Introducing Jamaica
Travel Alert: While the government-declared state of emergency in some parts of Kingston due to civil unrest has now been lifted, violent crime is still an issue so caution is advised when travelling. For further information see Safe Travel for updated government warnings and the BBC for the latest news updates.
Despite its location almost smack in the center of the Caribbean Sea, the island of Jamaica doesn’t blend in easily with the rest of the Caribbean archipelago. To be sure, it boasts the same addictive sun rays, sugary sands and pampered resort-life as most of the other islands, but it is also set apart historically and culturally.
Advertisement
Today’s visitors will appreciate their trip to Jamaica all the more if they embrace the island’s unique character and the inherent ‘African-ness’ of its population. Aside from its people, Jamaica has much to offer, the curious, thirsty or weary traveller. The Blue Mountains boasts the world’s best coffee, try a cup in the century-old factory at Mavis Bank. There are world-class reefs for diving including those at Runaway Bay and Ocho Rios and great stretches of palm-fringed sand at Treasure Beach or Frenchman’s Cove near Port Antonio. There are offbeat bush-medicine hiking tours, congenial fishing villages, pristine waterfalls, cosmopolitan cities, wetlands harboring endangered crocodiles and manatees, unforgettable sunsets – in short, enough variety to comprise many utterly distinct vacations.
Nowhere else in the Caribbean is the connection to Africa as keenly felt as it is in Jamaica. Kingston was the major nexus in the New World for the barbaric triangular trade that brought slaves from Africa and carried sugar and rum to Europe, and the Maroons (runaways who took to the hills of Cockpit Country and the Blue Mountains) safeguarded many of the African traditions – and introduced jerk seasoning to Jamaica’s singular cuisine. St Ann’s Bay’s Marcus Garvey founded the back-to-Africa movement of the 1910s and ’20s; Rastafarianism took up the call a decade later, and reggae furnished the beat in the 1960s and ’70s. Little wonder many Jamaicans claim a stronger affinity for Africa than for neighboring Caribbean islands.
This is a country infused with pride in its unique history, stunning landscape and influential culture. Welcome to Jamaica.
Last updated: Jan 5, 2011
Tips & articles
-
Sports in unlikely places
1 December 2011
Watching or playing your favourite sport while on holiday can be a great conversation starter. If the sport is truly...
-
Top 10 glamorous A-list destinations
20 June 2011
Hoping to catch a glimpse of the rich and famous on your next trip? Unfortunately for any aspiring celeb-spotter, those...
-
Last-minute holiday getaways from the US
7 December 2010
What? You don’t know where you’re going yet? Well, consider this: travel is bouncing back, but so are prices. USA...
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
-
RE: Jamaica : Tour suggestion?
by Weaver 15 September 2011
Contact www.barrettadventures.com and tell Carolyn what you want. She can definitely help you. The business has tours tailored to individual…
-
Jamaica : Tour suggestion?
by kaychae 14 September 2011
Hello, So I'm going to Jamaica for 4 and a half days. I'll be staying in Montego Bay but that's because I have points in the hotel I'm…
-
RE: Cheapest flight from Ireland to Jamaica?
by udo1 12 September 2011
Cheaper than BA may be Virgin Atlantic. They have direct fligths London to Kingston or MoBay.
Hotels & Hostels
Top cities in Jamaica
Browse more cities in JamaicaFeatured property
See all hotels and hostels in Jamaica
Advertisement
Jamaica
Things to do
- All things to do (759)
- Activities (182)
- Entertainment (83)
- Restaurants (207)
- Shopping (85)
- Sights (202)
- Tours (0)
Make it happen
Our Top Picks For Jamaica
-
1 Little Ochie
Savor the finest and freshest fish in the Caribbean at this atmospheric seaside restaurant
-
2 Pelican Bar
Play dominoes with a fisherman at this singular bar in the middle of the sea
-
3 Black River Great Morass
Boat up a swampland waterway to find alligators and birds
-
4 Negril Beaches
Throw your cares to the wind and toast the sunset in Jamaica's 'capital of casual'
-
5 Appleton Rum Estate
Tour this distillery and find out about the rum that adds fuel to the island's fire
Fast Facts about Jamaica
- GDP (per head)
GDP (per head) : US$4600
- Number of orchid species found only on the island
73 (there are more than 200 overall)
- Unemployment
11.3%
- Area
10, 992 sq km
- Length of coastline
1022km
- Amount of rum produced annually
50 million liters
- Inflation
5.8%
- Population
2, 780, 200
- Average annual rainfall
78in
Our favourite Jamaica Blogs (beta)
-
Jamaica: Beyond the Beach
Blog: Canada's Adventure Couple - 13 December 2011
While it's amazing to have a gorgeous suite to lay our heads, we normally spend our days exploring our destination to the fullest, and luckily our hosts understood that about us and made sure that we sampled everything!
-
Adventure Travel Wrap Up – A Look Back on 2011
Blog: Canada's Adventure Couple - 9 December 2011
As I sit down to write this 2011 Adventure Travel Round up, I am in shock and awe that we really did all these things in a span of 365 days. We just lived a year of adventure travel that I never thought I would have the opportunity to ever do in my life
-
Zip Line Jamaica
Blog: Canada's Adventure Couple - 4 December 2011
It seems that you can't go to the Caribbean without taking part in a zip line tour and Jamaica is no exception. As part of our soft adventure tour of the island, we spent a morning hanging from the tree tops with Chukka Caribbean.
