Why go to Jamaica? The 10 good reasons to go Jamaica
Jamaican rafting
On a bamboo raft, you descend beautiful emerald green rivers. A must.
The reggae, still and always
Reggae is heard everywhere and the bass of the sound system dance hall resounds in the evening
Picturesque villages
You will be struck by the beauty of the fishing villages as well as the mountain hamlets.
The Blue Mountains
These jungle-covered mountains rise to 2,200 meters in the center of the island, a protected Eden.
Dream beaches
Jamaica is famous for its legendary beaches of white sand and turquoise water.
Beautiful waterfalls
Dunn's River Falls, YS Falls, Blue Hole... we swim in pure waterfalls.
A delicious Creole cuisine
The famous chicken or pork jerk, made in Jamaica, and many tasty and spicy dishes.
Fun and cool people
Yamon, One love, as soon as you arrive you are charmed by an authentic Jamaican coolness
The party in Kingston
The capital is not touristy but known for its bars and reggae dance hall parties.
Nature attractions
The island has many amusement parks and nature activities suitable for families.
What to visit Jamaica?
Interview: My Jamaica
by Camille Griffoulières, author of the guide
Journalist and author of travel guides for the Petit Futé for 12 years, Camille Griffoulières shares here her love for Jamaica. Here are her best plans for visits, hotels, restaurants and bars in the tourist hot spots, but also the hidden beaches, the enchanting Blue Mountains, the sound systems in Kingston, the emerald waterfalls and the timeless fishing villages.
See the video of the interviewGood to know to visit Jamaica
Timetable
In Kingston, where most of the museums are located, the opening hours vary greatly from one place to another (check before you go), but few are open on Saturdays and even fewer on Sundays. They close early, between 4 and 6 pm
For the natural sites, generally located in the mountainous foothills of the island, in the jungle, like rivers, waterfalls (like Dunn's River Falls, YS Falls, etc.), or the Blue Hole, keep in mind that it gets dark suddenly at 6pm, you are in the tropics! So to have a clear blue water of the waterfalls and the river under the sun, arrive rather between 10 am and 2 pm even if the sites are often open until 4 pm.
To be booked
The big Jamaican musical event is the Reggae Sumfest which takes place every year in Montego Bay in July. It is necessary to reserve your place well in advance.
Budget & Tips
You should know that visits are quite expensive in Jamaica, almost all museums are private. The Institute of Jamaica, which presents beautiful museum collections, is very affordable. Other visits generally cost US$ 20 per adult and the guided tour is often included. Tours in amusement parks are more like 50 to 150 US$ per person (swimming with dolphins, zip line, Jamaican rafting, etc.).
Guided tours
Visits to museums and plantations are often guided, and a tip is expected at the end of the visit. To discover an authentic Jamaica, receptive agencies (such as the French-Jamaican Latitude Jamaica) also offer to go off the beaten track to meet the population.
Smokers
You can smoke in Jamaica, not indoors but almost everywhere outside, including ganja. Even if the tourists are supposed to have a prescription to have the right to consume it (which can be made in the minute in shops which sell some), the police is not there to check that the law is respected and that the tourists walk well with their prescription. They have - it must be said - other things to do in the difficult ghettos given the crime rate of the country, and it is also a clear will: ganja is a business that is now also part of the tourist attractions of the island.
Tourist traps
Hustlers wait for tourists in the very touristy areas of Ocho Rios in Negril. From car washes to drug sales, a tour of the city or neighborhood or simply the shakedown of a coin or a cigarette, the list of services they offer and activities they engage in is endless.
