Jamaica is a perfect place to plan a getaway. The chilled-out feel of this island will make you wish that you’d planned more time for your vacation, and you’ll be amazed at how much you relax during your stay. Of course, Jamaica is known for its beautiful beaches, but there is so much more to this Caribbean island than just gorgeous sand and surf! From delicious food to great hiking, there are so many activities to enjoy and places to explore on this island that make it perfect for your next vacation.These five destinations are particularly fabulous vacation spots due to their beautiful beaches and proximity to fun activities.
Where to Go in Jamaica
1. Kingston
If you’re looking for a more active, city experience during your getaway, Kingston is a great place to go. You can still go to the beach very easily, but will be close to a lot of fun and interesting attractions, such as the Bob Marley Museum, the National Gallery of Jamaica and the gorgeous Devon House museum that you’ll want to take many pictures of. From Kingston, you can easily take a trip into the Blue Mountains for a day hike or bike ride, and come back into the city at night to enjoy some island vibes and open-air music at the Red Bones Blues Cafe or amazing jerk chicken at Scotchies.
2. Port Antonio
There are so many things to do in and near Port Antonio. When you’re not relaxing at the beach, you can head to Boston Jerk Centre for some amazing jerk chicken (conveniently by Boston Beach), the local cricket field to watch a match, or learn how to scuba dive. Port Antonio is known as the place for the most diverse diving of anywhere on the island, with mostly undisturbed coral reefs and vibrant marine life. There are also great waterfalls that you can hike to nearby, like Nanny Falls, where you can hike in and then swim underneath the waterfall!
3. Treasure Beach
An unspoiled fishing village on Jamaica’s south coast, this is the perfect place to go if you want to just kick back and take it easy. Treasure Beach has a lot less going on than places like Kingston and Port Antonio, so it’s a great place to go to unplug and unwind. Take an herbal steam bath at Shirley’s Steambath and Massage, or go horseback riding with The Cove Horse Riding Stables and feel like you are straight out of a James Bond movie!
4. Bluefields Bay
With a pristine beach set against gorgeous, green rolling hills, you will feel like you have really escaped in Bluefields Bay. Relax at Bluefields Beach Park, which is popular with the locals, Here, you can get a really good sense of local lifestyle as you see families having beach picnics and hear reggae music playing in the background. This area is also a center for small-scale agricultural development and community farms, and you can even volunteer to help build community structures with the Bluefields Peoples Community Association. However, no one will judge you if you plan to stay on the beach the whole time - just make sure that you don’t miss the Peter Tosh memorial that pays tribute to an incredible reggae artist and one of the original Wailers with Bob Marley.
5. Oracabessa
Oracabessa is one of the most fun places to visit in Jamaica for music lovers because of its frequent concerts on James Bond Beach! You can start your morning with Blue Mountain coffee in charming cafes and spend the rest of the day on the pristine white sand of the beach. Annual music festivals include Follow Di Arrow, Beach J’Ouvert, and Fully Loaded. Even when there aren’t music festivals, Oracabessa is alive with visitors who come to swim with stingrays in Stingray City.If you can’t decide where to go first, one of the most fun activities on the island is to rent a motorcycle and take a tour - consider that as one of your options if you really want to see everything!
This article was written by Cathy Trainor.