Things to do in Jamaica
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Dunn's River Falls
Widely held to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, these famous falls, on the A3, 3km west of town, are Jamaica’s top-grossing tourist attraction. As long as you’re not expecting a peaceful communion with nature, a morning here can be an enjoyable and invigorating experience. Join hands in a daisy chain at the bottom and clamber up the tiers of limestone that stairstep 180m down to the beach in a series of cascades and pools. The water is refreshingly cool and the falls are shaded by a tall rain forest and a number of magnificent tree specimens. Today, the place seems more like a man-made theme park than a natural wonder. The St Ann Development Company…
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Puerto Seco Beach
The eastern side of the bay is rimmed with white-sand beaches. With its soft sand and limpid waters, Puerto Seco Beach, in the center of town, is a real charmer. Open to the public, it sports rustic eateries and bars and a fun park with a waterslide for kids not interested in sun-tanning. On weekends and holidays the beach is teeming, but during the week the place is often deserted. You can rent fishing boats, sea bikes and jet skis.
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Toscanini
One of the finest restaurants on the island, this roadside spot is run by two gracious Italians who mix local ingredients into recipes from the motherland. The daily menu ranges widely, encompassing such appetizers as prosciutto with papaya or marinated marlin and mains like lobster pasta, or shrimp sautéed with garlic and Appleton rum. Leave room for desserts such as strawberry tart or apple and plum strudel. Treat yourself!
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Stanley’s Deep Sea Fishing
The waters off Negril – teeming with tuna, blue marlin, wahoo and sailfish – provide some excellent action for sport-fishing enthusiasts. Stanley’s Deep Sea Fishing offers custom fishing-trip charters (US$400/600/800 per half/three-quarter/full day for up to four people; for additional passengers add US$50/75/100 per head).
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Scotchie’s
This roadside offshoot of the superlative jerk center in Montego Bay lies adjacent to an Epping Gas station just west of Dunn’s River Falls, where its pork, chicken and sausage water the mouths of locals and visitors alike.
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Clive’s Transport Service
Offers reliable, comfortable tours islandwide and airport transfers (one to three people US$50) in a nine-passenger minivan.
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Devon House I-Scream
For ice cream, head to Devon House I-Scream.
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Devon House
This restored home nestles in landscaped grounds on the northwest side of Hope Rd at its junction with Waterloo Rd. A beautiful ochre-and-white house, it was built in 1881 by George Stiebel, a Jamaican wheelwright who hit paydirt in the gold mines of Venezuela. The millionaire rose to become the first black custos of St Andrew. The government bought and restored the building in 1967 to house the National Gallery of Jamaica, which has since moved to its present location downtown. Antique lovers will enjoy the visit, whose highlights include some very ornate porcelain chandeliers. Note the trompe l’oeil of palms in the entrance foyer. Stiebel even incorporated a game room…
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Milk River Spa
This well-known spa, 23km southwest of May Pen, is fed from a saline mineral hot spring that bubbles up at the foot of Round Hill, 3km from the sea. The waters are a near-constant 33°C (92°F). Immersion is said to cure an array of ailments ranging from gout and lumbago to rheumatism and nervous conditions. These are the most radioactive spa waters in the world; they’re 50 times more so than Vichy in France and three times those of Karlsbad in Austria. Hence, bathers are limited to only 15 minutes, though you are allowed three baths a day. Imbibing the waters is also recommended by the spa staff as a stirring tonic. Kingstonians flock on weekends seeking treatments.…
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Pelican Bar
Built on a submerged sandbar 1km out to sea, this thatch-roofedeatery on stilts provides Jamaica’s – and perhaps the planet’s – most enjoyable spot for a drink. Getting there is half the fun: hire a local boat captain (you can book passage from Jake’s for US$30). The clientele is a mix of enchanted travelers and repeat-business fishermen who while away the hours playing dominoes, talking on their cell phones, checking the cricket scores or exchanging pleasantries with the self-satisfied owner. In between Red Stripes, or perhaps before your meal of lobster, shrimp or fish, feel free to slip into the salubrious waters for a dip.
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Emancipation Park
This wide open space, carved from the dense urban jungle, has a jogging track, stately fountains and, winningly, reggae music emanating from tiny speakers hidden in the grass. It’s a grand place for a promenade, particularly at sunset when the walkways fill with cheerful Kingstonians just liberated from their workplaces. A controversial focal point is the US$4.5 million statue Redemption Song, by Laura Facey Cooper. Depicting a couple of nude, 3m-tall slaves gazing to the heavens, the epic work sometimes elicits prurient comments by passersby due to certain larger-than-life physical attributes of the figures.
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Doctor’s Cave Beach Club
Founded as a bathing club in 1906, this world-famous stretch of sand with a perpetual party vibe is now owned by Doctor’s Cave Beach Club. It can get ridiculously crowded during the winter months, so if you’re going to make a day of it, arrive early to stake out your turf. Facilities include a food court, grill bar, internet cafe and water sports, plus changing rooms. You can rent shade umbrellas and inflatable air mattresses (lilos) for US$5, snorkel gear for US$5 and chairs for US$4.
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3 Dives Jerk Centre
It’s no small tribute to 3 Dives that its jerk overshadows its reputation for lengthy waits (sometimes over an hour). Fortunately, the chefs are more than happy to let you peek into the kitchen, where there’s bound to be a pile of super-hot Scotch bonnet peppers threatening to spontaneously combust, and you can sip cheap Red Stripe on the cliffs at the end of a small garden. This is also the site of the annual Negril Jerk Festival.
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Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
This corporate franchise has turned getting drunk into big business. As with its counterparts in Montego Bay and Negril, the music is too loud and the drinks are too expensive, but some people find the orchestrated good-time vibe to be irresistible. The menu aims for the lowest common denominator with selections including the artery-clogging ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise’ and Caesar salads, pizzas and sandwiches.
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Rick’s Café
You’ll join the touristy throng at this ever-popular West End institution. The somewhat pricey menu features steaks, fresh seafood and Cajun fare. The loud music precludes an intimate meal, but if you’re in the mood for a party – or a dip in the pool between courses – this place fits the bill. While you eat, local divers try to outdo each other from the 10m-tall cliffs.
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Cosmo’s
A steadfast beach favorite with three thatched bars and dining areas near Long Bay Beach Park. Conch is the specialty here, whether steamed, curried or anchoring a hearty soup. Your host, Cosmo Brown, is also universally saluted for the pot of curried goat or oxtail that is perpetually simmering on the back burner.
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Nature Village Farm
Driving west to the small village of Lethe, about 3km from the B8, you’ll arrive at a Y-junction. The fork to the left leads to Lethe; the one to the right leads to Nature Village Farm, a farm turned family resort and restaurant that offers fishing and other attractions.
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Dragon Court
This is the best fine-dining option for Chinese cuisine in MoBay, located in the modern Fairview Shopping Centre. The menu is replete with Chinese standards with a few standouts including the tempting crispy duckling with plum sauce and ‘reggae fish,’ with pimentos and other Jamaican spices.
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Turtle River Park
Near Island Village on Main St, this welcome new green space in the middle of downtown represents a positive new trend in Jamaica’s approach to urban development. The lushly gardened park with manicured lawns also provides a zone free from the hustle of the main drag.
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Royal Kitchen Vegetarian Café
This welcoming roadside I-tal eatery is popular with local Rastafarians and those who come to collect their pearls of wisdom. The fare – strictly vegetarian – is served on simple tables where you are sure to make friends with inquisitive passersby. The juices are especially good.
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Negril Scuba Centre
In Negril, most all-inclusive resorts have scuba facilities. Negril Scuba Centre has locations at Mariner’s Negril Beach Club, Negril Escape Resort & Spa and Sunset @ the Palms, and offers PADI certification and introductory ‘resort courses’.
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Turtle Beach
The main beach of Ocho Rios is the long crescent of Turtle Beach, stretching east from the Turtle Towers condominiums to the Renaissance Jamaica Grande Resort. There are changing rooms, and palms for shade.
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General Foods Supermarket
There’s a General Foods Supermarket and smaller grocery stores scattered along Main St. You can buy fresh produce at the produce market on the south side of DaCosta Dr near the clock tower.
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Island Village Beach
Island Village Beach, located at the west end of Main St, is a peaceful, small beach that offers lockers (US$5), towels (US$5) and beach chairs and umbrellas (US$5 apiece).
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Lady G’diver
Located at the new marina, Lady G’Diver is a full-service dive shop; dive boats leave at 11am and 2pm daily. It has a retail store, PADI instruction and equipment rentals.
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