Jamaica is much more than Bob Marley's land, so offer your visitors some incredible landscapes and some natural destinations to meet and do outdoor activities that are phenomenal.
Jamaica is the third largest island in the Greater Antilles and is located about 145 kilometers off the coast of Cuba. Nowadays it has a very numerous hotel offer and there are plenty of tourism agencies that organize tours and excursions throughout its geography, so we leave you one list of what you can do in Jamaica to return home convinced that you have known this beautiful island.
Jamaica
The island It was first inhabited by the Arawaks and the Tainos, until the arrival of the Spaniards wiped out the native peoples, mostly due to diseases brought from the Old Continent. The settlers brought African slaves who passed into the hands of Great Britain when this country took over the island, which it renamed with the name by which it is known today: Jamaica.
During colonial times under the English flag it became a sugar producer so the coming and going of the slave ships was constant. With the liberation of the slaves in the mid-nineteenth century, the British brought in Indian and Chinese workers and that was how it remained until the decolonization processes of the 60s when Jamaica finally became independent.
Nowadays it is inhabited by almost three million peoples and after the United States and Canada, it is the country with the largest number of English speakers in America.
Things to do in Jamaica
Well, take a walk! This island it's great for active tourists so there is everything to not stay still. We can divide the island into three destinations: Ocho Rios, Negril and Montego Bay, the most popular destinations not counting Kingston, the capital.
En Eight rivers the best thing is to travel the Dunn's River and Falls Park. The excursion consists of spending a couple of hours climbing the waterfalls and then resting on the beach that forms at your feet. The climb can be slippery but it is not dangerous and since it is hot to take a dip afterwards it is a must, and if you bring a GoPro then I won't even tell you about the fantastic images you are going to take.
The park is open every day from 8:30 am to 4 pm, but on the days when cruise ships arrive, it opens an hour and a half earlier. Admission is $ 20 per adult and 12 per child. You buy the ticket at the entrance and you have the option of joining a guided tour that takes you to the top of the waterfalls. You can also rent or buy water shoes.
Alternatively swim with dolphins at Dolphin Cove, a two hectare site in the middle of a rain forest. You can swim among stingrays, ride in glass-bottom kayaks or sail the Caribbean, see sharks in a show, and walk through the jungle.
You can also canopy, rafting or jump in the rushing waters of the river Bueno, do horseback riding on the beach, get on the Zion Bus and get to know some of the history and culture of this part of the island, visit the Green Grotto Caves, a beautiful natural wonder or visit one of the old plantations within which there are activities and walks.
Montego Bay It is the second largest and most important city in Jamaica. It is a beautiful coastal city frequently visited by cruise ships. It is a noisy, crowded and colorful place. You may visit markets, shops and bars in Sam Sharpe Square, the heart of the city where formerly the prison of the slaves who dared to escape was located.
Here you can follow the Heritage Trails route and discover the history of this nation. If you want to sunbathe there is a world famous beach called Doctor's Cave Beach, with very healthy mineral waters. Another nearby beach is Cornwall and there are a few more beaches but a little further from the center. One of the best known mansions in the Caribbean is Rose Hall so do not stop visiting it because it is believed that is haunted.
It was owned by a woman named Annie Palmer, the White Witch of Rose Hall, who murdered three husbands and was the devil to his slaves. It is fully restored, with furniture and everything, and you can tour it inside and out through its gardens. You can even have a fresh beer in the dungeon because a pub works there.
Another former sugar plantation is the Mansion Belvedere, just outside Montego Bay. It continues to function as such and its owners have opened it to the public on guided tours. It is beautiful and in its gardens there are rivers and waterfalls. Bellefield is another colonial mansion that preserves a hundred-year-old sugar mill, which was operated by donkeys, its parks and gardens and of course, the restored mansion to travel back in time. There are other colonial mansions but if you like nature there are always catamaran trips, rafting or kayaking by the nearby rivers.
And if you want to go home knowing the history of Jamaica you can live the Outameni experience. The Outameni Experience is a intercative show 90 minutes with music, art, drama and movies that lets you get into the Jamaican history. It's in Trelawny, just a 20-minute drive from Montego Bay.
Finalemtne is Negril, at the other end of the island with respect to Kingston, the capital, worse connected by a road to Montego Bay.
For nature lovers there is a lot here: there are the YS waterfalls, safaris on the Black River, the Blue Hole, diving and snorkeling excursions, sunset cruises, cliff jumping outside Rick's cafe, Luminous Lagoonthe most beautiful Seven Mille beach (with a nudism area), or go rafting.
Finally, for history buffs there is the Fort Charles at Fort Royal, the Giddy House and old Negril lighthouse. Wait, are you wondering about Bob Marley? Where is?
Well, if you get off the plane or the cruise ship in Kingston it is in the capital where you will find the Bob Marley's Museum. It works in what was Marley's house from 1975 until 1981, the year of his death.
Six years later it became a museum: today has a theater with capacity for 80 peoplea Photo gallery and a gift and souvenir shop. There is also a cafeteria and what is exhibited are personal belongings of the musician. Admission is $ 25 per adult and tour it lasts an hour and a quarter, more or less. The museum opens from Monday to Saturday from 9:30 am.
So a visit to Jamaica must include some Kinsgton, some Montego Bay, some Negril, and some Ocho Rios. Two weeks I would say is enough.