Jamaica Features

Jamaica Features

• Top Attractions
  

  Stroll the corridors of Jamaica's most legendary greathouse, Rose Hall, and you'll hear the legend of Annie, the voodoo-skilled mistress of the... read more

• Weddings and Honeymoons
  

  There's no question that Jamaica is one of the Caribbean's foremost honeymoon and wedding destinations. Romance is in the air here, and the white... read more

• The Tapestry of Jamaica
  

  Around one bend of the winding North Coast Highway lies a palatial home; around another, a shanty without doors or windows. Towns are centers... read more

• Jamaican Bobsled Team
  

  Ice is a rare sight in Jamaica—except in the cocktails enjoyed at many beach bars. But in the 1980s, the idea of founding an Olympic bobsled... read more

• Jamaican Cuisine
  

  Jamaican cuisine, like its people, is a product of a mix of cultures from around the world. Spanish, English, Chinese, East Indian, and other... read more

• Bond, James Bond
  

  Jamaica was a seductive muse for author Ian Fleming, who penned every line of his 13 James Bond novels at his Oracabessa residence, Goldeneye... read more

• Barbecue, Jamaica-Style
  

  Jamaica is well-known for its contributions to the world of music, but the island is also the birthplace of a cooking style known as jerk. Modern... read more

• Goodbye, Columbus
  

  During his second voyage to the New World, rumors of a "land of blessed gold" lured Christopher Columbus to what would later be called Jamaica... read more

• The Man in Black
  

  Jamaica has been home to many famous foreigners—Ian Fleming and Noël Coward in Ocho Rios, Errol Flynn in Port Antonio. Montego Bay... read more

• A Splash of Reggae
  

  Since its birth in the 1960s, reggae has been the cultural heartbeat of Jamaica. Each summer, the pulsating rhythm reverberates as the genre's... read more

• Helping Jamaica's Dogs and Cats
  

  Like many islands, Jamaica has an abundance of stray dogs and cats; the economic downturn has made this situation even more acute as more animals... read more

• Jamaican Patois
  

  If you feel like you're hearing a foreign tongue, you're almost right. The language of the streets is patois, a colorful combination of English... read more

• The Green Flash
  

  Looking directly west, Negril's cliffs are Jamaica's best-loved sunset spot. Hundreds of visitors come every night to watch the end of another... read more

• The Leeward Maroons
  

  Southeast of Montego Bay lies one of the island's most rugged regions, Cockpit Country. Since the mid-1700s this area has been the home of the... read more

• Getting Hitched
  

  With its lush tropical backdrop and wide selection of romantic resorts, Ocho Rios is one of the island's top wedding spots. Weddings are big... read more

• Erroll Flynn in Jamaica
  

  Foul weather caused Errol Flynn to veer off course during a voyage to the Galápagos Islands in 1942, causing him to dock in Port Antonio... read more

• The Black River Great Morass
  

  One of Jamaica's most unique environments, the Black River Great Morass, near the town of Black River, covers 80,000 acres of water, marsh, and... read more

• Jiminy Cricket!
  

  Jamaica played host to the World Cricket Cup in 2007, welcoming teams from around the world to newly built and newly renovated stadiums scattered... read more

• A Helping Hand
  

  Jason Henzell—co-owner of Jake's, president of Island Outpost, and son of the legendary movie producer Perry Henzell (The Harder They Come)—is... read more

• Blue Mountain Coffee
  

  Along the misty slopes of the Blue Mountains grow some of Jamaica's most valuable plants, flourishing in a perfect microclimate of altitude... read more

• Rasta for Beginners
  

  Rastafarians, more commonly known as Rastas, are believers in the divinity of Haile Selassie, former ruler of Ethiopia. Rastafarianism remains... read more

• Birding in Jamaica
  

  Jamaica has an amazing variety of birds—nearly 300 species at last count, with a full 10% of them endemic to the island. This high rate... read more

• The Incredible Peter Tosh
  

  Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh, left the South Coast and headed to Kingston at the age of 15. There he met (and taught guitar to) Bob... read more

• Mad Dogs and Englishmen
  

  A two-week vacation led to a lifelong love affair for Noël Coward. After visiting Jamaica in 1944, the playwright and songwriter would return... read more

• A Jamaican Treasure
  

  A sculptor, educator, and wife of one of Jamaica's most influential prime ministers, Edna Manley was born in England in 1900. As a young woman... read more

• Pirate of the Caribbean
  

  Politics and piracy had close connections in early Jamaica, thanks to one of the most notorious pirates of the Caribbean: Sir Henry Morgan. Most... read more