse.
Town House By the Sea, Casa Blanca, Gloucester Avenue, Montego Bay, t 952 2660, expensive
Popular dining spot that has relocated to the seafront from the Georgian House it occupied for over 30 years. International menu with Jamaican flavours. |
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Rum
Rum has been associated with the more rumbustious sides of Caribbean life for centuries (you can even hear the name of the drink in the word rumbustious), and Jamaica has had its fair share of the history and lore of the drink as well as its production. In Port Royal in the 1680s it wasn’t unknown for people to be invited in for a drink of rum at gunpoint. Henry Morgan, a very successful buccaneer and pirate who later became the Governor of Jamaica, has even left his name on a brand of rum, Captain Morgan’s.
Rum is of course a by-product of sugar, and this crop was grown on the island from the earliest days of Spanish settlement in the 1510s. But it was really with the arrival of the English in 1655 that the distillation of rum itself began in earnest. Even so it was only on the coasts at that stage. It took until the mid 1700s (when a treaty was signed with the Maroons) for the whole country to be devoted to the cultivation of sugar. By the late 1700s though, when sugar had become ‘king’, there were over 300 estates on the island.
The most popular rum in the local bars around Jamaica is white rum (actually a clear liquid), which has not been aged. It is fearsomely strong, tastes like rocket fuel and is universally known as ‘John Crow batty’ because of its strength. Red or ‘gold’ rum has been coloured (with caramel) and then aged in barrels. The ageing process gives the drink a much mellower and smoother taste. It is possible to visit the distilleries to see the sugar-making (sometimes), the distillation and then the ageing process.
Appleton Estate is Jamaica’s oldest surviving working sugar estate. Rum was first commercially produced here in 1749. It is now under the ownership of J Wray & Nephew Limited. The factory produces several white rums under is Appleton and Jamaica Rum brands, among them their Overproof (62.8% alcohol by volume or US 151 proof), and aged golden rums. They also sell include Appleton Extra, and Appleton 21 Year Old and their flagship rum Appleton Estate V/X, which is a blend of golden rums between five and ten years old. It has a rich aroma with a hint of toffee and very smooth flavour. Their Sangster’s is a rum cream.
Another product of Jamaica is the coffee liqueur Tia Maria. It is reputedly surrounded by considerable lore – apparently stretching back to the 17th century, the time when the Spanish and English were warring over the island, when a supposedly secret family recipe of a coffee based cordial was hidden in the treasure box of a fleeing Spanish noblewoman which was amongst a handful of items apparently saved by her maid, Maria, after whom the liqueur was eventually named. Actually Tia is a familiar term for Auntie. Tia Maria, a blend of rum, Blue Mountain Coffee, vanilla and cane syrup, has been commercially produced in Kingston since 1947.
Appleton Estate, Siloah, St Elizabeth, t 963 9215-7, appleton@infochan.com
Jamaica’s oldest sugar estate and rum distillery is set in the valley below the Nassau Mountains an hour’s drive south of Montego Bay. The estate covers 11,400 acres and has its own sugar factory and distillery, with rum produced in both pot and column stills. See how juice was originally extracted from sugar cane, watch it being boiled and learn about the distilling, aging and blending processes used to produce ten million litres of rum each year. And learn about the ‘angels’ share’, in which the rum evaporates from the barrels while ageing. Visitors get to sample rum and raw cane juice. |
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Sailing
Jamaica is not really known for its sailing. It doesn’t have the offshore cays that make for good cruising, nor that many calm anchorages where you can hop from one to the next and consequently no fleets on island form which you can hire a yacht. However, many of the Jamaicans like to sail and so there are two active yacht clubs and a number of marina facilities which will allow visiting yachts to berth. There are also opportunities for Day Sails if you would like a day afloat or a sunset cruise.
The highlight of the Jamaica yachting calendar is the Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race, which started in 1961 and takes place every other year (next due in 2009) in early February. This is an ocean race which starts off Port Everglades in Florida and takes sailors through on 811 nautical mile course through the Bahamas, the Windward Passage and finally to the finishing line by the airport in Montego Bay. The 2005 race was won in record time by Titan 12 which took 2 days, 10 hrs and 24.42 minutes, beating the 2003 record by almost 13 hours.
If you do sail into Jamaican waters, then on arrival and departure you must first head for one of the official ports of entry to clear immigration and customs. These are Port Royal in Kingston, Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Ocho Rios, Port Kaiser (east of Treasure Beach), Discovery Bay and Bowden in Port Morant (to the east of Kingston on the south shore).
Facilities for visiting yachts are available through:
Royal Jamaica Yacht Club, Palisadoes Park, Kingston, t 924 8685/86, rjyc@kasnet.com
Formed in 1884 and granted a Royal Charter in 1889 the Royal Jamaica Yacht Club is located next to Norman Manley International Airport on the Palisadoes Peninsular. The club has regular weekend races within the Kingston Harbour, plus two annual regattas, one early in the year at the end of Jan/Feb, and the other during the Independence celebrations in August. The club has over a hundred boats berthed, two thirds of which are power boats. Marina slips take vessels up to 50ft. Visitor dock can take boats up to 150ft. Docks are lit, there is 24 hr security, berths are power serviced and have metered potable water. Gasoline, diesel and ice are available and there is a three ton crane. There is a Clubhouse with bar and restaurant overlooking Kingston Harbour, which serves lunch daily, with breakfast and dinner subject to local demand. There is also a swimming pool.
Montego Bay Yacht Club, Freeport Peninsula, Montego Bay, 979 8038 mbyc@cwjamaica.com
The club is located in the protected basin of Montego Bay Freeport and has berthing facilities on a finger pier with T-head with drafts of 6-20ft with boats using their own anchors. Dock rates for visiting yachts are from US75¢ per foot, per day up to a seven day period after which it drops to US 50¢. To anchor in the basin off the club there is a daily charge of US$5 per person per day plus tax and service for use of club facilities. Water, diesel and ice are available. The club can arrange for Customs and Immigration clearance. Club facilities include a restaurant and bar open daily for lunch and dinner, swimming pool and laundry service. Currently under renovation.
Pier 1 Marina, Montego Bay, t 952 2452, info@pieronejamaica.com
Located mid-way along Montego Bay’s waterfront within a couple of minutes walking distance of the town centre. Home base for day sail operators. Has docking for boats up to 150ft with a 15ft draft, potable water, electricity, bathrooms and a popular restaurant and bar, latter a venue for musical events and reggae concerts.
Glistening Waters Marina, Falmouth, t 954 3229, info@glisteningwaters.com
Base mainly for sports fishing charters with slips for 30 boats.
Errol Flyn Marina, Port Antonio, t 715 6044, info@errolflynmarina.com
An impressive facility completed in 2002 with facilities for yachts up to 350ft. 24 hour Customs and Immigration service, 32 fixed dockage berths (European), cable TV link up, information center with internet access, fresh water, single and three phase power with 450, 220 and 110 volt, 30/50/100 Hz electrical facilities, sewage pump-out, shore storage, shower and laundry facilities, provisioning service and crew bar. General marina and cruise ship port facilities include a beach, swimming pool, bar, restaurant, ice cream parlour and dive shop. Within easy walking distance of town centre. |
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Scuba Diving
Jamaica is not renowned among Caribbean islands for its scuba diving, but just because it is not that well known does not mean that it is without interest for a few dives while on a holiday on the island. There is a pretty good range of diving and the principal areas, which happen to be around the major resort towns, are covered by the few good dive operators. Some of these are ‘tied’ to the hotels in which they are located, but others are not exclusive and allow outside divers. Most dive shops have a collection policy if you are not located in the hotel where they are based.
A wall runs along almost the entire length of Jamaica’s north shore, generally between half a mile and five miles off the coastline. The main dive sites are along it, some on the main wall itself, others within it, on miniature walls and on coral heads that stand in a sandy bottom. The water that usually less than 100 feet deep. The marine life has clearly suffered through over-fishing over the years, but the corals have good colours in many places and visibility is a reliable 60-100 feet unless the swell is up (when it can be too rough to dive many areas anyway). The south coast is different – it slopes off into shallower, (often dark) sandy water with fewer coral heads - and with far fewer hotels it is dived much less. However there are certainly areas of interest for divers there too. Near Kingston is something unique, the submerged remains of the historic city of Port Royal (it requires a permit to dive the submerged town and the historic wrecks) but there is also diving around the cays outside Kingston harbour. Water temperatures in Jamaica stand at around 26-29C/78-85F, depending on the time of year and the best diving conditions tend to be during the drier months of December to April and mid June to end of July early August.
Inevitably the diving is concentrated around the resort towns, though there are hotels in between the towns which have their own dive shops and dive their own areas. The calmest waters tend to be around the town of Negril at the western end of the island (where it is sheltered from the weather, which arrives mainly from the north-east), and there the underwater terrain is fairly flat out to the reef several miles offshore. On the north shore the sea floor is often more broken inside the reef and so between Montego Bay and Port Antonio you find miniature walls, caves and coral heads. Near Port Antonio itself you also find excellent coral colour because of the minerals from fresh water springs creates around the Blue Hole/Lagoon.
Marine life encountered around the coastal waters is varied and does occasionally include turtles, nurse sharks, even hammerheads on a deep dive, and dolphins. There is a variety of stingrays to be seen (yellow, Caribbean, spotted eagle and southern rays), eels (key worm, garden, gold spotted and sharp-tailed) and morays (purple mouth, chain, green and spotted). Some dives are known for their striking colourful sponges, some for swathes of black coral, others pillar coral or gorgonians.
There have been some efforts to protect the reefs in Jamaica, with the establishment of marine parks in Negril and Montego Bay (though the funding for the latter was withdrawn in 2005), but they have had mixed success as fishermen continue to fish the protected areas. The Jamaica Association of Dive Operators has also made conservation efforts, such as increased use of mooring buoys.
A recompression chamber is located at the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory. The Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard also has a chamber, located at their headquarters in Port Royal.
On Jamaica, our recommended dive operators are:
Captain’s Dive Centre based at Round Hill Hotel & Villas, Montego Bay, who are a PADI outfit who also run SASY and Bubblemaker programmes for children. |
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Security
When visiting Jamaica you should take the normal sensible precautions, as you would anywhere in the world nowadays, including the UK and USA. It is a good idea to be careful who you associate with – just as you would at home, for instance. The people that get in trouble in Jamaica tend to be the ones that mix with the wrong crowd.
You can expect to be hustled in some of the main resort towns in Jamaica. While it can be trying and even unpleasant sometimes, it is generally not dangerous in the tourist areas. Be more careful if you are approached off the main drag. Hustlers will offer a mind-boggling array of services, from a ready-rolled spliff to an aloe massage, a box of fruits from the market or even a bus tour. While some are trying to make a little money on an innocent errand, others would be quite happy to run off with your money, so you are very strongly advised not to part with any money that you are not happy to lose. They can be very persuasive as well as persistent, so if you want a hustler to leave you alone then you will have to be as persistent as they are, offering a polite but firm no until they give up and go away.
The use of non-prescription drugs in Jamaica is against the law, despite an impression that smoking ganja might be the norm. In practice you will be offered a range of drugs in the tourist centres. The risks are clear though, and foreigners are occasionally sent to prison for drugs offences.
Remember not leave doors or windows open at night or when you go out during the day and do not leave valuable items, such as your camera, visible from outside. The same goes for items left in cars. Also, do not leave valuables unattended on the beach. If driving at night, do not stop for anyone that you don’t know, and it is a good idea to keep your car doors locked in Kingston. You are advised not to walk around alone in Kingston at night. |
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Service Charge/Tipping
Hotel and villa accommodation rates in Jamaica incur a 6.5% government room tax and usually a 10% service charge and they are normally added to your bill on departure. At nearly one fifth of the rack rate, 16.5% can make quite a difference to the eventual price of a holiday, so if you are booking direct make sure you calculate it in when pricing up your trip. Some private villas management companies will suggest a 10% service charge during winter and 15% during summer as villa staff gratuities, and in order to make sure staff get the correct amount they will offer to pre-collect this with rental payments. Although tipping is discretionary it is made very clear that it is expected and that villa guests tip staff appropriately.
Tipping for good service in restaurants and elsewhere is obviously appreciated and it is regarded as the norm. In restaurants and bars, check the bill, but around 10-12% should be added. Some add this automatically along with the 15% Government Consumption Tax. |
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Shopping
The shopping in Jamaica has all that you would expect of a major cruise ship and hotel destination –specially built malls, craft markets, shops inside the smarter hotels, selling t-shirts and towels, Cuban cigars, jewellery, watches, perfumes, and much of it duty free – but as a large island with a strong culture of its own, Jamaica also many more original things to buy. Firstly there is a large population on the island who themselves are looking for interesting products, and then there are also many craftsmen and artists on the island. You will find local fashion, pottery, wood carvings and paintings as well as local produce such as Blue Mountain coffee and island made soaps and sauces. And of course there is music.
Shopping hours do vary, but business is generally 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and 10am to 6pm on Saturdays. Some of the duty free stores in the main resort areas are open from 9am to 6pm, Saturdays included, sometimes later, even on Sundays if there are cruise ships in town. Duty free shopping is available in most of the main shopping centres and in some hotels. Items purchased may be taken away on the spot. Note that you will need to present your immigration slip or passport and return airline ticket when duty free shopping.
Please beware of buying illegal products when looking for souvenirs. Please note that the sale/possession of black or white coral, turtle products, certain reptile skins (including crocodile), butterflies, shells including queen conch shells and wild plant/orchid specimens is either is illegal in Jamaica or under export restrictions.
Some of the Jamaican products you might like to consider buying are:
Art, crafts and wood carving
Jamaica’s vibrant craft scene is visible everywhere as you travel around the island, in a number of galleries, in craft markets, at the roadside, in hotel lobbies and gift shops, possibly your hotel room and certainly if you are staying in a villa. Bold and colourful ‘naïve’ paintings and abstract works are amongst local works that you can purchase for reasonable prices, and the fine arts scene appears to be very much alive. Some of the large resorts hold art exhibitions where paintings can also be purchased. Jamaican pottery also produces some colourful and distinctive ware. Wood carving is also popular. Top carvers use lignum vitae wood interesting because it is the world’s heaviest and most dense wood, but you will also find carvings in softer woods such as cedar or mahogany.
Rum
You will find rum on sale island-wide, much of it duty free. The most famous rum in Jamaica is probably Appleton and their flagship is Appleton Estate V/X, a smooth blend of 5 to 10 year old rums. A tour of the factory and estate includes a tasting session, and there is a gift shop with rum and souvenirs for sale. Other rums include Tia Maria, a coffee liqueur made from rum, Blue Mountain Coffee, vanilla and cane syrup.
Blue Mountain Aromatics
An award winning company producing a line of scented products made from local ingredients including blended oils, herbal scrubs, vegetable soaps, bath and shower gels, pot pourris and beeswax candles.
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
World famous coffee, grown on the slopes of the Blue Mountains within a specified boundary and elevation restrictions. The Arabica coffee beans are handpicked from estates around Mavis Bank, Silver Hill, Moy Hall and Wallenford and processed to make what is regarded by many as the world’s finest coffee. It is certainly among the most expensive. The Jablum and Country Trader brands of pure Jamaican Blue Mountain ground or coffee beans are sold island wide. Only a fraction of all coffee exported reaches North America (around 10%) or Europe (less than 5%), because most is bought for sale in Japan, so if you are a coffee aficionado it is worth stocking up while on island, as the prices are considerably less than what you would pay at home.
Busha Browne’s
A range of products made in Jamaica which includes jerk seasoning, sauces, jams, jellies (including pepper jelly) and chutney’s.
Cuban Cigars
With Cuba located to the north of Jamaica you can purchase genuine Cuban cigars from Cigar World/Gold Plus, which have outlets in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Tryall and Negril.
Pickapeppa Sauce
A brown sauce made in Jamaica since 1921 and originating from Shooter’s Hill near Mandeville. It is made from a mix of sugar cane vinegar, tomatoes, onions, mangoes, raisins, tamarind, peppers and secret spices, then aged in oak barrels for one year.
Starfish Oils
Another award winning company, started in 1995, with a line of aromatherapy products and handmade soaps such as Blue Mountain Coffee, Nutmeg, Vanilla and Coconut Scrub, bath salts, scented candles in polished coconut shells or travel tins, plus scented body and diffuser oils, and incense.
Walkerswood
For a taste of Jamaica back home, Walkerswood is the island’s top brand of Jamaican seasonings and sauces. Their range includes Jerk Seasoning, Jerk Marinade, Dried Jerk Seasoning and Escoveitch Sauce. They are available in supermarkets, souvenir gift shops and at the airports.
DUTY FREE SHOPS
Each of the main resorts has areas with shopping centres and duty free shopping malls. Do note that bartering, even in duty free shops, is commonplace.
Montego Bay
Montego Freeport Shopping Centre (which services the cruise ships), the City Centre Mall downtown, the Holiday Village Shopping Centre, mostly gift shops, and the upscale Half Moon Shopping Village which has a crafts area and a good range of shops.
Ocho Rios
Island Village is a themed entertainment and shopping complex next to the cruise ship pier which includes Reggae-Xplosion (a reggae exhibition and museum), Soni’s Plaza is on Main Street, Ocean Village Shopping Plaza on Main Street and the Taj Mahal Shopping Centre, also on Main Street, which has entertainment, a jerk centre and internet café.
Negril
Time Square Shopping Centre, a craft market is on Norman Manley Boulevard
Kingston
Mall Plaza in Constant Spring Road, plus shops are located on Dominica Drive near the Hilton and on Harbour Street
Port Antonio
The Village of St George is a shopping mall featuring crafts and jewellery, but like the rest of Port Antonio it has no duty free shopping.
Some of the main duty free outlets in Jamaica which carry the well known luxury brands are:
Bijoux Jewellers
A chain of shops selling leather goods, crystal, perfume, watches, jewellery, pens and electronics located in Kingston, Half Moon Shopping Village and the airport in Montego Bay, and in Ocho Rios at Soni’s Plaza, Island Village and Taj Mahal Shopping Centre.
Casa de Oro
Perfume, jewellery and watches with brands such as Cartier, Gucci, and Tiffany & Co, with locations in Montego Bay at the City Centre Mall and Half Moon Shopping Village, Time Square Centre in Negril, and in Ocho Rios at Soni’s Plaza and Island Village.
Cigar World/Gold Plus
Cuban and Jamaican cigars at locations in Ocho Rios at Taj Mahal Shopping Centre, Gloucester Avenue and Tryall Duty Free in Montego Bay, and Times Square Mall, Negril
The Royal Shop
A chain of shops selling perfumes, cameras, cosmetics, watches and jewellery. There are shops located in Montego Bay’s City Centre Mall, Freeport cruise ship terminal, the airport, Half Moon Shopping Village and Wyndham Rose Hall Golf & Country Club, in Negril’s Time Square Mall, and the Taj Mahal Shopping Centre and Soni’s Plaza in Ocho Rios.
Swiss Stores of Jamaica
Official retail outlet for Rolex in Jamaica since 1935 with locations in Kingston at Mall Plaza, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel and Harbour Street, Montego Bay on Gloucester Avenue and Half Moon Shopping Arcade (not the shopping village), Island Village and Ocean Village in Ocho Rios.
Tajmahal’s
A wide range of jewellery, watches, gemstones and perfume located in Montego Bay’s City Centre Mall & Half Moon Shopping Village, Time Square Mall in Negril, and at Taj Mahal Shopping Centre in Ocho Rios.
Tropicana Jewellers
Designer jewellery, watches, pens and leather goods with locations in Montego Bay’s City Centre Mall and Half Moon Shopping Village, Time Square Mall in Negril, and Island Village and Taj Mahal Shopping Centre in Ocho Rios. |
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Solo Travellers
Jamaica has the depth to offer plenty to solo travellers. There are busy resort towns with crowds that are easy to join in with if you are looking for company - there are even a couple of hotels that specialise in singles - but if you are looking to hide yourself away for a week on your own, then there are also plenty of cool and quiet hotels where you will be well looked after and made to feel part of the family. Port Antonio is an incredibly charming, quiet spot with some delightful small and friendly places to stay, and with activities that are easy to join in on without feeling spare (such as hiking and bird-watching). Similarly Treasure Beach is cool if you want to escape, though there is not as much to do there. In Negril you can find both solitude and action side by side. There is the seclusion of the fantastic small resorts on the cliffs (and a couple on the beach too), but then there is plenty of activity if you want to go out.
Of course Jamaica has endless tours. These are a little more difficult as lone travellers tend to stick out a bit more, but you might go horse-riding or on a plantation tour where everyone is mixed in. There are of course the sports to concentrate on, windsurfing or diving. They are not the best in the Caribbean, but there is enough to keep you busy.
For all its tricky reputation, general life in Jamaica is no more difficult as a lone traveller than as a couple. Single women are likely to get a bit of attention (perhaps make sure to go to a ‘private’ beach, within a hotel compound or one of the public beaches that are closed off), but in the main tourist resorts everyone can expect to be approached (this is general hustling, not with any sexual intent). Act sensibly. Just give them a firm but polite no and they’ll eventually go away. As always though, Jamaica rewards the adventurous, so it is well worth getting out there to explore.
Some accommodation that caters well for solo travellers includes: | Rockhouse Hotel
A classic laid back hotel on the cliffs in Negril, set in a series of stone walled and wooden, thatch-roofed cottages that line the cliff tops of the West End. Secluded and low key, Rockhouse Jamaica has great tropical style and a distinctly cool vibe. | Jake's
A fantastic, funky hideout in the delightful and dozy village of Treasure Beach, quite remote on Jamaica’s southern shore. Jake’s is a scattering of brightly painted cottages in pretty shorefront gardens, centred on a small main house and bar. Relatively simple rooms, massage, but without doubt one of the coolest places to stay in the Caribbean. | Strawberry Hill
An exquisite small hotel in modernised plantation style, set at 3000 feet above Kingston in the Blue Mountains. Strawberry Hill is a Caribbean gem with an extremely and luxurious air. With a full service spa, an excellent dining room and high levels of service, it is a superb escape. | Country, Country Beach Cottages
A delightful small hotel with funky Caribbean style set right on Negril’s famous beach. Colourful wooden cottages in excellent tropical gardens, a cool hideaway with a great Jamaican vibe. Well priced too. | Tensing Pen
A delightful, very small hotel, set on the cliffs in Negril at Jamaica’s western tip. Tensing Pen is a series of thatched wooden cabins hiding among lovely gardens on the cliffs. It is cool, calm, and extremely laid back. Also excellent for a Jamaica wedding location. | Hotel Mocking Bird Hill
A small eco friendly retreat set on the hillside above Port Antonio, with fantastic coastal views over the lushest and most beautiful part of Jamaica. Mocking Bird Hill has a welcoming atmosphere, good comfort and facilities, some adventure (bird-watching and hiking) in the hills around and excellent home made fare in their restaurant, Mille Fleurs. | Jackie’s on the Reef
A small and tranquil holistic retreat tucked away on its own on the cliffs just to the south of Negril. Jackie’s on the Reef is intentionally simple and has a very peaceful atmosphere with plenty of activities including yoga, meditation and spa treatments as well as some more esoteric therapies. | The Caves
A discreet and very stylish hideaway on the cliffs in Negril, at Jamaica’s western tip. The Caves has just eleven rooms in a series of brightly coloured stone and wooden cabins strung along the cliff edge. An extremely calm and quiet escape. | San San Tropez
An off-beat and very low key guest house set in a nice garden in the San San area to the east of Port Antonio. Just six rooms, but a lively atmosphere around the Italian restaurant. | Half Moon
A large and luxurious resort on 2 miles of shoreline and beaches just east of Montego Bay. Half Moon has hotel rooms, suites and villas in its extensive grounds, and an extremely wide range of activities, including a children’s centre, conference facilities, shopping centre, golf course, riding stables. A popular Caribbean and leading Jamaican resort. | Terra Nova All Suite Hotel
An all-suite hotel set in an Edwardian mansion and pleasant gardens in New Kingston, close to the commercial district. Ideal for business travellers, but also independent travellers looking for a hotel in the city with some traditional Jamaican character. | Moon San Villa
A very small guest house (just four rooms) set in a converted villa with a superb setting above the famous Blue Lagoon near Port Antonio. Moon San has an easy air, friendly service and of course fantastic views. | Hibiscus Lodge Hotel
A friendly, family owned hotel set in three acres of lovely gardens on a dramatic cliff top within walking distance of Ocho Rios’ town centre. It has quite simple but comfortable rooms overlooking the sea and a bar and pool that cling to the cliffside. Also a well regarded restaurant, the Almond Tree. |
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