Sights Overview

Where vacationers opt to make their Jamaican home away from home depends on factors ranging from the length of their vacation to personal interests. With its direct air connections to many cities in the United States, Montego Bay (or MoBay) is favored by Americans taking short trips; many properties are just minutes from the airport. Two hours east of the airport lies Ocho Rios (often just Ochi), a lush destination that's favored by honeymooners for its tropical beauty and myriad couples-only resorts. Ocho Rios is also a popular cruise port and where you can find one of the island's most recognizable attractions: the stair-step Dunn's River Falls, which invites travelers to climb in daisy-chain fashion, hand-in-hand behind a sure-footed guide.

As you continue east from Ocho Rios (although many travelers opt to fly into Kingston and take a short flight), Port Antonio is considered the most beautiful, untouched area of Jamaica, a hideaway for the rich and famous since Errol Flynn first lived there.

Nearly two hours west of MoBay lies Negril, once a hippie haven and now a growing destination that still hangs on to its laid-back roots despite the addition of several expansive all-inclusive resorts in recent years.

The South Coast is more attractive to those travelers looking for funky fun in small, one-of-a-kind resorts and an atmosphere that encourages them to get out and mingle in the community, whether that means a game of dominoes in a local rum shop or a bicycle trip to buy the day's catch from local fisherman. Although the beaches here don't have the white-sand beauty of their northern cousins, this area is uncrowded and still largely undiscovered, although it's now home to a large couples-only all-inclusive resort.

Jamaica's capital city, Kingston, is a sharp contrast to the beach destinations. The largest English-speaking city in the western hemisphere south of Miami (with some 800,000 residents), this sprawling metropolis is primarily visited by business travelers or by those who want to learn more about the cultural side of Jamaica, thanks to its numerous galleries, theaters, and cultural programs. But if you really want to understand Jamaica, you can't ignore Kingston.

Touring Jamaica can be both thrilling and frustrating. Rugged (albeit beautiful) terrain and winding (often potholed) roads make for slow going. Before you set off to explore the island by car, always check conditions prior to heading out, but especially in the rainy season from June through October, when roads can easily be washed out. Primary roads that loop around and across the island are two-lane routes but are not particularly well marked. Numbered addresses are seldom used outside major townships, locals drive aggressively, and people and animals seem to have a knack for appearing on the street out of nowhere. That said, Jamaica's scenery shouldn't be missed. To be safe and avoid frustration, stick to guided tours and licensed taxis.

Safety

Jamaica is rich in beauty, but a quick look around reveals widespread poverty and a land where the disparity between the lives of the resort guests and the resort employees is often staggering. High unemployment rates and poor economic opportunities have created a crime problem, one that the tourism board and the government constantly work to resolve. Most safety concerns center on Kingston, with its gang violence. In truth, serious crimes against tourists are rare, but petty theft is sometimes a problem. Property theft is a problem across the island, and there are high rates of burglary and robbery almost everywhere. It's rare to find a middle-class home anywhere without burglar bars.