Four European countries now have the world’s most powerful passports.
22.12.2023 - 14:39 / lonelyplanet.com
It's no secret that Jamaica excels at white sand beaches and sensual, apricot-colored sunsets. What travelers often overlook is the island's road trip appeal.
Whether you’re after mountain views, a ride along the coast or a cruise through quaint neighborhoods, the largest English-speaking island in the Caribbean can be slowly and comfortably traversed by car within a week. Here are seven of our favorite road trips in Jamaica.
Best historical road trip
Montego Bay – Falmouth, Trelawny; 34km (21 miles)
For the history buff, a trip to Falmouth is a must. A quick 45-minute drive from Jamaica’s second city Montego Bay will take you to one of the best-preserved Georgian towns in the Caribbean, with a paved two-way highway covering much of the journey.
Despite its age, much of Falmouth’s 18th-century Georgian architecture remains intact. Drive through the historic town along Market Street, stop by St Peter’s Anglican Church, and visit the former post office, a stunning yellow building from 1832.
Detour : On the outskirts of Falmouth is Glistening Waters (known locally as Luminous Lagoon), home to bright bioluminescent life that lights up the water in a cool neon blue. Drive there and book a night tour to experience one of the rarest and most magical water phenomena.
Best romantic road trip
Montego Bay – Negril; 80km (50 miles)
With four miles of white sand beach (yes, despite the name) and sensual sunsets, Negril is the romantic getaway road trip. Located about an hour-and-a-half drive from Montego Bay, the roads are smooth and well-maintained due to the town's popularity with tourists.
Yet, Negril still maintains a laid-back charm with lush tree-lined streets, local restaurants and independent boutique hotels.
Continue to the West End community for stellar limestone cliffs, and watch daredevils dive off the cliffs into the clear blue Caribbean Sea.
Next, drive to the most western end of Jamaica to visit the bright-white Negril Lighthouse, built in 1894. There are great sunset views from both the cliffs and the lighthouse, which is handy as Negril is often touted as one of the best places in the world to watch the sun go down.
Rick’s Cafe in Negril is one of the best spots to watch the sunset, but it can get crowded very quickly. Make sure you arrive early and find a good spot at one of the multi-layered cliffs.
Detour: Visit Barney's Flower & Hummingbird Garden to see an abundance of exotic plants and flowers. The garden is also home to the unique Jamaican swallowtail hummingbird.
Best off-the-beaten-path trip
Kingston – Treasure Beach; 138km (86 miles)
Travel along the rugged southern coast of Jamaica from the bustling capital city of Kingston to the eco-friendly beach town
Four European countries now have the world’s most powerful passports.
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It’s cold out there. A Caribbean getaway has never sounded better. We get it.
Even among the many extraordinary islands and countries that make up the Caribbean, Jamaica stands out. Its beaches are a dream. Its food is a point of national pride. Its forests and rivers are exotic and otherworldly. And its cultural influence on the world stage far outweighs its diminutive size, from Rastafarianism to Reggae, Bob Marley to Usain Bolt, Sensimilla to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Despite its global renown, you’ll never get the true beat of its rhythm until you visit.
I grew up with African food, but in a Lebanese way.Let’s take my mum’s okra stew — the African version is filled with fried fish, cow foot, sheep tail, oxtail and beef all in one stew — while Lebanese cooking is quite simplistic and based around fresh salads and grills, that sort of stuff. So, the stew she’d make would have none of that, just beef, and it wouldn’t be made with palm oil. It was African food but in a tame way, because of my Lebanese dad. Whenever my mum makes it, I go absolutely mental — it warms up your belly, is full of good nutrients and is a different flavour to anything you’ve ever had before. My grandma once made it in Freetown, Sierra Leone, with fufu (pounded cassava root and green plantains, rolled into small balls) — proper authentic. I choked on a fish bone but it was the best meal I’ve ever had.
Perfect for trendsetters and taste explorers alike, the plant-based revolution, continues to grow every year, with evermore people choosing to trial and embrace this way of life for both their wellbeing, and the good of the planet! A flavour-packed adventure, the Rastafarian Ital cuisine is like a carnival for your taste buds, blending vibrant flavours with alkaline and protein-rich ingredients like callaloo, lentils, and beans, which play key roles in these recipes. Rastafarians choose to follow a natural, plant-based diet for reasons including increased energy levels, minimal additives, and a deeper connection to Earth.
Junkanoo, a polychromatic burst of music, dance, storytelling, and parades practiced in the Bahamas, was recently inscribed on the 2023 UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It’s the first intangible—a practice, skill, tradition, or craft—in the island nation recognized by the international cultural organization.
With dozens of luxurious all-inclusive resorts and some of the most popular attractions in the Caribbean, a trip to Jamaica can be pricey. But it doesn’t have to be.
Set between the beauty of the Caribbean Sea and the craggy ridges of the Blue Mountain range, Jamaica’s attractions range from hidden waterfalls and white-sand beaches to historical architecture, great food and unique ecosystems.
There are so many natural and cultural treasures dotted all over the island of Jamaica that it's no wonder visitors continue to come back years after their first trip.