Jamaica Jamaica, with its jungle interior, breathtaking waterfalls, gorgeous beaches, and spectacular mountains, may be the biggest tourist destination in the Caribbean. Columbus landed here in 1494, and the island was under Spanish rule for more than a century and a half. The British came in 1655 and controlled the island until independence in 1962. The island has 200 miles of beaches. Many are public, though an admission fee may be charged. Most large resorts have private beaches. The least crowded beaches are to be found on the southwest coast of the island. Official language: English, though there is an island patois that is a mixture of English, Spanish, and various African dialects. Kingston The sprawling capital of Jamaica, home to 800,000 people, is the largest English-speaking city in the Western Hemisphere south of Miami. Like the country itself, it is a cultural mélange, with roots in Africa, but many European and Caribbean influences. Bob Marley, the Jamaican musician who brought Rastafarian music to international attention and the recording studio he built is preserved as the Bob Marley Museum. Guided tours bring visitors through Marley's medicinal herb garden and other rooms that chronicle Marley's rise to international stardom. Negril Negril, on the extreme western end of the island, at one time had a reputation as a haven for counterculture. While the place has calmed down somewhat in recent years, the area still has its wild streak. At the Hedonism II resort, for example, guests have the option of enjoying themselves on a nude beach, or playing nude volleyball or nude shuffleboard. Those who choose to keep their clothes on may leave the resort and go to Rick's Cafe, to watch the sunset while divers jump from 50-foot cliffs into the ocean below. Ocho Rios This area is home to Dunn's River Falls, possibly the most-photographed attraction in Jamaica. The falls are a series of stone steps that allow old mountain water to cascade down into the Caribbean. The adventurous can slide down the steps with the water. Just outside of Ocho Rios is Prospect Plantation, a resort that allows visitors a glimpse into Jamaica's agricultural heritage. There are many exotic plants on the grounds, and visitors can ride horses or play miniature golf. |
