So Many Fun Things To Do in Jamaica – This Caribbean Island Has It All
The third largest island in the Caribbean after Cuba and Hispaniola, the “land of wood and water” is probably best known for it’s Reggae music & culture, white sand beaches, as well as it’s Rum and Coffee. One of the most popular Caribbean vacation destinations, there’s a diverse assortment of things to do in Jamaica, satisfying travelers of all tastes.
We’ve pulled together Jamaica’s most “popular” attractions. Whatever you’re into – ‘No Problem’, we’re sure that Jamaica has you covered with things to enjoy on your next vacation there.
Great-Houses and Plantations
Imagine yourself living in a by-gone era, when large houses and plantations dotted the Caribbean. If you’re interested in historical buildings and grounds from Jamaica’s colonial days, there’s plenty to see (day and night).
Rhodes Hall Plantation, located just north of Negril, is a 550 acre property featuring horseback riding and a large crocodile reserve. Believe it – It’s true!
One of the most famous of Jamaica’s Great-Houses, Rose Hall is just east of Montego Bay. It has an impressive plantation and mansion that you can visit. While you’re in the area, you can also visit Greenwood Great-House which has a mansion and museum to enjoy.
About an hour south of Montego Bay you can take a plantation tour at Croydon In The Mountains. The Barnett Estate / Belfield Great-House is also in the general vicinity, where you can explore it’s mansion and gardens.
Seville Heritage Park is just west of Ocho Rios. This is the location where Christopher Columbus first met Jamaica’s indigenous peoples. One the grounds now, you’ll find a Great-House, Museum and Park. Just east of Ocho Rios you’ll find Harmony Hall House, which provides a typical example of Jamaican-Georgian architectural. The building now houses an Art Gallery.
Kingston’s Devon House, built for Jamaica’s first black millionaire, is a 19th century Georgian style mansion on 11 acres of property. Yes… You’ll find a boutique and famous ice-cream parlour there!
For more information and tour operators for Jamaica’s Great-Houses, click on our Things to Do in Jamaica page
Zip-lining (and Bob-Sledding – Whaaaat?)
Jamaica is a very mountainous island after all, so it’s a great opportunity to take advantage of the natural landscape to get some amazing views and some thrills, in the form of high speed or high heights, as well…
Mystic Mountain is a major tourist attraction just outside of Ocho Rios. This 700 foot (210m) high peak is home to a rich forest ecosystem and spectacular views, along with three man-made attractions: The Sky Explorer Chairlift, Bobsled Jamaica and Zip-lines.
The Sky Explorer is a chairlift that takes you above the treetops providing unique views of the tropical jungle canopy, while the unique Bobsled Jamaica is an amazing 3,285 foot (1km) long sled ride through the rain-forest! There are five zip-lines on-site, totaling close to 1,600 feet / 500m in length. You’ve come this far – There’s also a 80 foot (25m) long suspension bridge to walk across.
A number of other Adventure Parks on the island also offer zip-lining, along with other activities. This includes Chukka’s Caribbean Adventures; Chukka’s Falls Flyer (over Dunn’s River Falls); Chukka’s Zipline Canopy at YS Falls; Chukka’s Montpelier Jungle Outpost; Chukka’s Good Hope Estate as well as H’evan Scent Zip-Line. If you’re looking for fun things to do in Jamaica, these places are all great.
For more information, including tour operators who can get you in the treetops, check out our Jamaica Land Tours page
Reggae Related Sites
Over the past 50 years, Jamaican legends have been a huge musical influence to the world. You can feel the vibes and pay your respects at a number of memorials and museums on the island.
The small town of Belmont, about an hour east of Negril, is the birthplace of Peter Tosh and home to his memorial.
The birthplace of Bob Marley is in a town called Nine Mile. The Bob Marley Centre and Mausoleum / Tour can be found there, about an hour south-west of Ocho Rios.
For more formal, albeit commercial places to visit, Kingston is the place to go. There you will find the Bob Marley Museum, the Peter Tosh Museum as well as the Trench Town Culture Yard Museum. For Reggae lovers, these places have to be on your list of things to do in Jamaica.
For more information, including tours of the above mentioned places, check out our Jamaica Land Tours page
Jamaican Rum Tours
As one of the originating sources of rum in the world, no trip to Jamaica is complete without visiting one of their fine distilleries. While there are a number of active distilleries on the island producing dozens of different rums, there’s only two offering tours:
Probably one of the world’s most recognized names in rum, the Appleton Rum Distillery is located in the east end, near the centre of the island. There you’ll find the Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience which includes a cinema, interactive guided tour of the Estate and rum making process as well as hosted tasting. They also offer a lounge and gift shop.
The environmentally friendly Hampden Sugar Estate is located less than an hour east of Montego Bay. Their Rum Tour includes a visit into their distillery to learn about the rum making process and to taste their award winning rums. You’re also free to explore the picturesque grounds surrounding the Hampden Great House.
For Caribbean rum lovers, these places have to be on your list of things to do in Jamaica. For more information on local rums and local tours operators who offer rum tours, click on our Jamaican Rum page
Gardens and other Natural and Cultural Areas
Once you leave your resort, it’s not hard to find Jamaica’s natural beauty – Related attractions are all around the island, including:
Barney’s Hummingbird Garden just south of Negril has a nice flower garden designed to attract hummingbirds.
Rocklands Bird Sanctuary just south-west of Montego Bay is a country garden featuring hummingbirds and small tropical birds.
Ocho Rios is home to the Shaw Park Botanical Gardens and Waterfalls, as well as Turtle River Falls & Gardens, also known as the The Enchanted Gardens. Here you’ll enjoy a beautiful river gorge setting with several waterfalls, ponds and nature trails to see plants and birds.
Just outside Ocho Rios you’ll find the amazing Kokono Falls and Park as well as the Cranbrook Flower Forest, which has trails through a forest and gardens, as well as a museum in an old mill.
If Jamaica’s slavery-days are of interest, you can visit the Charles Town Museum and Maroon village at the east end of Jamaica, near Port Antonio.
When it comes to rugged natural beauty, there’s no beating the views of/from the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, located at the east end of the island. Jamaica’s only National Park covers over 100 thousand acres which includes the Holywell Recreational Park, just north-east of Kingston. Holywell Park offers a Coffee Tour as well as a Coffee and Nature Walk.
If coffee is your thing, the Mavis Bank Coffee Factory, about an hour east of Kingston, offers tours of the island’s largest facility that produces the world famous Blue Mountain Coffee.
Within Kingston you can visit the Hope Botanical Gardens & Zoo as well as Emancipation Park – A Natural oasis in the city, representing the symbol of Jamaican ‘freedom to hope, to excel and to be’. Not far outside Jamaica’s capital you can also find Castleton Botanical Gardens, with view overlooking the city, as well as Cinchona Botanical Gardens.
For tour operators who can get you to these amazing spots, check out our Things to Do in Jamaica page
Places to See and be Seen – Ya Mon
Rick’s Cafe in Negril’s West End, is a popular tourist spot, where you can watch, and/or participate in, cliff diving. The Cafe is located near steep cliffs 30plus feet above the sea.
Montego Bay’s Gloucester Avenue is known as the “Hip Strip” and is home to more than 60 shops and 35 bars and restaurants. Nuff Said!
For the History Buff
Port Antonio is home to the remains of Fort George and the Titchfield Cannons.
As fans of the Caribbean, you likely know that Port Royal played an important role in the development of the entire Caribbean. You also probably know that most of the old port fell into the sea many years ago. However, just south of Kingston, the 17th century fort Fort Charles remains mostly intact and is open to the public. If you take your Caribbean history seriously, this place has to be on your list of things to do in Jamaica.
Colbeck Castle, located about 45 minutes west of Kingston, is the remains of a 17th century English castle – Who knew?
Just outside of Kingston, White Marl Taino Midden & Museum displays indigenous artifacts.
The remains of 18th century aqueducts can be found at an old sugar plantation at Bushy Park (less than an hour west of Kingston) and at the University Of The West Indies – Mona in the east end of Kingston.
Honourable Mentions
It’s also worth mentioning a few, relatively obscure things to do in Jamaica. They include: Taking a pontoon boat safari up the Black River; Visiting the Pelican Bar, a rustic bar built on a small chunk of coral off the south-west coast of the island; and taking a dip in Falmouth’s Luminous Lagoon – The waters contain microorganisms called dino-flagellates which glow green at night when agitated.
Enjoy!
ACT Staff
You can find more attractions and Tour operators to get you there by clicking on our Things to Do in Jamaica page
If you’re looking for a more active vacation in Jamaica including River Rafting, Hiking, Playing Golf, Biking and Caving, check out our Jamaica Adventures blog for more great ideas!
For an overview of the land of wood and water, take a look at our Jamaica Vacations page
For a video collage of Some of the Fun Things to Do in Jamaica, check out our YouTube video (by clicking the highlighted link)
