Jamaica is the island for rainforest bobsledding, wild river rafting, waterfall climbing, treetop ziplining and subterranean caving. It’s fantastic at enormous waterparks; considers flip-flops formal-wear; doesn’t have a cut off point when it comes to beautiful beaches and thinks of jungle safaris as downtime. No surprise to find older kids love holidays here, and you only have to look at the endless variety of teen-centric activities to see Jamaica loves them right back.
On a practical note, direct UK flights to both Kingston and Montego Bay take from just 10 hours, which is almost short-haul for the Caribbean. You’ll find family-friendly resorts and hotels all over the island. And when it comes to planning, Visit Jamaica couldn’t be more helpful, right down to recommending outdoor adventures aimed at impressing the most extreme-seeking teenagers. Take a look at their top seven for starters:
1/7 Reggae Horseback Riding, Negril
You don’t need any experience to ride at Reggae Horseback. The horses are famously gentle, guides friendly, and anyway, the stunning loveliness of their 900 acre estate tends to set a peaceful pace for two hours meandering in the saddle. The only surprises are good ones, like spotting Jamaican parrots or picking local fruit in season. And the big finale of a ride along the beach is a fantastic only-in-Jamaica memory for kids. Just make sure phones are charged to capture every unforgettable moment.
Where:
- Little London, Westmoreland
- 20 minutes’ drive east of Negril.
What:
- Two hour guided ride round 900 acre eco-estate, and one mile of south coast beach.
- Suitable for kids age five and over, no riding experience needed.
Cost: Two hour estate and beach guide ride, from £55 per person.
Find out more about Reggae Horseback Riding with Visit Jamaica
2/7 Dunn’s River Falls and Park, Ocho Rios
You can’t visit Jamaica without climbing Dunn’s River Falls, it’s one of the island’s most iconic experiences, almost as famous as jerk chicken, slightly less well known internationally than Bob Marley, and basically a right of passage for teenagers.
The falls are always busy – that’s part of the fun – but they’re also enormous, so finding space in the lagoon-like pools to catch a breath is never an issue. The climb to the top is fairly strenuous, though more than doable for most older kids. Just leave plenty of time, since it’s pretty much impossible not to stop and stare constantly – the falls are as beautiful as they are thrilling, and they’re very thrilling.
Where: North east coast of Jamaica, 15 minutes drive west of Ocho Rios.
What: Experienced Falls Guides lead climbers up the waterfalls in a ‘human-chain’, pace is easy enough for older kids and teens, or you can simply sit and watch others do the work.
Cost: Admission and guided fall climb, from £12 per person.
Find out more about Dunn’s River Falls and Park with Visit Jamaica
3/7 Mystic Mountain, Ocho Rios
Bobsledding in a rainforest might seem unusual, but Jamaica has bobsled history: in 1988 the national team was the first ever from a Caribbean country to compete in the Winter Olympics, and they’ve been competing ever since. So in fact, a Jamaican Rainforest Bobsled makes perfect sense: just don’t expect any snow on Mystic Mountain. Instead custom-designed bobsleds speed through tropical rainforest on a 1000m long gravity-drive. It’s no less thrilling than more traditional bobsledding, only the views are much better.
Mystic Mountain is also home to the Rainforest SkyExplorer chairlift which sweeps visitors up 700ft to the top of the mountain. And if kids need any more excitement, they can go ziplining through the tree canopy here too.
Where: North east coast of Jamaica, 10 minutes drive west of Ocho Rios.
What: A tropical rainforest adventure park on Mystic Mountain and home to the Rainforest SkyExplorer chairlift, Rainforest Bobsled, and tree canopy ziplining.
Cost: Mystic Mountain adventure packages, from £30 per person.