Jamaica

Jamaica is the third-largest island in the Caribbean, one of the Greater Antilles, lying south of Cuba. English is the official language, while Jamaican Patois is spoken in everyday life. Above Kingston, the capital, rise the Blue Mountains, with the island’s highest summit, Blue Mountain Peak (2,256 m), hiking trails and the celebrated Blue Mountain coffee. Kingston is the home of reggae and of Bob Marley.

Most resorts lie along the north coast. Montego Bay and its Sangster International Airport are the main gateway, with old estates and golf courses around Rose Hall. Near Ocho Rios, Dunn’s River Falls cascade down to the sea; in Oracabessa, Ian Fleming wrote his James Bond novels; and Port Antonio is known for the Blue Lagoon and bamboo rafting on the Rio Grande. Negril in the west has Seven Mile Beach and sea cliffs; the quieter south coast has Treasure Beach and Black River. Jamaican cooking means jerk, ackee and saltfish, and rum; there are also reefs for snorkelling, horse riding and golf.

It is warm all year, and the trade winds and sea breezes soften the heat. The drier season runs roughly from December to April, and the wetter one, with hurricane season, roughly from June to November. Jamaica suits couples and honeymooners, golfers, families, music and food lovers, nature lovers and adventurers.