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Jamaica TRAVEL GUIDE AND DEALS

Just two hours south of Florida, Jamaica is a short commute to a world away. Boasting white-sand beaches and a laid-back vibe, this slice of sunny Shangri-la is the most visited island in the Caribbean and a perennial favorite of sun worshippers who come for an authentic island experience.

Why Go

 For relaxation, reggae, and rum-infused drinks at affordable (or, if you prefer, high-end) prices.

Jamaica Travel Deals

Jamaica Hotels

Long a top destination, the Caribbean’s largest English-speaking island has a dizzying array of hotels, inns, and villas to choose from, many considered among the world’s best. It’s also the birthplace of the all-inclusive resort – an option that simplifies dining and price decisions but delivers a gated, and sometimes isolated, experience from Jamaica’s problems – and pleasures. Finer lodgings, which start around $300 per night and skyrocket from there, tend to be clustered on the island’s north coast. Most of the island’s all-inclusives fall into the moderate category, with rooms available between $150 and $300 per night. Budget options for under $150 can be found island-wide and tend to offer a traditional, authentic Jamaican experience – just be sure to inquire about safety before booking (never, ever book a room in a budget hotel without a 24-hour security guard).

= Smart Splurge = Great Value

Geejam
Opened in March 2008 by British record executive Jon Baker, this unique property includes a state-of-the-art studio where... luxury | smart splurge | expensive

GoldenEye
Okay, it’s expensive but Jamaica’s most extraordinary resort includes the opportunity to ‘lax in the villa where Ian... smart splurge | all-inclusive | expensive | editor pick

Round Hill
This old-school yet intimately relaxed resort has benefited from a wave of recent changes. In spring of 2007, a Ralph Lauren... family | smart splurge | expensive

Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa
If you’re going “all-inclusive,” this is the best of Jamaica’s seven wildly popular Sandals resorts. The genuinely... all-inclusive | expensive | editor pick

Jake's
If you are searching for an authentic, all-inclusive antidote to the “gated” Jamaican experience, you can’t do better... trendy | great value

Rock House
You’d expect to pay a lot more for the stylish, Mediterranean-tropical vibe that pervades this one-time hangout of the Bobs... trendy | views | great value

Kuyaba
Kuyaba has 26 accommodations, including a “treehouse” suite popular with honeymooners and rustic cottages that are a... great value

Morgan's Harbour Resort and Marina
Named for the infamous pirate/governor of Jamaica, Henry Morgan, this nautically-themed, 61-room property is your best base... views | waterfront

Rooms Ocho Rios
No-frills here, but this modern, 97-room property puts you on a nice stretch of beach in this north coast resort town. Besides... water sports

Jamaica Inn
With its croquet-perfect lawn sweeping down to one of the island’s best private beaches, this seductively elegant inn will... great value | editor pick

Mockingbird Hill
Treat yourself to the classic Port Antonio experience in a villa-turned-inn surrounded by magnificent tropical gardens and... culinary | views | art

Terra Nova All Suite Hotel
Although it primarily attracts business travelers, Terra Nova’s white-glove service and abundance of character makes this...

Geejam
Opened in March 2008 by British record executive Jon Baker, this unique property includes a state-of-the-art studio where... smart splurge | trendy | expensive

GoldenEye
Okay, it’s expensive but Jamaica’s most extraordinary resort includes the opportunity to ‘lax in the villa where Ian... smart splurge | all-inclusive | expensive | editor pick

Round Hill
This old-school yet intimately relaxed resort has benefited from a wave of recent changes. In spring of 2007, a Ralph Lauren... family | smart splurge | expensive

Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa
If you’re going “all-inclusive,” this is the best of Jamaica’s seven wildly popular Sandals resorts. The genuinely... all-inclusive | expensive | editor pick

Geejam
Opened in March 2008 by British record executive Jon Baker, this unique property includes a state-of-the-art studio where... luxury | smart splurge | expensive

Jake's
If you are searching for an authentic, all-inclusive antidote to the “gated” Jamaican experience, you can’t do better... budget | great value

Rock House
You’d expect to pay a lot more for the stylish, Mediterranean-tropical vibe that pervades this one-time hangout of the Bobs... moderate | views | great value

Jake's
If you are searching for an authentic, all-inclusive antidote to the “gated” Jamaican experience, you can’t do better... trendy | great value

Kuyaba
Kuyaba has 26 accommodations, including a “treehouse” suite popular with honeymooners and rustic cottages that are a... great value

Morgan's Harbour Resort and Marina
Named for the infamous pirate/governor of Jamaica, Henry Morgan, this nautically-themed, 61-room property is your best base... views | waterfront

Rooms Ocho Rios
No-frills here, but this modern, 97-room property puts you on a nice stretch of beach in this north coast resort town. Besides... water sports

Jamaica Inn
With its croquet-perfect lawn sweeping down to one of the island’s best private beaches, this seductively elegant inn will... great value | editor pick

Mockingbird Hill
Treat yourself to the classic Port Antonio experience in a villa-turned-inn surrounded by magnificent tropical gardens and... culinary | views | art

Rock House
You’d expect to pay a lot more for the stylish, Mediterranean-tropical vibe that pervades this one-time hangout of the Bobs... trendy | views | great value

Terra Nova All Suite Hotel
Although it primarily attracts business travelers, Terra Nova’s white-glove service and abundance of character makes this...

Jamaica Restaurants

Eating well is one of Jamaica’s great pleasures. While you’ll pay top dollar in restaurants that make creative use of Jamaican cuisine’s African, indigenous, and British influences, you’ll find the splurge worthwhile. At the same time, don’t shy away from roadside “cooksheds,” which are the best places for inexpensive (but authentic) treats like jerk chicken and pork, fish, and roast yam. Jamaicans know their food, so stop where it’s busy.

= Smart Splurge = Great Value

Evita's
Italian meets Rastafarian cooking at this quaint, gingerbread-trimmed cottage overlooking the resort town of Ocho Rios. Pastas... celebrity hangout | restaurants

Ivan's
Have your obligatory sunset cocktail at Rick’s next door, but head to Ivan’s to dine (and continue drinking, if you’re... restaurants

Jack Sprat
A fabulous DJ and bonfires on the beach enliven the scene at this colorful, super-casual spot that’s a favorite with local... family | great value | seafood | restaurants

Little Ochie
A destination in itself, this expanded Jamaican cookshed serves its finger-licking delicacies in thatched fishing dories... great value | seafood | waterfront | restaurants | editor pick

Gloria's Rendezvous
Fresh fish soup or “fish tea” from the fishermen across the road and “bammy” (cassava flatcakes) are a Kingston... seafood | restaurants

Scotchies
Line up with locals and tourists for authentic Jamaican “jerk” at this pleasant barbecue pit with its picnic tables under... seafood | restaurants

Mille Fleurs
A loving commitment to local ingredients and classic technique along with gorgeous tropical gardens and mountain views combine... smart splurge | views | restaurants | editor pick

Strawberry Hill
Perched 3,000-feet-high in the Blue Mountains, the out-of-this-world vistas of Kingston and the Caribbean alone are worth the... smart splurge | views | restaurants | editor pick

The Sugar Mill
Set next to a softly-lit, 19th-century waterwheel, this charming country restaurant served as a romantic trysting-place in the... romantic | restaurants

Evita's
Italian meets Rastafarian cooking at this quaint, gingerbread-trimmed cottage overlooking the resort town of Ocho Rios. Pastas... celebrity hangout | restaurants

Ivan's
Have your obligatory sunset cocktail at Rick’s next door, but head to Ivan’s to dine (and continue drinking, if you’re... restaurants

Jack Sprat
A fabulous DJ and bonfires on the beach enliven the scene at this colorful, super-casual spot that’s a favorite with local... family | great value | seafood | restaurants

Little Ochie
A destination in itself, this expanded Jamaican cookshed serves its finger-licking delicacies in thatched fishing dories... great value | seafood | waterfront | restaurants | editor pick

Gloria's Rendezvous
Fresh fish soup or “fish tea” from the fishermen across the road and “bammy” (cassava flatcakes) are a Kingston... seafood | restaurants

Scotchies
Line up with locals and tourists for authentic Jamaican “jerk” at this pleasant barbecue pit with its picnic tables under... seafood | restaurants

Mille Fleurs
A loving commitment to local ingredients and classic technique along with gorgeous tropical gardens and mountain views combine... smart splurge | views | restaurants | editor pick

Strawberry Hill
Perched 3,000-feet-high in the Blue Mountains, the out-of-this-world vistas of Kingston and the Caribbean alone are worth the... smart splurge | views | restaurants | editor pick

The Sugar Mill
Set next to a softly-lit, 19th-century waterwheel, this charming country restaurant served as a romantic trysting-place in the... romantic | restaurants

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