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Destination: Jump into Jamaica
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Those who venture outside the all-inclusive resorts that made this Caribbean island famous will find plenty to explore
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BY TERRY WARD | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN KUNKEL
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| Grilled lobster at Cosmo’s Seafood, in Negril; enjoying the warm waters off Negril’s Seven Mile Beach; a guide at Good Hope Great House. |
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At the Montego Bay airport, piped-in Jimmy Buffett music and pictures of performing dolphins conjure a could-be-anywhere-tropical vibe. But Jamaica is far from a Caribbean cliché. Outside the gated all-inclusive resorts (the concept was invented here), you’ll find hilltop estates where hummingbirds land on your finger, and hidden coves where only your footprints indent the sand. Stop at a roadside stand to sample exotic fruits like naseberry (it tastes like cinnamon-spiced apple and pear pie) or wander the grounds of an old sugar plantation. Jamaica, perhaps more than any other Caribbean island, is full of surprises.
MONTEGO BAY
A popular cruise port and Jamaica’s second-largest city after Kingston, MoBay is mostly known as a place of beautiful beaches and cocktail-fueled nights. Visitors leave their hotels to head to Gloucester Avenue, known as the Hip Strip, with its typical tourist-town collection of souvenir shops and themed watering holes pouring tropical drinks. Swimmers and sunbathers make a beeline to
the beach at Doctor’s Cave ($5* per person). But pretty Cornwall Beach
(also $5 per person), nearby, is a less crowded alternative, with a breezy bar and a wide stretch of sand. For a local scene (and no entry fee), try Buccaneer Beach. Sit on the seawall and watch the sun set while snacking on peppered shrimp bought from passing vendors.
For creative crafts such as bamboo bags, straw hats and African-inspired wood carvings, bring your bargaining skills to the colorful wooden shacks of the Old Fort Craft Market (Gloucester Ave.; no phone). Get an elevated view of things with sunset cocktails at the Richmond Hill Inn (top of the hill on Union St.; 876-952-3859; richmond-hill-inn.com), a hotel set in an 18th-century great house
high above MoBay.
If you’re in the mood for bird-watching, head 25 minutes out of town to the Rocklands Bird Feeding Sanctuary (Rockland Rd.; 876-952-2009; $15 per person), near the town of Anchovy. Here, caretaker Fritz Beckford lures Bananaquits, orioles and Doctor Birds—emerald-breasted, long-tailed hummingbirds. “You must be patient—they will come,” he says, demonstrating how to hold a tiny bottle of sugar water to entice some of the 15 species of birds. You’ll hear the whir of wings just before a hummingbird comes within inches of your face for a feed. The property once belonged to Jamaican environmentalist Lisa Salmon, who fed the birds from 1952 until she died in 2000.
FALMOUTH
Thirty minutes east of Montego Bay, in Falmouth, a cruise port big enough to welcome the world’s largest ships opened in early 2011. On your way here, stop for lunch at the oceanfront Far Out Fish Hut (876-954-7155; lunch for two, $24). Point to a still flopping snapper, jack or parrot fish, which will be grilled and served escovitch style (with onions, garlic and hot Scotch bonnet peppers) or steamed with okra and pimento sauce.
Even if you’re not on a cruise, Falmouth is worth a visit for one of the best-preserved colonial districts in the Caribbean. Among the sites you’ll see on a two-hour tour with Falmouth Heritage Walks (876-407-2245; falmouthheritagewalks.com; $25) are the Anglican Parish Church, active since the 1790s, and Water Square, once the site of a stone reservoir built in 1798 that brought running water to Falmouth.
The cruise port opening spawned a slew of new shore excursions (for cruise passengers and everyone else) at the spectacular Good Hope Great House (876-469-3444; goodhopejamaica.com), a former 18th-century sugar plantation about 15 minutes inland. The 2,000-acre estate once belonged to John Tharp, one of the largest land owners in the West Indies. Today, Chukka Caribbean Tours (877-424-8552; chukkacaribbean.com) arranges a variety of activities, from Jamaican lunches and high tea on the estate grounds to zipline tours and tubing under 18th-century stone bridges on the Martha Brae River, which
runs through the plantation.
For natural nightlife near Falmouth, visit Glistening Waters (888-991-9901; no website; $20) to take a short boat ride to a bioluminescent lagoon. “Mom, this is the coolest thing ever!” is a common refrain as kids—and adults—plunge into the warm, shallow ocean waters that light up like the Milky Way with every wave of a hand and kick of a foot.
HIDDEN BEACH
Heading southwest from Montego Bay, about 15 minutes outside Negril, stop for grilled spiny lobster and a swim at the privately owned Half Moon Beach (876-531-4508; lobster lunch for two, $40), a sugar-sand crescent fringed by sea grapes and a royal poinciana tree. You can rent snorkel gear ($10 per day) and swim over to the nearby marine preserve, where you’ll fin among a rainbow of tropical fish.
NEGRIL
Jamaica’s counterculture capital, Negril, is freewheeling and supremely casual. The larger resorts front Seven Mile Beach, whose once-undeveloped stretches have given way to boisterous bars pouring Red Stripe beer and rum punches. It’s still a scenic spot to swim, but for a more exotic location, head southwest to the West End, where the much-loved Rockhouse Hotel and several other boutique hotels are set on honey-combed limestone cliffs. Swimmers descend stairs and ladders built into the rock to reach the water.
Rick’s Café (West End; 876-957-0380; rickscafejamaica.com) is Negril’s perennial sunset bar. Sip a cold one while superhuman types do handstands on the cliff and perch on tree limbs, 50 feet up, before plunging headfirst into the water. If you’re feeling brave, line up with other tourists to jump from a lower ledge as the crowd watches.
Expats gather for cocktails next door at the LTU Pub (West End; 876-957-0382). Ask the American proprietor, Bill Williams, to draw you a map to the ruins of White Hall Great House, a plantation home in the hills that was destroyed by fire in 1985. “The English brought ships here to pick up spices, and the ballast stones left behind were used to build the great house,” says Williams. “The interior burned, but the stone walls were so thick they still remain.”
For a spicy meal, look for the metal barrel with billowing fragrant smoke outside De Bar & Grill (West End; 876-434-6157; lunch for two, $14), where you can fill up on jerk chicken, conch and pork. Pushcart (Rockhouse, West End; 876-434-4373; dinner for two, $40) does upscale Jamaican street food, like oxtail soup and peppered shrimp. In town, Sweet Spice is the spot for smoothies and goat curry (1 White Hall Rd.; 876-957-4621; lunch for two, $22). And at the far end of Seven Mile Beach, Cosmo’s Seafood (876-957-4330; lunch for two, $14) is a casual spot for conch soup and “bammy,” a fried bread made from cassava root.
GO COUNTRY
“You won’t go hungry on the South Coast,” says Diana McIntyre-Pike of Countrystyle Community Tourism (876-488-7207; countrystylecommunitytourism.com; half-day tours, $60). She leads guests to the farm community of Beeston Spring (pop. 2,500), south of Negril. You might stop to sample roasted breadfruit, listen to a church choir or learn about honey from a beekeeper. Then it’s off to a roadside restaurant for curried chicken or shrimp caught with bamboo traps in the river.
But the highlight is the village’s small mento band, which seems to show up to play everywhere. With lyrics inspired by African slave music and European folk tunes, mento eventually gave rise to ska and reggae. When you find yourself in the shade of an almond tree in someone’s front yard, moving to the beat
of a sit-on-top rhumba box, you’ll know you’ve found the real Jamaica.
STAY
RCI affiliated resorts on Jamaica include:
UVC @ SECRETS ST. JAMES
This adults-only resort delivers pure luxury with its Secrets Spa, gourmet restaurants, white beaches and five championship golf courses. The all-inclusive package covers all meals, 24-hour room service, sports activities and live entertainment nightly. Lot A59, Montego Bay
UVC @ SECRETS WILD ORCHID
Also an adults-only resort, sharing facilities with Secrets St. James (above) and offering the same amenities. Lot A59, Montego Bay
ROYAL DECAMERON MONTEGO BEACH
The great location near Montego Bay gives you all the activities of a beachfront resort by day, and hip nightlife after dark. 2 Gloucester Ave., Montego Bay
Member Review:
“Beautiful oceanview rooms. The staff was fun and accommodating. As a single lady traveler in my 30s, I felt comfortable and safe in the area. Lots of nightlife within walking distance. I would return to this location. Very beautiful place.”
CLUB CARIBBEAN
Glass-bottom boats and water-sports equipment are complimentary at this all-inclusive Runaway Bay resort. Main St., St. Ann’s
Member Reviews:
“The all-inclusive is reasonable and includes boat trips. Meals were terrific; you could get food almost any hour.”
“Good entertainment, good food, good beaches and water sports.”
“The entire staff was friendly, from the front desk to housekeeping to the waiters and bartenders.”
For complete member reviews (as member reviews have been condensed) and additional resort listings, visit RCI.com or call 800-338-7777 (Weeks) or 877-968-7476 (Points). Club Members, please call your specific Club or RCI telephone number.
Non-RCI affiliated resorts:
RITZ-CARLTON GOLF & SPA RESORT, ROSE HALL
All 427 guest rooms have a balcony or terrace at this sprawling resort with golf, tennis, water sports and five restaurants. 1 Ritz-Carlton Dr., Rose Hall; 876-953-2800; ritzcarlton.com; high-season doubles from $460 per night
DOCTORS CAVE BEACH HOTEL
This friendly, no-frills hotel has a small pool and rooms with Caribbean artwork. Montego Bay; 876-952-4355; doctorscave.com; high-season doubles from $150 per night
ROCKHOUSE HOTEL
Octagonal villas on well-named Pristine Cove are made of stone, timber and thatch to blend with the rugged clifftop setting. Add in an infinity pool, daily yoga and a spa. West End Rd., Negril; 876-957-4373; rockhousehotel.com; high-season villas from $355 per night
CITRONELLA
Five cottages on the cliffs in Negril, decorated with Jamaican artwork. Units have kitchenettes, outdoor showers and ladders down to the ocean. West End Rd., Negril; 876-460-8369; citronellajamaica.com; high-season doubles from $205
CATCHA FALLING STAR
One- and two-bedroom cottage-style accommodations in gardens on the cliffs,
with private cove access, a swimming pool and kitchenettes. West End Rd., Negril; 876-957-0390; catchajamaica.com; high-season doubles from $110 per night
*All prices have been converted to U.S. dollars. Meal prices do not include drinks, tax or tip.
NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.
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Published: Winter 2011-2012
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