Jamaica presents a kaleidoscope of colours and sounds that make the island one of the Caribbean’s most precious destinations. It’s beloved by travellers for its unique culture, engaging activities, breathtaking landscapes, and warm, welcoming people.
Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean Sea. Located about 965 kilometres south of Miami, Florida, this mountainous island offers beautiful beaches, pristine waterfalls, cosmopolitan cities, soulful music, gourmet food and world-famous coffee and rum. The weather is virtually perfect and the countryside offers an unmatched beauty. Move to the island beat with the locals (who always find a reason to dance) or get away from it all and relax on the beach beside clear, calm, bright-blue water. Come feel the sand between your toes and be seduced by the rhythm of life on this fascinating island.
Montego Bay, the capital of Saint James Parish on Jamaica’s north coast, is a major cruise ship port with numerous beach resorts and golf courses outside its commercial core. Popular beaches include Walter Fletcher Beach, home to the Aquasol Theme Park, and Doctor’s Cave Beach. The protected waters and coral reefs of Montego Bay Marine Park offer snorkelling and diving.
There are all sorts of local fruits and vegetables that most Canadians will find exotic, including tamarinds, rose apples, soursops, ortaniques, jackfruit, callaloo, yampies, tannias and susumbers. Try Bombay mango (despite the name, it’s a Jamaican cultivar) in coconut cream for dessert.
For a snack, there is guava cheese, a plantain tart or – Jamaicans’ own favourite – a patty (pastry filled with spicy ground meat).
Montego Bay has a tropical climate with warm weather all year round and you can be sure of plenty of sun whichever month you visit. There are nine hours of sunshine to look forward to each day in February – perfect for relaxing on Montego Bay’s sun-drenched beaches. The average temperature in Montego Bay is 25°C in February, with highs of 29°C and lows of 21°C.
Craft markets are commonplace in Jamaica’s resort areas. Vendors sell items made of indigenous materials like lignum vitae wood, jippi jappa straw, John Crow beads, coral, alabaster and bamboo. Straw hats and bags are traditionally popular. Wood sculpture is a skill many Jamaican men have mastered. Don’t be hesitant to stop at roadside displays of carvings and crafts and don’t forget to haggle or bargain for your purchase.
Optional tours will be available to sign up for at your own cost prior to the trip departure.
Innumerable recreation opportunities await you under the Jamaican sun. It goes without saying that water sports are extremely popular here: snorkelling, scuba diving, windsurfing and water skiing are common. Beachfront resorts provide plenty of opportunity for swimming and tanning; Most resorts and hotels feature tennis courts; and a number of excellent golf courses provide plenty of opportunity to tee off.
Plunge into an underwater world of deep secrets. You’ll be astounded by rainbows of shimmering tropical fish, along with star, rose and giant pillar corals and a rockscape of caves, canyons and crevices. All the equipment you need can be rented anywhere on the island.
Water skiing here is a pure delight. Blue Lagoon in Port Antonio and Doctor’s Cave Beach in Montego Bay are among the best of an incredible number of ideal spots.
Climb nature’s gently terraced stairway at Dunn’s River Falls — 600 feet of cascades in all. Go for a cooling dip at Somerset Falls. Or just take in the view of the falls at Shaw Park.
Rafting on a jungle-fringed river on bamboo rafts is one of the most peaceful and romantic things to do in Montego Bay. It's also a relaxing way to soak up the lush scenery of Jamaica's countryside.
Ride on the wind while parasailing . . . or with the wind on a Sunfish. Breeze along the North Shore on a windsurfer. And at Boston Beach, the waves are high enough for surfing.
Hire a boat and head for the waters teeming with marlin, snapper, tuna, sailfish and more. Or try your luck in one of the many rivers, where snook, mullet and tarpon are just waiting to bite.