Jamaica

This is the Kingston, Blue Mountains & Southeast Coast chapter from Lonely Planet’s Jamaica guidebook.

Kingston is Jamaica’s beating heart. This is a city on the up and up, with a positive, go-ahead vibe. It’s the launchpad for some of the world’s most electrifying music, and sound systems still provide its essential soundtrack. It’s also the ideal base for exploring Jamaica’s southeast corner.

• delve into the life of Jamaica’s most revered contemporary heroes at the Bob Marley Museum, his former home and studio
• maps
• appreciate the vision of Jamaican artists at the internationally acclaimed National Gallery of Jamaica
• transport
• explore the renaissance of a downtown neighborhood through Lifeyard, an innovative art and permaculture project
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Kingston & Around, Port Royal, Bull Bay, Hellshire Beach Recreation Area, May Pen & Around, Blue Mountains, Irish Town, Newcastle, Section & Clydesdale, Mavis Bank, Hagley Gap & Penlyne Castle, Southeast Coast, Morant Bay, Bath.

This is the Montego Bay & Northwest Coast chapter from Lonely Planet’s Jamaica guidebook.

Montego Bay is many people’s first view of Jamaica before they get whisked off to the surrounding beaches, golf courses and resorts. The north coast is replete with plantation-era history, while inland, adventure beckons, from hiking to zip-lining through the jungle.

• explore Ironshore & Rose Hall, plantation houses with a dark history
• maps
• hike, cave and bird in Cockpit Country in Jamaica’s wild interior
• transport
• enjoy the varied dining scene of Jamaica’s second city, Montego Bay
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Montego Bay, Ironshore & Rose Hall, Falmouth, Glistening Waters, Duncans, Lethe, North Cockpit Country, Good Hope Estate, Windsor.

This is the Negril & West Coast chapter from Lonely Planet’s Jamaica guidebook.

Head west to a land of long beaches and crimson sunsets: elongated Negril and its hotel developments stretch for more than 10 miles along the entire western coast. In the quiet hinterland, little pockets of local life can still be glimpsed.

• gaze into perfect sunsets that set fire to 4 miles of sugary-white sand at Seven Mile Beach
• maps
• clamber, claw and dive around the pristine whirlpools of some of Jamaica’s loveliest waterfalls at Mayfield Falls
• transport
• watch from Rick’s Cafe as cliff divers pluck up courage (or lose their nerve) while jumping off 10m cliffs
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Negril, Negril to Mayfield Falls, Green Island Harbour & Around, Lucea, Mayfield, Little Bay & Around.

This is the Ocho Rios, Port Antonio & North Coast chapter from Lonely Planet’s Jamaica guidebook.

Ocho Rios dominates the north coast’s tourist scene, with everything from adventure activities to working plantations. Further east is rugged Portland with its forested mountains. From Port Antonio, you can explore beaches, or head into the mountains and rainforest for hiking and birdwatching.

• swim and climb Irie Blue Hole, one of Jamaica’s most exhilarating sets of waterfalls
• maps
• savor the jaw-dropping view from Firefly, author Noël Coward’s well-preserved former home
• transport
• explore Jamaican history from the Taínos to the sugar slave plantations at Seville Great House
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Ocho Rios, Reggae Beach to Boscobel Beach, Oracabessa, Galina Point & Little Bay, St Ann’s Bay, Priory & Around, Runaway Bay, Discovery Bay, Brown’s Town, Nine Mile, Port Antonio, Port Antonio to Fairy Hill, Boston Bay, Long Bay, Manchioneal, Charles Town, Orange Bay, Robin’s Bay, Rio Grande Valley, Moore Town.

This chapter contains the Welcome to Jamaica, Jamaica’s Top 15, Need to Know, If You Like…, Month by Month, Itineraries, Eat & Drink Like a Local, Outdoor Activities, and Regions at a Glance chapters from Lonely Planet’s Jamaica guidebook.

Your journey to Jamaica starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on eating and drinking like a local.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• everything you need to know about outdoor activities
• user-friendly country overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Welcome to Jamaica, Jamaica’s Top 15, Need to Know, If You Like: Diving & Snorkelling, Music, History, Food & Drink, Waterfalls & Rivers or Romantic Getaways, Month by Month, Itineraries, Eat & Drink Like a Local, Outdoor Activities, and Regions at a Glance.

This is the South Coast & Central Highlands chapter from Lonely Planet’s Jamaica guidebook.

Southwest Jamaica feels like a clandestine paradise for the trickle of off-island visitors who make it this far. The region’s most notable sights – the Black River, YS Falls and the Appleton Rum Estate – are usually visited by day-trippers on organized excursions from resorts in Negril and Montego Bay.

• watch fisherfolk mend their nets and enjoy the slow pace of life in Jamaica’s premier bohemian destination, Treasure Beach
• maps
• frolic in the cool river pools or fly over the falls on a zip line at YS Falls
• transport
• croc-spot in the mangroves fringing Black River, Jamaica’s longest river, or tour the town’s historic monuments
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Treasure Beach & Around, Alligator Pond, Lovers’ Leap, Black River to Bluefields, Whitehouse, Bluefields & Belmont, Mandeville & Around, Mandeville, Mile Gully & Around, South Cockpit Country, Accompong, Santa Cruz, Troy & Around, Maggotty, Middle Quarters, Christiana.

This chapter contains the Jamaica Today, History, Jamaican Way of Life, Jamaican Arts, Landscapes & Wildlife, Directory A–Z, and Transportation chapters from Lonely Planet’s Jamaica guidebook.

All the info you need on everything from history, arts and wildlife to flights, public transport, climate, money, the internet... you name it. Get tips for women travellers, gay and lesbian travellers, travellers with disabilities, and travellers with kids. And get the most out of your conversations with a handy language guide and glossary.

• a rundown on Jamaican arts
• info on local landscapes and wildlife
• full coverage of the Jamaican way of life
• details on the country today

Coverage includes: Jamaica Today, History – from Xaymaca to Dudus and the Present, Jamaican Way of Life – including Religion and Spirituality, Women in Jamaica and Sports, Jamaican Arts, Landscapes & Wildlife, Directory A–Z and Transportation