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Condé Nast Traveler picks
 Best of Jamaica
Utterly distinct from other islands in the Caribbean, Jamaica is bigger, bolder, brasher, and much more complicated. Indeed, it's a real country, with real politics, music, literature, and history. Which isn't to say that it doesn't have some of the most beguiling beaches in the entire Caribbean, as well as dramatic mountains, a serious city in Kingston, and rolling green hills and valleys in the center of the island that could be in England. It has attitude and personality, and offers the curious visitor so much more than just beaches and bars.
Attractions & Activities With its amazing scenery and coastline, Jamaica has endless choices for people who like to be outdoors. Let's start with beaches because that's what most visitors think of when they come to this part of the world. If you want a long stretch of sand (seven miles) with enough bars, restaurants, and fun to keep you from feeling bored, then Negril, just west of Montego Bay, is the place. Follow the coast farther west and you reach Treasure Beach, which is smaller but still spectacular. Probably the prettiest beach on the island is Frenchman's Cove, along the north coast, a gentle curve of sand edged by steep jungle-covered hills, with its own sparkling freshwater river running along one side into the sea. The Blue Lagoon, to the east, near Port Antonio, is a mix of warm ocean water and ice-cold water from a mineral spring—and possibly the most romantic place to swim on the entire island. Near Ocho Rios, on the north coast, try climbing up Dunn's River Falls if you feel energetic (876-974-2857; dunnsriverja.com). If you feel lazy, near Port Antonio you can take a raft down the Rio Grande through the stunning foothills of the John Crow Mountains, as Errol Flynn used to do. Serious hikers should skip the rafting and instead put their boots on and explore the surrounding hills, some of the island's most beautiful and pristine landscapes. If you're a nature lover, visit the Royal Palm Reserve, near Negril, with its majestic palm trees towering over huge wetlands full of rare flora and fauna, or try the Cranbrook Flower Forest, near Ocho Rios, where some of the world's rarest tropical flowers bloom (876-770-8071; cranbrookff.com). The famous Blue Mountains not only produce the best coffee on earth (ask the Japanese, who have practically cornered the market) but also provide the kind of breathtaking, rugged scenery that rewards intrepid hikers with views stretching clear across the Caribbean, all the way to Cuba. Cockpit Country is green and rolling and the ideal place to go riding. Trot over to the Good Hope Plantation, inland from Falmouth, to hire horses by the day (301-229-4300; jamaicavillas.com; trail rides, $35 per person). Two hundred years ago, Jamaica was an enormously rich island—thanks to sugar and slaves—and the plantation owners built themselves huge country houses, some of which, like Rose Hall (888-910-7673; rosehall.com), have been restored and are now open to the public. If you're into visiting historic houses, don't forget Firefly, just above Oracabessa. Noël Coward's home, it has the best view on the island (876-725-0920). Reggae is an intrinsic part of Jamaica. This is Bob Marley country, and you can visit his namesake museum in Kingston (876-927-9152; bobmarley-foundation.com) or get tickets for the Reggae Sumfest festival, which takes place in Montego Bay in late July (876-953-2933; reggaesumfest.com). Because Jamaicans drive the way they dance—full out—and because a decent air-conditioned rental car can cost about $100 a day, spoil yourself and add a driver for another $50. Professional drivers know the roads and where not to stop. Happily for travelers to Fleming's (and Bond's) north coast havens, the region around Ocho Rios is sufficiently well removed from Negril to the west and Kingston to the south—both of which have a reputation that warrants caution. Lodging Like much of the Caribbean, Jamaica is increasingly the land of the all-inclusive beach hotel. Only one ranks on Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List of top hotels around the world: the Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Beach & Villa Resort, in the middle of the north coast. To many, though, the charm of Jamaica works best when you stay at a hotel that isn't too large. If you absolutely must have American-style mega size and luxe, your best bet is probably the Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort, Rose Hall, on the north coast, where the 18-hole golf course is the latest of 12 on the island and the restaurant, Horizon, is one of Jamaica's best, serving Mediterranean cuisine with an indigenous edge. Otherwise go for something smaller. One choice, the Jamaica Inn, in Ocho Rios, is where Winston Churchill and Noël Coward used to hang out. Its elegant lawns, one of which is for croquet, and requirement that male guests wear a shirt with a collar at dinner give the place a hint of formality, and it has a perfect little private beach, a pool, and four breathtaking new cottages. Or try Round Hill, on an elevation near Montego Bay. It too seems to have been here forever, and was once popular with the likes of President Kennedy and Princess Grace. More recently, Ralph Lauren, who owns a villa at Round Hill, redecorated this Pineapple House Hotel property. In Port Antonio, The Trident was John Kennedy, Jr.'s favorite, with its pagoda-style villas and peacocks wandering the lawn. Music and hotel mogul Chris Blackwell owns a number of great hotels on the island and has transformed Goldeneye, Ian Fleming's old house, into a small and exclusive resort with four villas, a gazebo bar/restaurant, and several small private beaches. Less expensive but just as stylish are Blackwell's Jake's, on Treasure Beach, and The Caves, in Negril. And in the Blue Mountains high above Kingston, Blackwell also owns Strawberry Hill. The area's only luxury hotel, it has gingerbread villas set on stilts and surrounded by jungle, and the best brunch on the island is served every Sunday on the terrace. Dining For the real flavor of Jamaica, avoid eating in the big hotels and dig in at the little roadside places where the locals eat or the more sophisticated restaurants that serve genuine local dishes made from fresh produce. Jerked food is the culinary equivalent of reggae: all Jamaican, all the time. The roadside stands are everywhere, but for the island's very best jerk, go to Boston Beach, where the jerk should always be chased down with an ice-cold Red Stripe beer. Norma Shirley, the reigning queen of Jamaican cuisine, has three establishments, all of which are wonderful. Her first restaurant, Norma's, which originally overlooked the water in Montego Bay, has reopened on the beach at Sea Splash Resort in Negril (Norman Manley Blvd.; 876-957-4041; entrées, $13–$25). There's also Norma's on the Terrace at Devon House, an impressive nineteenth-century pile in Kingston (26 Hope Rd.; 876-968-5488; entrées, $14–$33). Her newest is Norma's at the Marina Port Antonio (876-993-9510; entrées, $11–$19). The food at the hotel Strawberry Hill is well worth the climb up the windy road from Kingston (Irish Town, St. Andrew; 876-944-8400; entrées, $22–$42). The best beach bar in the world is Time n Place, just outside Falmouth, which serves fried fish and jerk chicken in a shack that looks like something Robinson Crusoe might have built (876-843-3625; entrées, $5–$20). If you crave Italian, try Toscanini, in Ocho Rios, where the marlin is local but the herbs and olive oil are decidedly Tuscan (Route 3, Harmony Hall; 876-975-4785; entrées, $12–$24). Truth in Travel is the guiding principle for all content published in Condé Nast Traveler. Other travel publications often accept free travel and accommodations. Condé Nast Traveler does not. It is independent of the travel industry. The magazine always pays its way, and, as far as possible, its correspondents travel anonymously. By doing so, they experience the world—both the good and the bad—as other travelers do, and their reports and recommendations are fair, impartial, and authoritative.
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