Known as the no-winter island, Cuba cycles through mild to warm to hot-as-hell weather with the changing seasons.
23.12.2023 - 08:45 / lonelyplanet.com
Jamaica is its own ting, man, unlike any other place. Be it the creativity of its arts scene, the mouthwatering cuisine or the culture that birthed reggae music, Jamaica lives up to the hype as one of the most popular Caribbean destinations.
The 14 unique parishes encourage a slower type of travel and this is one of the many reasons why many visitors find themselves coming back over and over again. From the lush greenery of the Blue Lagoon and the stunning beaches to the lively nightlife scene, here are the best places to visit on the third-largest island in the Caribbean.
Best place for hiking
The Portland parish has Jamaica’s longest coastline, more than 75 caves and an abundance of tropical vegetation as far as the eye can see, including banana, coconut and breadfruit trees.
The highest of the highlights, rising to more than 2256m (7401ft), is Blue Mountain Peak. You may groan when the alarm goes off but it's worth making the effort to take a predawn hike to its summit for a sunrise view – on a clear day you can see as far as Cuba.
Planning tip: It's best to visit between January and April if hiking will be a fixture of your vacation – the weather is drier and less prone to storms.
Best place for a freshwater dip
Captured in the 1990 movie of the same name, the Blue Lagoon is one of Jamaica's most beautiful locations – a 55m-deep (180ft) extinct volcano surrounded by greenery.
You'll get a refreshing rush from where the cool freshwater springs meet the warm seawater. This combination of waters also results in stunning color changes through varying shades of green throughout the day.
Best place to enjoy waterfalls
If you love waterfalls, the eastern part of Port Antonio is a must-see destination on your Jamaica trip – four of them await you here. The best of the bunch is Reach Falls, with its underwater caves, a heart-shaped "jacuzzi" (where smaller waterfalls have carved out a heart-shaped space for sitting and letting the cascade massage your shoulders), mountain views and beautiful vegetation.
Water tumbles over limestone tiers from one hollowed, jade-colored pool into the next. It’s possible to walk, wade and swim your way up to the edge of the falls by an unmarked jungle path someway below the main entrance.
Planning tip: If you want to climb to the top of the falls, bring climbing shoes and hire a guide on-site to ensure you don't miss anything along the way.
Best place to enjoy tropical scenery
Located just east of Drapers near Port Antonio, Frenchman's Cove is where water from the Blue Mountains flows into the Caribbean Sea.
The sea and river combo is magical, made more dramatic with the canopy of tropical greenery and white-sand beach. The area is owned by Frenchman's Cove Resort, which means
Known as the no-winter island, Cuba cycles through mild to warm to hot-as-hell weather with the changing seasons.
Emmy-winning travel expert Samantha Brown is constantly on the move. The host of Samantha Brown’s Places to Loveon PBS, which recently kicked off its seventh season, spends more than 150 days a year crisscrossing the globe exploring cities big and small.
From gorgeous cities swaying to the beat of tropical rhythms to unspoiled, lush forests, Cuba delights travelers with a wide variety of contrasting places.
With its grandiose architecture and vibrant culture, Havana continues to be the number one place to visit for travelers to Cuba. But taking a break from the city buzz will recharge your batteries and give you a broader scope of Cuba’s authentic experiences.
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It’s cold out there. A Caribbean getaway has never sounded better. We get it.
Navigating Havana’s confusing dual economy can be a tricky proposition, even for Cubans.
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.
To a first-time traveler, Cuba can seem like a confusing jigsaw puzzle, particularly if you’re breaking free of the resorts and traveling around on your own.
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.
Havana's cultural calendar is full of visit-worthy events every month, with the more prestigious festivals taking place between October and April.
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.