Jamaica Travel Guide: How To Make The Most Of Your Caribbean Party Island Vacation International | To travel

amaica is famous for having a great personality. The Caribbean island with the spicy urban culture that’s always ready to party. Rastafarians and reggae. Red Stripe and rum. Usain Bolt and, uh, a bobsleigh team.

What we don’t talk about so much is the natural beauty of the island’s rugged interior. To experience the best of Jamaica, you have to go off-piste and into the hills. Here are the natural wonders that no Jamaican schedule should be without …

The Blue Mountains

The island’s original Arawak name was Xayamaca, which means the land of rivers and springs. Dunn’s River Falls are Jamaica’s most famous waterfalls – and are unusual because they are the only travertine waterfall in the Caribbean, which means that instead of falling at a steep angle, the water rushes down a flight of naturally shaped stone steps. It’s also a fun challenge to climb. At around 55 meters high, a quick 90-minute hike takes you past travertine terraces, geological formations that look like natural stairs to the top. Along the way you will find small swimming pools to relax in. Rock shoes are a good idea. The same goes for a waterproof camera.

For an even more memorable experience, you can visit the falls by boat before starting the climb. This way you will be able to see Jamaica’s coastline from a whole different perspective and watch the waterfalls flow into the sea.

Nestled in the hills of St Ann, overlooking Ocho Rios, Konoko Falls is one of the island’s best-kept secrets. In addition to waterfalls, you can explore botanical gardens, a Jamaican artifact museum, and a zoo. There is also the story. Take a guided tour and learn about Jamaica’s ancient inhabitants, the Tainos, whom Columbus met upon arriving here at the end of the 15th. e century. In the nearby White River Valley, you can try your hand at tubing. There is also kayaking and zooming.

The Caves of the Green Grotto

Another must visit is the nearby Green Grotto. Geological wonder, you might recognize this labyrinth of underground caverns dating from 1973 James bond movie Live and Let Die, in which the caves are used as the backdrop for the underground lair of the villainous Doctor Kananga.

Named after the walls covered with bright green algae, the Green Cave Caves were originally used as homes by Jamaica’s first inhabitants, the Tano Indians, from around AD 600. Over the centuries, they have been used as a hiding place for pirates and Spanish refugees, to store large amounts of rum, and even as a nightclub in the 1990s.

Visitors can expect to see nine different species of bats inside the caves, as well as unusual rock formations such as tooth-shaped stalactites and stalagmites and Grotto Lake – which is teeming with small fish and other marine species.

Rose Hall Big House

Originally a Georgian plantation house which is now run as a museum, the Grand Rose Hall House was built in 1770 and was once the home of Rose Hall’s legendary white witch, Annie Palmer. Legend has it that Palmer was an accomplished practitioner of Haitian voodoo and that during her reign at Rose Hall, she murdered three of her husbands and countless slave lovers. Her reign of terror ended when she was murdered by one of her slaves and a ritual was performed to banish her spirit from the earth. Many Islanders believe that Annie still haunts the Rose Hall Estate.

Where to stay

For a memorable stay in Jamaica, settle into the Half Moon Hotel in Montego Bay, one of the oldest and most famous resorts in the Caribbean. The resort is built around a perfect crescent-shaped sandy beach, hence the name, and features Georgian-style whitewashed villas and cottages dotted with beautifully landscaped gardens.

Request an Estate Ocean room in the newer part of the hotel, called the Eclipse, overlooking the pristine waterfront. Wonderfully spacious, each has its own panoramic balcony, king-size bed and private outdoor shower. The resort is a destination worth exploring in its own right, offering water activities such as kayaking, pedal boating, stand-up paddle boarding, and snorkelling. There is also an equestrian center, three swimming pools and, of course, vast expanses of fantastic white sand beaches. Fancy another fresh fruit punch? Just order from one of the resort’s beach butlers. At Fern Tree Spa, set in peaceful tropical gardens, you can get a massage in a cabin on stilts.

The food is also a real highlight at Half Moon. Don’t miss the Jamaican BBQ that the hotel hosts on Sunrise Beach. Jerk dishes and fondues are served against a backdrop of steel bands and congo drums, as well as fire eaters and dancers. Also, be sure to reserve a table at the resort’s sugar mill. Awarded Jamaica’s Best Restaurant, it overlooks lush tropical scenery and serves mouth-watering dishes like green plantain rosti, grilled lobster tail with yam risotto, and breadfruit gnocchi with tomato sauce. the coconut.

With an emphasis on understated elegance, the Half Moon Resort is the perfect place to disconnect and relax after an adventurous itinerary. Ian Fleming wrote several of his James Bond novels while languishing in what he described as “the magnificent emptiness of the Jamaican vacation”. What better place to write your own adventure?

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