Jamaica Travel Guide

Apart from its reggae music and colourful clothes, Jamaica represents a paradise of beaches with soft sand, turquoise water, gentle breeze and sunshine. One of them is Seven Mile Beach in Negril. The golden sands of Seven Mile Beach are located on the western coast of Jamaica. The atmosphere here is relaxed, laid back. Nudity, however, is just as prevalent; this beach is known for its nude bathing. When you‘re tired of sunbathing, there are swimming pools, hot tubs and bars were you can interact with different people.

There are beautiful beaches even in Port Antonio. Boston Bay Beach is known for its huge waves, perfect for surfing and fishing. The former owner donated the beach to the Jamaican state. There are bars and restaurants on the beach were you can enjoy traditional jerk pork.

If you want to visit a famous place then go to the Blue Lagoon Beach. Here was made the movie Blue Lagoon, staring Brooke Shields. One of the most wonderful beaches in the world is Frenchman's Bay. Here tourists can swim, surf or just sunbathe, enjoying a spectacular view. In order to enjoy all these, tourists have to pay a small charge.

Just outside of Kingston lies Lime Cay. Tourists can swim and practice water sports. You can rent a boat from Port Royal in order to get there.

The region surrounding Montego Bay offers tourists a series of beaches. One of them is Cornwall Beach. With white soft sand and warm water, this place is ideal for those who travel together with their family. This beach is full with lively activities, most of them water sports. Doctors Cave Beach is another favourite place of families. The spot was discovered by a group of doctors in 1906. The warm waters have mineral springs at source. The cave was destroyed by a hurricane and nowadays it no longer exists. This place gained even more popularity in 1920 when Sir Herbert Bake claimed that these waters had curative powers. Tourists have to pay a small charge. Walter Fletcher Beach offers bathing and swimming opportunities.

In Ocho Rios there are a few beaches that worth visiting. James Bond Beach is situated in front of the Golden Eye Hotel. This hotel was once the residence of Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond novels. For a small fee visitors can sunbathe and surf in this location.

Turtle Beach and Mallard Beach are the most popular beaches in Jamaica. The range of activities varies from water sports to enjoying a traditional meal in one of the restaurants located on the beach. Another beautiful spot is Dunn's River Beach. Situated at Dunn's River Waterfalls, tourists can swim in small whirlpools, climb the falls or lay back and enjoy the sun.

Jamaica offers a wide range of activities for those interested in visiting this wonderful island. All starts from its geographical diversity: the mountains represent an ideal place for hiking, while the seaside coast offers the possibility of fishing and snorkelling, thus coming across beautiful marine species right in their habitat. For those who want more than taking advantage of the scenery, there are the popular music festivals, Junkanoo and carnivals. So, it doesn’t matter what your preferences are because Jamaica is the land that provides activities that suit each tourist.

ACTIVITIES
Water sports take an important place in the activities of beautiful Jamaica. The ideal place for snorkeling in Jamaica is in Montego Bay. The attraction of this place is Doctor's Cave Beach. You can go snorkeling accompanied by a guide or alone and experience the beauty of these settings. You should know that snorkeling gear is provided by the local tour guides.

The Caribbean Sea waters the shores of Jamaica, thus fishing represents a main activity. The large variety of fishes makes has turned fishing into a sport of the deeper waters. You can catch bonefish or even barracuda. You can fish from the shore, thus it won’t hurt your budget, or you can rent a boat and fish the area's shallow waters. It is up to you!

The coral reefs that are situated on the edges of some volcanic islands represent the place for reef fishing. You’re most likely to find here fish from the yellowtail snapper to grouper. Reef fishermen use live bait such as conch or squid; they say that interesting fish will be caught using live bait.

If you are fond of diving, then you must go to Negril. The caves and caverns found here are the best spots for exploring the underwater scenery. One of these spots is The Throne Room. Situated at 65 feet below sea level, you will be amazed by the 40-foot-wide cavern with yellow sponges on the walls. The Arch is another perfect place for diving and taking picture of the red sponges. At Rock Cliff Reef you can swim and observe the eels in their habitat, while Sharks Reef is the nursing place for sharks.
But Negril isn’t the only place where tourists may take diving. Runaway Bay, Spanish Anchor, Shipwreck Reef and Canyon offer great diving opportunities. At Ocho Rios the purpose of the man-made sunken ship reef was to create an environment for the fish and coral. There are other diving sites in the Montego Bay Marine Park. The park was created in 1990 to preserve the beauty of the Jamaican underwater habitat. One of the most famous diving sites is Widowmaker's Cave. This is a cave located at 80 feet below sea-level; it is a spectacular view!

If you want something more spectacular than a boat trip, then you should choose a charter trip. There are agencies that offer tourists the possibility to have a picnic on a remote part of the island, to make sightseeing tours or just admire a panoramic landscape of the marvelous surroundings of Jamaica.

You want more than a short charter flight? No problem! There is also the opportunity of chartering a boat or yacht for your trip to Jamaica. But you should know that the prices for chartered boats resemble to those of an all-inclusive hotel accommodation or even a cruise on a ship. Although these voyages may vary, they generally last 10 days to two weeks. If there is a crew, then 10 percent of the charter price will go to paying them.

There are three types of charters: captained charters, crewed charters and bareboat charters. While for bareboat charters you have to find yourself a captain, if you choose captained charters, you will have to find crew. So the most appropriate choice is the crewed charter; you have a crew, a captain and even a chef. It is very important to find the right crew as they know the sited that suit your preferences. All you have to do is lay back and enjoy your vacation.

Another great activity is rafting. What more can you want then the sensation of falling down the waterfalls of the great River! Don’t worry! You will be accompanied by trained rafting guides along the tour which lasts approximately 1½ to 2 hours.
For those interested more in water sports there is AquaSol Park in Montego Bay. Here tourists can experience kayaks, pedal boats, water trampolines, jet skis, banana boat rides and snorkeling. You can also play tennis on the two tennis courts, beach volley ball or table tennis.

Visit Jamaica and you won’t regret it!

When you are in a foreign country knowing where the nearest consulate is may prove to be very useful. So here is a list of the US consulates which can be found in the major cities of this country:

• Kingston (Embassy, link: http://usembassy.state.gov/kingston/)