Jamaica’s one of the Greater Antilles and the fourth largest island country in the Caribbean. It’s the land of reggae and endless beaches, jerk chicken, soaring mountains, blue lagoons and dense rainforests.
Jamaica’s one of the Greater Antilles and the fourth largest island country in the Caribbean. It’s the land of reggae and endless beaches, jerk chicken, soaring mountains, blue lagoons and dense rainforests. Teenagers love the 24/7 energy and extremes of adventure, the easy going atmosphere’s perfect for younger kids and the weather’s warm and sunny most of the time so it’s open year round for family holidays.
Direct flights from the UK to Kingston or Montego Bay take just over 10 hours.
Average temperatures are 28˚ year round with heaviest rainfall in September, October and November.
High season runs from December to March. Weather’s warm and sunny during UK summer but prices are low season.
Some of the world’s most luxurious and opulent beach hotels are in Montego Bay.
The Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park covers over 26,000ha in the east of Jamaica, it’s the country’s only UNESCO World Heritage site and contains the captivating Elfin Forest.
Frenchman’s Cove near Port Antonio is known as the ‘prettiest beach in the Caribbean’.
Apart from private resort beaches, Jamaica has over 50 public beaches including famous Doctor’s Cave Beach in Montego Bay.
You wouldn’t choose the Jamaican capital as a base for a family holiday, but it’s a big and brilliantly lively city and a fun break from endless, beautiful beaches. Come here for the reggae cultures and live music, ridiculously good Caribbean cooking, museums and botanical gardens, colourful markets and some of the country’s most famous historic buildings.
The most famous area in all of Jamaica and with good reason. The beaches are stunning, the golf’s great and many of the island’s grandest resort hotels are draped along the shoreline. Everything’s on hand here from the softest sun loungers and best water sports to duty-free shopping and fantastic seafood restaurants. It’s not authentic Jamaica but it works a holiday 24/7 and has great connections to almost everywhere, so finding more local life is never too difficult.
The western point of Jamaica’s a relatively recent arrival on the holiday map. It used to be impossible to reach except by boat but there’s an excellent road in and out these days and the allure of Seven Mile Beach has proved irresistible to quite a few major international resorts. Rick’s Café and its legendary cliff-jumping exploits is in Negril and you’ll find Kool Runnings, Jamaica’s biggest waterpark, here too.
Jamaica’s cruise port doesn’t have Montego Bay’s glamorous reputation but it does have the motherlode of outstanding, all-inclusive resort hotels and fun family activities. If you spot something you want to see or do that involves high-wires, wild waterfalls, extreme sports or herds of teenagers, chances it has an Ocho Rios’ address are fairly high.
The lush eastern end of Jamaica is where to find some of the world’s loveliest beaches, most admired swimming spots and gorgeous colonial architecture to sweep you back two centuries in a heartbeat. Port Antonio is as different from the tourist gleam of Montego Bay and Ocho Rio as it’s possible to get, but shouldn’t be missed; a quaint charmer in its own right, the town’s also the gateway to some of the country’s grandest landscapes.
Car hire’s as easy in Jamaica as most other Caribbean islands. The defensive local driving style takes a bit of getting used to in Kingston and busier towns. Keep your speed down on narrow coast or mountain roads and drive cautiously at night. Knutsford Express buses are best if you don’t want to self-drive: large, air conditioned and cover the entire island. Many tours and attractions include transport to and from resorts in their ticket prices.
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