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Snorkel Bonaire – Discover a Wondrous Underwater World

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Bonaire Snorkeling is one of the Caribbean's best and top of the list of things to do in Bonaire.

Bonaire Snorkeling – See the Amazing Life that Lives Below the Waves…

Bonaire is a small island in the southern Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles, a mere 25 miles (80km) north of the Venezuelan coast. The island is a special municipality of the Netherlands. Safe from hurricanes, Bonaire has a truly amazing climate, relatively warm and dry for most of the year. Famous for it’s pink flamingos and renowned coral reefs, the island is a dream-come-true for adventurers looking for snorkeling, scuba diving and water sports.

Bonaire Snorkeling is one of the Caribbean's best and top of the list of things to do in Bonaire.

With it’s healthy coral reefs and rich marine life, Bonaire is one of the top 3 islands in the Caribbean for snorkeling! Bonaire and Klein Bonaire, a small island less than 1/2 mile (1km) from the main island’s western coast, are encircled by coral reefs providing an amazing biodiversity of oceanic life including colourful fish, coral, sponge and more. Bonaire snorkeling can be enjoyed right off the beach at a number of spots on Bonaire’s western shores and of course there are also several boat operators who can take you to plenty of other locations in Bonaire’s Marine Park and elsewhere around the island.

Slip into the warm Caribbean sea and visit shallow corals on the edge of steep underwater cliffs – Visibility is great as you can clearly see through more than fifty feet (15m) of Bonaire’s clear blue sea. There are plenty of unique and stunning underwater wonders to explore – An underwater world below the waves awaits you. Bonaire snorkeling is an adventure that you just can’t experience on land… If you know where to go – Here’s a few of our favourite spots:

Bonaire’s Best Snorkeling Sites off Klein Bonaire

Klein Bonaire Snorkeling is one of the Caribbean's best and top of the list of things to do in Bonaire.

There’s over a dozen Bonaire snorkeling sites off the shores of Klein Bonaire – Here’s a few samples:

  • Leonora’s Reef offers views of a large variety of corals and sponges / plumes, along with seahorses, fire worms and snails along with fish including groupers, damselfish, butterfly-fish, angelfish, snappers and trunk-fish. Great for beginners!
  • Carl’s Hill is beach accessible and with views starting in about 20 feet of water, it’s a great place to see a wide variety of marine life such as sponges, gorgonians and coral along with fish, including barracudas, bar jacks and schools of blue tang
  • Jerry’s Reef is a deep site that offers views of a large variety of sponges as well as corals, anemones and plumes along with turtles, rays and reef sharks as well as fish including parrotfish and puffers. A great location for beginners and underwater photography.
  • Munk’s Haven is a cool underwater plateau that starts around 30 feet deep and offers views of a large variety of corals and sponges, along with shrimp, turtles and fish including groupers, wrasse and many more
  • Sharon’s Serenity’s views start about 20 feet deep and provides experienced swimmers views of seaplumes, a large variety of coral along with hawksbill and green turtles along with fish including groupers, damselfish, doctorfish, parrotfish and barracuda.  A great location for underwater photography
Klein Bonaire Snorkeling is one of the Caribbean's best and top of the list of things to do in Bonaire.

My first experience snorkeling just off-shore from Klein Bonaire absolutely blew my mind! I have snorkeled in the Caribbean before, however I hadn’t seen anything like this before. After a short boat ride over to the south side of the Klein Bonaire, I stepped off the boat and stuck my face in the calm warm water and literally yelled through my snorkel – Holy S###… We were over a reef so full of life I didn’t know where to look first. Once I settled down, I saw a variety of coral along with colourful tubes and plumes, as well as amazing fish species that I had never seen before. The sand and coral bottom just disappeared over an underwater cliff, and as I was peering into the abyss, a green turtle swam out of the deep towards us. At the second spot we snorkeled at, near the east end of the island, the current was quite a bit stronger. We just drifted with a large school of fish – very invigorating!

For more information on snorkeling Klein Bonaire, including boat operators to get you over there, check out our Klein Bonaire Snorkeling page

Bonaire’s Best Snorkeling Sites North of Kralendijk

Bonaire Snorkeling is one of the Caribbean's best and top of the list of things to do in Bonaire's Washington-Slagbaai National Park


There are 4 designated places to experience Bonaire snorkeling off the islands’ north-west shores from within Washington-Slagbaai National Park. Bise Morto and Boka Slagbaai are both accessed from nearby beaches and offer the prospect of spotting rays, eels, as well as whales and the occasional shark.

There’s over a dozen Bonaire snorkeling spots on the west coast, south of the Park and north of Bonaire’s capital, Kralendijk. Here’s a few, just to whet your appetite for taking a look ‘below the surface’.

  • 1000 Steps is beach accessible and relatively shallow, offering views of turtles and rays along with a wide variety of fish including parrotfish, angelfish and doctorfish. Further offshore you can see a variety of corals and sponges along with durgeons, filefish and large night sergeants and angelfish
  • Kalli’s Reef starts around 30 feet deep and offers views of a variety of marine life including turtles and seahorse
  • Andrea / Pali Coco is fairly shallow and offers views of corals / anamones as well as seahorses and parrotfish. Great for beginners!
  • La Marchaca / Habitat is shore accessible! Snorkeling starts at 20 feet and features a ship-wreck in 50 feet of water
  • Front Porch / Eden Beach is accessible right off the beach! The fun starts in as little as 15 feet of water with views of a large variety of fish as well as a sunken upside tugboat further offshore. Great for beginners!
  • Something Special / Kralendijk Marina has a sandy bottom and is shore accessible! This is a great drift snorkel that starts around 20 feet deep and offers close to a hundred varieties of fish. Great for beginners!

For more information on snorkeling Bonaire’s western shores north of Kralendijk, including tour / boat operators to get you outfitted, click on our Bonaire Snorkeling – North of Kralendijk page

The Best Bonaire Snorkeling Sites South of Kralendijk

There’s a handful of places to snorkel Bonaire’s West Coast, just south of Kralendijk. Eighteen Palms is accessible right off the beach and at 30 feet deep the views often include sting-rays and eagle-rays. A little further south at North Belnem, you should be able to swim with schools of blue tang – Great fun for beginners!

Bonaire Snorkeling is one of the Caribbean's best and top of the list of things to do in Bonaire.

Another half dozen snorkeling spots are just south of the Slave Huts, almost all of them beach accessible. Here’s a small taste…

  • Tori’s Reef is shore accessible! Snorkeling starts around 20 feet deep and offers views of coral, a large variety of fish as well as eels
  • Pink Beach is relatively shallow and is also beach accessible! Experienced swimmers can view rays as well as bone-fish
  • Margate Bay is beach accessible and has a limestone and sand bottom. Snorkeling starts around 25 feet deep and offers views of a variety of corals as well as turtles and rays along with fish including snapper (black margate), doctorfish, parrotfish, angelfish, trumpet-fish, grunt, butterfly-fish and barracuda
  • Sweet Dreams is a fairly remote and quiet spot offering experienced swimmers views of corals, sea fans and anemones as well as turtles and rays along with fish including doctorfish, parrotfish, sergeant majors and barracuda

There’s also a couple of spots for strong swimmers to snorkel on the island’s west coast in the Mangroves of Lac Bay. The reward for venturing in these rougher waters include seeing great coral as well as some large fish.

For more information on snorkeling Bonaire’s western shores south of Kralendijk, including boat / tour operators to get you out there, click on our Bonaire Snorkeling – South of Kralendijk page

For those of you who want to go deeper and stay under water longer, but don’t have scuba diving experience, Snooba (Air Hose Snorkeling) is also available on the island. For more information regarding Tours and Boat Operators to help you snorkel and snooba, check out our Bonaire Snorkeling page

Get out there and have some fun!

Bonaire Snorkeling is one of the Caribbean's best and top of the list of things to do in Bonaire.

ACT Staff

If you’re planning a visit to the island and you’re looking for other exciting activities to experience both on land and in/on the water, take a look at our Bonaire Adventures page

If you’re looking to explore the island at a more relaxing pace, check out our recommended Bonaire Attractions

For an overview of the beautiful island of Bonaire, click on our Bonaire Vacations page

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Hiking through a “veil of vines” in St. Kitts

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Hike St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve National Park. The Bench Trail - Part of the St. Kitts Old Military Trail providing access to the Dos D'ane Pond Trail.

Discovering Vine-land in St. Kitts’ Central Forest Reserve


I’ve always wanted to hike in the St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve National Park, on a trail other than Mount Liamuiga, but I wasn’t sure the so-called hikes offered by the local tour operators were going to be interesting enough for us. So, we rented a car and drove up the west coast of the island to the grounds of the once majestic Wingfield Estate, where I had heard a number of hiking trails originated. Once we got there, I talked to a vendor about hiking in the area and asked if there were any local guides we could hire. Within seconds he was on his phone trying to help us out. After a couple of unsuccessful calls, he was able to reach someone from Old Road Town who would take us on a hike.

Hike St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve National Park. The Bench Trail - Part of the St. Kitts Old Military Trail providing access to the Dos D'ane Pond Trail.

About half an hour later, a friendly fellow named Travis showed up and said he would be happy to take us into the jungle on what he called the “Bench Trail”.  As we would find out, after hiking for an hour or so there’s a rustic wooden bench on the hillside where folks usually rest having just climbed a relatively steep section of the trail, hence the name.  Our hike started with a casual walk along a dirt road behind Wingfield Estate that passed the remains of the recently abandoned Sky Safari Zipline.  It’s amazingly beautiful how quickly tropical nature reclaims ownership of the land when given the opportunity to do so.

We soon left the dirt road, following a narrow path into the jungle. The natural trail took us next to what appeared to be an old riverbank, although the river bed was a green carpet, with just a little trickle of water and the odd puddle. Travis explained that the water was dammed and captured in cisterns much higher up the mountain. This part of the trail follows small pipes that bring clean water down into the local houses and businesses in Old Road Town and the surrounding area.

Hike St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve National Park. The Bench Trail - Part of the St. Kitts Old Military Trail providing access to the Dos D'ane Pond Trail.

We stopped once in a while for Travis to show us various trees and plants bordering the trail. He explained that while some have edible fruit, others have leaves, bark, and roots that can be used for medicinal teas – Apparently curing everything from sore throats, indigestion, and stiff muscles to maybe even cancer. Other plants grow hard bright-coloured seeds that are used as decorative beads in traditional artwork. One tree Travis showed us was the massive locust tree, whose fruit is called ‘stinking toes’ due to their visual likeness and repugnant odour once cracked open. It was more appetizing when Travis pointed out the occasional cocoa tree with its distinctive large pods housing future chocolate.  Then he brought to our attention the stand of almond trees we were walking under. Pretty cool to see the trail littered with partially eaten almond husks.  Apparently, the local vervet (or green) monkeys eat the flesh between the husk and the pit, not realizing what they are missing – I’m sure they would really enjoy the protein-rich nut inside. 

Hike St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve National Park. The Bench Trail - Part of the St. Kitts Old Military Trail providing access to the Dos D'ane Pond Trail.

I always enjoy seeing the large tropical gommier trees with their fascinating rock-hard-looking bark with patches of reddish flakes, and maybe even a little shocked to come across the spike-covered sandbox trees. While intriguing to look at – don’t touch these horrors of the forest! Another interesting fruit Travis showed us was the manciport or mammee apple, whose fruit is apparently nutritious and delicious! We also encountered several species of mango and other edible fruit trees in the rainforest, although the monkeys eat the fruit right before it fully ripens, so unfortunately there is rarely much left for human consumption.

Hike St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve National Park. The Bench Trail - Part of the St. Kitts Old Military Trail providing access to the Dos D'ane Pond Trail.

After about half an hour or so, we left the rainforest’s natural grocery store and pharmacy to head uphill. The trail twisted and turned around large trees constantly taking us higher. While a bit of a workout, it was relatively easy to hike although the incline did get steeper over time as the trail snaked up the mountainside. At Travis’ urging, we stopped a few times to sniff the air.  Yes, I smelled the odour of animals nearby.  While we figured correctly that goats roam the area, Travis suggested that there was something else afoot. He showed us marks on trees where the bark was clearly worn, as well as areas of earth that had been dug up near the roots.  Apparently, these are the signs of feral pigs scratching themselves and rooting for food respectively. As the uphill hike continued, we kept hearing rustling noises above us in the trees.  We were hoping to see monkeys, however, the sounds inevitably turned out to be doves.  This situation repeated itself over and over again – The sight and sounds of startled doves taking flight.

Hike St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve National Park. The Bench Trail - Part of the St. Kitts Old Military Trail providing access to the Dos D'ane Pond Trail.

After another half hour or so, we were quite sweaty and breathing a little hard as we arrived at “the bench”.  We grabbed a seat, although we didn’t rest for too long.  After peering through a gap in the rainforest canopy, we could see that we were on the edge of a gully, or what they call a ghaut in St. Kitts. Peering down into the ghaut, it was clear that we had traveled a fair distance, although it was clear that the trail continued much further as we could see a series of ropes tied from tree to tree. Travis told us he had never gone past the bench before, so he wasn’t sure where it went or for how long. We pushed on to take a look, but there was no end in sight.  While the trail is fairly steep in this section, I didn’t need to use the ropes, although they are a good safety precaution for sure. With blue/white blazes on the trees, it appears as though this is a major trail of some sort. I believe that we were on the Old Military Trail that crosses the island from Old Road Town to Phillips Village.  I further believe that if we had continued for another half hour or so, we would have found the spur trail to Dos D’Ane Pond. 

Hike St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve National Park. The Bench Trail - Part of the St. Kitts Old Military Trail providing access to the Dos D'ane Pond Trail.


We had set out today to just go for a nice little rainforest hike, so we were satisfied at this point to head back. It was great to discover that Travis was taking us back on a slightly different route, as loop trails provide the opportunity to experience as much diverse terrain and flora as possible. As an exciting change of pace, the first part of this new trail included an unanticipated plunge down the hillside.  We pretty much rappelled a short section of trail to quickly reach the gully floor.


Being higher up in the ghaut, there was a bit of a stream in this area, quite likely from recent rains.  Travis looked for crayfish but came up empty-handed. At this point, we crossed the shallow stream to encounter something out of a Jurassic Park or Tarzan movie.  There were vines of all sizes hanging everywhere. 

Pretty much a curtain or veil of vines. Travis explained how the vines grow out of the ground, climb up and tangle themselves around tree branches high in the sky, before reaching back to earth. He said the older ones secured to large trees are strong enough to hold the weight of an adult human, and Travis proved his point! OK, that was pretty cool!


Following the stream and eventually the dried-out riverbed, we eventually made our way back down to Wingfield Estate where Travis showed us soursop, calabash and pacay trees.  He explained that the spiky soursop is a tasty and nutritious fruit, while calabash fruit and pacay seed pods are not edible, they do make for fun musical (percussion) instruments.

Back at Wingfield Estate, we walked around the remains of the old stone structures.  A few hundred years ago, this was one of the most dominant plantations on the island – The place just oozes with history. In the mid 17th century, it is believed to have been one of the Caribbean’s first rum distilleries!

Hike St. Kitts Central Forest Reserve National Park. The Bench Trail - Part of the St. Kitts Old Military Trail providing access to the Dos D'ane Pond Trail.

Now that’s what I call a good day!

For a more ‘technical’ Trail Report as well as much more information on hiking in St. Kitts & Nevis, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

For an overview of the beautiful “Sister islands”, take a look at our St. Kitts & Nevis Vacations page

If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the islands, click on our St. Kitts & Nevis Adventures blog for more great ideas!

For a more relaxed vacation itinerary, you can find great Tourist Attractions on the islands, by checking out our Things to Do in St. Kitts & Nevis blog

ACT Staff

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Hiking, or Rather Climbing, Nevis Peak

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Nevis Peak - St Kitts & Nevis. One of the Caribbean's most unique and challenging hiking experiences!

A Hike That Took My Breath Away

One of the main reasons I had wanted to vacation in St. Kitts & Nevis (SKN) was to hike the stratovolcano known as Nevis Peak. While not the tallest mountain in the Caribbean, I heard that the trail is one of the steepest, perhaps comparable to St. Lucia’s Pitons which I enjoyed hiking, so I had to give it a go! Besides, the highest point on Nevis is more than 900 feet (275m) higher than the iconic Gros Piton…

We stayed in St. Kitts for our holiday, but whenever I had the chance, I glanced over at her sister island, paying special attention to the cloud cover on Nevis Peak. It was almost always shrouded in mist, however from what I observed it seemed to be cloud-free more often in the afternoon than the morning, so I decided to schedule the hike for the afternoon.

On the day of the hike, I took the public ferry from Basseterre, St. Kitts over to Nevis, landing in the island’s capital, Charlestown.  I got there early so I could wander around and visit the historic Bath House / Hot Springs as well as the Museum of Nevis History. When my meeting time came, I went back to the Charlestown waterfront road lined with flags from all over the world.  This is where I met Reggie Douglas of Nevis Adventure Tours, my private guide for the day. I was fortunate to have booked Reggie, who I understand from their website is a former SKN Sportsman of the Year and National as well as Eastern Caribbean Triathlon Champion.

Nevis Peak Trail - St Kitts & Nevis. Ascending Nevis Peak is more of a climb than a hike. One of the Caribbean's most unique and challenging hiking experiences!



It was a short drive from Charlestown, to the south side of the island to a place called Stoneyhill. We parked next to the Dunbar Mill, near the Hermitage Inn, although I believe the official trailhead is actually a couple of streets further east. Our hike started up a steep incline, on an old double-track concrete road.  Once we passed the last few houses skirting the Volcano, we followed a path into the forest. Although relatively short, this is a relaxing wooded section of the trail. I didn’t know it at the time, but that was the last I was going to see of anything resembling level ground for the rest of the hike. Meanwhile, a couple of small dogs had run past us and were somewhere on the trail ahead – We could hear them yipping away, seemingly in a verbal war with a territorial monkey.  Once we reached the area, the dogs had vanished, but Reggie could see the monkey high up in a tree. While I could hear the little primate, now squawking at us, I couldn’t spot him/her hiding in the dense canopy above.

Nevis Peak Trail - St Kitts & Nevis. Ascending Nevis Peak is more of a climb than a hike. One of the Caribbean's most unique and challenging hiking experiences!

Soon after that, we abruptly turned uphill and began the climb. I’ve done a fair amount of mountain hiking in my day, however I’ve never encountered a trail like this before.  There is not even the slightest notion of a switchback anywhere – The trail pretty much takes a straight-line path up the side of the volcano.

The path essentially consists of a series of near-vertical sections, each connected by a few feet of somewhat flat sections, only a couple of which lasted for more than a few steps. As for the plentiful near-vertical sections, I loved climbing up the natural ladders formed from tree roots and branches – What a rush! Thankfully, these areas also had ropes strung from tree to tree, providing additional help if needed. Looking for an authentic, wild hike, I didn’t use the ropes too often and Reggie made it easy by calmly identifying good places to grab and step as we made our way uphill. That said, there were a couple of perilous-looking verticals where I would have been foolish not to take advantage of the safety ropes.

Reggie mentioned that sometimes he has to coach, or rather coax some of his clients to continue the climb when they were confronted with some of the more daunting sections. I had absolutely no second thoughts of carrying on, although after being on the trail for less than half an hour, I was breathing so hard, I just couldn’t catch my breath.  It was a tough uphill climb, but I also blame my struggle on having hiked and biked a substantial amount a few days prior to this strenuous hike.  Whatever it was, my heart was beating out of my chest so I asked Reggie, who as far as I could tell wasn’t even breathing hard, to take a short break. Excuses aside, after a 5-minute water break, we were underway again and I eventually found my groove.  I was still constantly breathing hard with an elevated heart rate, however I felt much more comfortable the rest of the way.

Nevis Peak Trail - St Kitts & Nevis. Ascending Nevis Peak is more of a climb than a hike. One of the Caribbean's most unique and challenging hiking experiences!

After a while I started to acknowledge my surroundings, recognizing that we were in a rugged, nearly impenetrable jungle, filled with lush rainforest plants and tall trees reaching skyward in an attempt to find sunlight. For most of the climb, there were very few opportunities to see much through the thick green foliage, although Reggie let me know when we reached a couple of partial clearings that did offer a view of the island below. I savoured the spectacular scenery that these little ‘windows to the world’ offered.  Seeing the green island unfold below, transitioning to a stunning blue ocean that went on for as far as the eye can see, was something to behold!

View from Nevis Peak - St Kitts & Nevis. Ascending Nevis Peak is more of a climb than a hike. One of the Caribbean's most unique and challenging hiking experiences!

While I didn’t really think about it, and when I did I wasn’t perturbed in the least, I should point out that some people may consider this a dangerous trail. The potential for serious falls exists, although you wouldn’t roll down the mountainside too far before being unceremoniously stopped by a tree ;). Due to the nature of the trail, the opportunity to converse was limited, although I did enjoy hearing about Reggie’s cycling experiences in Europe, agreeing that the mountainous Alps are something special. We talked about some of the other trails on the island, as well as how humans would be better off if we were more in tune with the natural world. A lifestyle I value and strive towards these days – I wondered how we can make positive changes in North America to head in that direction…

Lichen and moss on Nevis Peak Trail - St Kitts & Nevis. One of the Caribbean's most unique and challenging hiking experiences!
Unique trail of Nevis Peak - St Kitts & Nevis. Ascending Nevis Peak is more of a climb than a hike. One of the Caribbean's most unique and challenging hiking experiences!


As we got higher up the mountainside, Reggie pointed out the green moss and lichen that were now growing in much larger and richer clusters than they had a few hundred feet earlier.  The plants keep everything nice and moist up here – So cool to see! As we neared the top of the volcano, we climbed up some truly striking areas that appeared to be muddy gashes in the earth.  Not long after ascending one of the slippery zones, we suddenly popped into a little wooded area on fairly level ground, quickly reaching a small clearing in the rainforest. We had reached the top of the volcano! The mist from the clouds enveloped us, offering only fleeting glimpses of the island below. While we chilled, taking in the scenery, Reggie told me that people of all ages have climbed this peak, from pre-teens to a 72-year-old. WoW – Impressive!  While we were talking, a green/blue hummingbird darted around us, letting us know that we weren’t the only ones up there. Apparently, the highest spot in Nevis is another 100 meters or so from where we were standing. Reggie stated that that section of the trail hadn’t been cleared for the last couple of years and was only a few feet higher than where we were.

At the top of Nevis Peak - St Kitts & Nevis. Ascending Nevis Peak is more of a climb than a hike. One of the Caribbean's most unique and challenging hiking experiences!

Well, eventually we decided it was time for the return journey.  While there is another path down the other side of the volcano, it hadn’t been cleared for a while either, and it complicates logistics anyways.  So, we headed back down the same way we came. From my previous mountain hiking experience, I have come to learn that going down a mountain is usually harder than going up it, mostly because it puts a strain on different muscles (and joints).  That said, this trail provided a unique challenge.  For anyone who has climbed a tall ladder to get onto the roof of a house, you know what I’m talking about. From a psychological perspective, it’s totally different going up a ladder than it is staring down it. Not to belabour the point, down we went. Sometimes with our back/butt hugging the earth, and sometimes going backward, facing the ground – Whatever felt more natural at the time. Unlike the trip up the volcano, I made extensive use of the ropes on the way down.

Zebra butterflies on Nevis Peak Trail One of the Caribbean's most unique and challenging hiking experiences!

The Nevis Peak experience wasn’t over yet though. When we got near the location where we had encountered the dogs and monkey, it was interesting to see a monkey turd proudly displayed on top of a trailside boulder.  I guess the animal was once again reminding us that they have made this area their home 😊. A much nicer surprise greeted us a few minutes later when we retraced our steps through the nice wooded area near the road. More than a dozen yellow and black striped insects, that Reggie identified as zebra butterflies, merrily fluttered around us – A soothing encounter to end the hike.

About three hours after we had started the hike, we were back at our starting point. To be clear, I wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that this was more of a climb than a hike.  Although I didn’t get to revel in spectacular 360° views from the top of the island, scaling Nevis Peak was a blast. I had a great time with Reggie, so unassuming and authentic. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get the mud completely out of my mesh hikers, but that’s a small price to pay for such an awesome experience! Another day in paradise.

For more information on Reggie’s tours and services, check out his website, Nevis Adventure Tours and Greenedge Bike Shop, or his facebook page.

For a more ‘technical’ Trail Report as well as much more information on hiking in St. Kitts & Nevis, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

For an overview of the beautiful “Sister islands”, take a look at our St. Kitts & Nevis Vacations page

If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the islands, click on our St. Kitts & Nevis Adventures blog for more great ideas!

For a more relaxed vacation itinerary, you can find great Tourist Attractions on the islands, by checking out our Things to Do in St. Kitts & Nevis blog

ACT Staff

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Jamaica Hiking in Mountainous Cockpit Country

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Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail

A Steady Trail Through the Rolling Hills – Hiking Jamaica’s Cockpit Country

The third largest island in the Caribbean after Cuba and Hispaniola, Jamaica is roughly 3 times the size of Long Island (NY, USA). While Jamaica is probably best known for it’s reggae music, Rasta culture, white sand beach resorts and rum… I think of the Caribbean island’s wild and mountainous areas and know that Jamaica hiking has so much potential.

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail


I had heard about a lesser known/visited region on the island called Cockpit Country, that was supposed to have a few hiking trails worth checking out. I understand that the large area, of approximately 500 square miles (1,300 sq km), is wrinkled and dimpled with hundreds of limestone hills and karst caves – It is probably the wildest area left on Jamaica. I thought to myself, this sounds good – Let’s do it!

We knew we would need a local guide for this one and the Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency, with it’s Cockpit Country Adventure Tours was able to help us get the most out of our Jamaica Hiking experience.

We left our Montego Bay hotel before 7am, taking a local taxi through the Jamaican countryside to the Clark’s Town Police Station to meet our host and guides. After exchanging greetings followed by a short drive to the edge of town, we were off…

With our guide leading the way, we headed into the wilderness – 10 miles (16km) through the rugged Cockpit Country to a town on the other side called Albert Town. After a few minutes on the trail, we noticed that a dog, had joined us from somewhere on the outskirts of town and was happily following us. Well, that’s alright with me.

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail


We got on the trail just before 8am, so the air was relatively cool and the grass was still covered with the morning’s dew. I was a bit worried when my mesh shoes quickly became soaked, although it wasn’t long before it warmed up and the ground became increasingly hot and dry. This was great as it allowed my feet to dry fairly quickly. As the day progressed, the air temperature settled somewhere in the comfortable mid-high 70s (mid 20s celsius). Thanks to the mostly shaded trail, it never got too-too hot the entire hike – A nice change from previous Caribbean trails we’ve hiked under the heat of a scorching sun!

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail


We were walking on a trail known as the Burnt Hill Nature trail, which is actually an abandoned road from the 1950s – built by Canada we were told. Well the Engineers did an amazing job cutting a road through the mountainous terrain – The trail always seemed fairly level, albeit with slight inclines and descents. This was not consistent with my Trail App’s reported elevation changes of over 6,600 feet (2,000m) over the length of the trail. We never noticed that much up-and-down.

The road was built into the sides of the mountains, so the track took several twists and turns as it snaked it’s way through Cockpit Country. Most of the time there were clear dual paths to walk on, although from the tall grass growing on the sides and between the tracks, you can tell that this road hasn’t seen regular car traffic in years. That said, at one point, we did come across several locals loading a truck high, with long skinny trees that apparently are used as poles for growing Yams.

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail

Well, after about an hour or so, the dog was still with us, so we thought we should give her a name. She had a sparkle in her eye and was always smiling, well ok – panting with her tongue hanging out, so I decided to call her Sparky. Like the rest of us, she seemed to be enjoying the exercise. I wonder if she noticed the fluttering orange moths that also accompanied us on our walk…

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail

Our knowledgeable guide casually dispensed interesting commentary, telling us about the history of the area as well as providing information on some of the local plants we encountered. I’m always fascinated by the many medicinal properties and beauty that nature provides.

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail

He displayed a giant snail, showed us a plant that helps with stomach problems, and informed us that the fruit from an inviting looking orange tree we encountered, was actually extremely bitter. We also encountered a bizarre spider web on a bush on the side of the trail – It seemed to have tightly knitted ‘mini webs’ built within the larger web – We had never seen anything like that before. Personally, I was enthralled with giant leaves that fall to the ground when they die – They curl-up into bowling-ball sized balls, that covered areas of the canopy floor – So cool! We also learned that common birds in the area included Flycatchers, Thrushes, Orioles and Cuckoos.

We were told about how the region got it’s name from early Spanish explorers. The story goes, that after their officers, comfortably positioned on the high ground of course, watched a battle wage below them in a gully, remarked that the spectacle reminded them of watching cock fights, in ‘the pit’, back in Spain – Hence the name ‘Cockpit Country’.

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail


As the hike progressed, Sparky the dog was panting heavily and we observed her stopping occasionally for a drink from the Bromeliad plants that periodically lined the side of the trail. This smart dog knew that rainfall gets trapped on the large leaves near the base of the plant. I made a mental note in case we were lost in the jungle some day. We also noticed a large number of Turkey Vultures off in the distance, circling in the sky – While they may have been watching us, I wasn’t worried… 🙂

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail

While the trail doesn’t provide any great Caribbean Sea scenery or any birds-eye views of the island as a whole, the remote wilderness of the area, with it’s numerous peaks and valleys, supplied us special sights of it’s own. Great Jamaica hiking for sure! One of the highlights was peering across and down into a valley known as Barbecue Bottom. Even though we were a little late to witness the morning mist in the gorge, the view was still quite breathtaking. In Jamaica, flat areas of land are called “barbecues”, because they provide a level area for coffee beans and other crops to be laid out on screens for drying in the sun.

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail


Once we were deep in the jungle, we kept hearing loud screeching sounds from above – It was as if we were disturbing the local inhabitants and they were letting us know that we were intruding! Our helpful guide informed us that we were hearing from one of their local parrots. Now, I’ve hiked a number of Caribbean islands and am always trying to catch a glimpse of the colourful birds, but they have always eluded me. Well, today was our lucky day. A little further on, our guide pointed out a fairly large gathering of the small green ‘Black Billed’ parrots in a tree and after they took to the air, they flew overhead, giving us a clear view to spot them, which we did. What a wonderful experience!

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail

Another highlight of the hike was walking down a particularly dry section of the trail, cut into the side of the mountain. We came across an area of fallen rock – This section of the road was in total daylight, exposing rich red-orange colours of the mountain, somewhat similar to what you would see in the deserts of Arizona or Utah.

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail
Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail



After stopping at this picturesque location for a snack, we continued the trek through the stunning beauty of this wild region of Jamaica. It was clear that my hiking partner was looking for a workout, either that or she was anxious to get back to the resort – Either way, she had set a fairly fast pace from the on-set. Even so, Sparky took the lead at this point and pulled us along even faster, so that we completed the last third of the trail in about an hour or so.



Our hike ended when we suddenly popped out of the jungle into a small cluster of houses and fields. It had taken us just over three and a half hours to walk through Cockpit Country from Clark’s Town to Albert Town on that deceptively flat and wide trail. We got a ride back to Clark’s Town before heading back to the coastal town of Montego Bay and our hotel, just in time for lunch! What a great way to spend the morning!

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail
Sparky made it to the other side with us!

This Jamaica hike through Cockpit Country was “as advertised”… A luscious green wilderness area, that most tourists wouldn’t believe exists. We were accompanied by singing birds, drifting orange moths, consistent patches of warm sun, and even a local dog who kept us company! Oh yah – We saw a Caribbean green parrot too… What a fun and enjoyable hike!

For the complete Hiking Trail Report as well as much more information on hiking in Jamaica, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

Jamaica Hiking - Explore Jamaica's Cockpit Country on the Burnt Hill Nature Trail


We really enjoyed hiking with guides from the Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency (STEA). The non-profit’s mission is to promote development in Trelawny by implementing environmental conservation and economic opportunity projects. STEA was formed over 20 years ago to address environmental problems, facilitate environmentally friendly economic and community development activities and to promote sustainable use of the natural resources of Cockpit Country. Personally, I respect and appreciate everything they do for the community and one of Jamaica’s remaining wild areas.

For more information about STEA, including planning your own Jamaica Cockpit Country adventure (they also offer Birding and Caving Excursions), you can contact the good folks at STEA / Cockpit Country Adventure Tours by visiting their website or facebook page (just click on a link below):

For an overview of the “land of wood and water”, take a look at our Jamaica Vacations page

If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, check out our Jamaica Adventures blog for more great ideas!

For great Tourist Attractions on the island, check out our Things to Do in Jamaica blog

ACT Staff

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The Best Snorkelling Spots in Negril, Jamaica

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The best Jamaica Snorkeling in Negril. Snorkel Negril's Half Moon Beach, Bloody Bay, Lovers Cave, Booby Cay, 7-Mile Beach, Pirate's Cave, and Negril's West End. Explore via glass bottom boat

Snorkel Jamaica’s 7-mile beach reefs for starfish, rays and so much more…

While Negril may be best known for its great white sand beach, cliff jumping and amazing river and waterfall adventures nearby, we were happy to discover a number of snorkeling options along Jamaica’s gorgeous southwest coast. The area is blessed with clear water providing excellent visibility for snorkeling, while the numerous protected bays and coves provide calm shallow water, ideal for beginners and families with small children. While we accessed some great snorkelling spots right off the beach and by climbing short ladders along the cliffs, the easiest and most common way to snorkel in Negril is by joining a catamaran cruise or one of the ever-abundant glass-bottom boat tours. Let the local tour operators bring you right to the undersea hotspots. Here’s what we found and heard about on our recent visit to Negril (listed from north to south)…

Half Moon Beach

Located 5-10 miles (10-15 km) north of Negril’s 7-mile Beach, this gorgeous cove is home to a secluded beach and enjoyable offshore islands close to shore.  Just over 300 feet (100m) from the beach, there’s a nice little patch of coral, perfect for a casual snorkel. Venture out a little further and you’ll discover a long stretch of coral reef you can explore for hours! Snorkellers will experience a wide variety of corals and sea fans, plus sea urchins and juvenile fish like wrasse, damselfish and blue tang. 

The best Jamaica Snorkeling in Negril can be found at Half Moon Beach

The intrepid and inquisitive can swim or paddle less than a thousand feet (300m) from the beach to a small uninhabited island where you can snorkel, catch a breather, and/or just hang out. It doesn’t get much ‘chill’er than that! If you’re looking for a refreshing beverage or two after your snorkeling adventure, an even smaller island is just another 350 feet (115m) away. This little cay is home to a rustic bar called Calico Jack’s Pirate shack. Don’t worry, you won’t have to swim back to shore – Local boats shuttle folks back and forth throughout the day.

Oh, on the way out to the reefs and islands watch for plentiful starfish, as well as the occasional ray gliding along on the sandy ocean floor. Overall, this is one of Negril’s best spots for snorkelling!

Bloody Bay / Lovers Cave

About a mile (2 km) north of 7-mile Beach, Bloody Bay is a great protected area with a nice reef, although the area has been spoiled for snorkellers by the cavalcade of motorboats constantly parasailing back and forth along the shoreline. That said, it’s reasonably safe for snorkellers to explore the reefs at the ends, near the mouth of the bay. Due to the large amount of shallow water along the sandy shoreline, the sea in this little bay is the warmest I’ve ever experienced in the Caribbean.

The best Jamaica Snorkeling in Negril. Snorkel Negril's Half Moon Beach, Bloody Bay, Lovers Cave, Booby Cay, 7-Mile Beach, Pirate's Cave, and Negril's West End

At the north end of Bloody Bay between Little Bay Country Club and the RIU Negril Resort (not to be confused with the RIU Tropical Bay Resort, practically next door), you can easily reach the reef that’s less than 100 feet (50m) from shore.  It’s a large reef that stretches out into the bay for close to 1000 feet (250m) – But keep your eye on those annoying motorboats which may be turning around in the vicinity. While the beaches aren’t secluded, the sea is uncrowded for snorkellers and full of marine life. You’ll practically have the place to yourself as you discover lots of starfish, sea cucumbers, as well as rays and crabs along the sandy bottom.  You’ll also find a wide variety of juvenile fish over the reef.

The best Jamaica Snorkeling in Negril can be experienced by glass bottom boat in Bloody Bay, Booby Cay and over the 7-Mile Beach reefs.

Meanwhile, at the south end of the bay along the peninsula where the Grand Lido Negril Hotel is, the cliffs and nearby reefs offer another relatively safe area to snorkel. We ventured out there via a glass-bottom boat and really enjoyed swimming and snorkeling through “Lover’s Cave” – a small cave system with a sandy ocean floor, low hanging cave ceilings, and schools of bright coloured juvenile fish darting around in the shallow water.  A pretty cool experience for sure. Just a few feet/meters from the cliffs scattered reefs are home to a wide variety of corals, sea fans and plenty of colourful little fish. We also saw a lobster hiding under some rocks on the ocean floor! Interestingly, at one point we swam for a few minutes through literally hundreds of tiny jellyfish, but don’t worry, they don’t sting (or at least we didn’t feel anything). Again, the area is uncrowded – We were the only ones there snorkelling 😊.

The best Jamaica Snorkeling in Negril can be found at Bloody Bay and Lovers Cave

Booby Cay Island

The best Jamaica Snorkeling in Negril can be found around Booby Cay.


About 700 feet (200m) from shore at the tip of the peninsula separating 7-mile Beach from Bloody Bay is Booby Cay, a small uninhabited island named for the sea birds that once frequented the place. The island is surrounded by fragments of a coral reef where you can find a wide variety of marine life worth exploring.  Glass bottom boats from both Bloody Bay and 7-mile Beach will take you there, while a number of organized tours include fun barbeque lobster lunches on the little island, where you can enjoy your own (near) private oasis – Ya man!


Negril (7-mile beach) Reef

The best Jamaica Snorkeling in Negril can be found over the reefs off the shore from 7-Mile Beach

South of Booby Cay, just over half a mile (1km) from Negril’s famous 7-mile Beach, you’ll find a series of coral reefs that are generally considered the best place to snorkel in Negril.  Although the reefs are fairly far from shore, the water is still very shallow, allowing you to view marine life in less than 10 feet of water. Although there can be a gentle current at times, it’s still a great place for beginners. These reefs are home to a large variety of corals, sea urchins, sea fans as well as tons of fish. Again, there are a few pockets of tiny harmless jellyfish in the area, but they’re nothing to worry about, or as the locals say “No problem man!”

We enjoyed the area so much that we took two trips out there, once as part of a Catamaran cruise and again via a glass-bottom boat for a more private tour. The first thing I saw there was a baby spotted ray swimming along the bottom of the sandy ocean floor – So cool, I could have followed it forever! Then I noticed the abundance of purple-ish sea fans and soft corals in the area. While slowly floating along the edge of the reefs, I saw a unique trumpetfish along with schools of juvenile yellow grunts, although they were almost hard to see as they blended with the fire coral in the background. Of course there were tons of friendly sergeant majors swimming closer to the surface, just out of reach. I also witnessed an amazing couple of blue sergeant majors who I assume were protecting recently laid eggs. I saw some of my favourite colourful fish, bluehead wrasse and parrotfish, as well as some dark angelfish or damselfish.

The best Jamaica Snorkeling in Negril can be found over the reefs off the shore from 7-Mile Beach

The highlight of my snorkelling adventure was seeing, for the first time, an abundance of orange and white squirrelfish with their big dark eyes (see above).  That said, it was also very interesting to see a black snake slithering under rocks and my heart absolutely raced when a hawksbill turtle swam right in front of me! I think I might have also seen a rare indigo hamlet (unique bluefish) as well. OK, ok, there is lots to see!

For more underwater scenes from our 7-Mile Beach Reef Snorkeling adventure, check out our Negril Snorkelling video on Youtube.

A trip to Negril is incomplete without experiencing beneath the waves over these bountiful reefs, hence almost all of the catamaran cruises and glass-bottom boat tours in the area will take you here – Enjoy!

Negril’s West End – Pirates Cave (Joseph’s Cave?); Rockhouse; and The Caves

The best Jamaica Snorkeling in Negril. Visit Pirate's Cave at Negril's West End

Just north of the Rockhouse Hotel, there’s an amazing little cove that can be accessed via boat or from small ladders along the cliffs. While there’s likely good snorkeling just offshore over the nearby reefs, the feature attraction for us was the large horseshoe-shaped swim-through cave.  We visited by boat, and after being entertained by some local kids jumping and diving off the cliffs, we swam into the cave to check it out.  As we explored the cave, we noticed dark coloured crabs scrambling along the cave walls whenever someone inadvertently got close to them. While we didn’t see any marine life in the water, it was a unique experience for sure.

A little further south, located just north of the Negril Lighthouse, there’s another small cove beneath the Caves Hotel that has more large caves along the cliffs. These caves are home to a variety of marine life including rays, and plenty of juvenile fish can be seen over the nearby coral reefs.

ACT Staff

The best Jamaica Snorkeling in Negril can be found at Half Moon Beach and the coral reefs at 7-Mile Beach


The best Jamaica Snorkeling in Negril can be found at Bloody Bay and Lovers Cave

For more information on snorkeling in Jamaica, including a list of tour operators who will get you to the hot spots, check out our Jamaica Snorkelling page

If you’re looking for other ‘active’ things to do while vacationing on the Land of Wood & Water, click on our Jamaica Adventures blog for some great ideas!

For an overview of the beautiful and unique island, take a look at our Jamaica Vacations page

For an overview of great Tourist Attractions on the Land of Wood & Water, including tour operators who will take good care of you, check out our Things to Do in Jamaica blog