So cool, it’s the place to chill
Life’s more than a beach in Jamaica, where you can relax, get active or just get on down.
As the birthplace of Bob Marley and reggae, Jamaica hardly needs an introduction. When the maritime explorer Christopher Columbus, now on his second journey to the Caribbean, landed on Jamaica’s shores in 1494, he named it Santiago and bequeathed it to the Spanish. In 1665 William Penn, whose son gave his name to Pennsylvania, USA, seized control of the island and “Xaymaca” became a British colony. It is now the place to come for the ultimate in Caribbean cool.
Life here is unhurried, laid-back and fun. There are white-sand beaches, hotels ranging from top-class all-inclusives to intimate inns, coupled with a host of exciting and different experiences and Jamaica becomes the perfect holiday destination. It’s where the likes of Kate Moss come to chill out or party, a hip island paradise that’s loved by families too.
Besides beaches Jamaica has plenty more to offer: its food, its dramatic scenery, its wildlife (the national bird, the Red-Billed Streamertail Hummingbird, known as the Doctor Bird, lives only in Jamaica and adorns Air Jamaica, the national airline’s logo), and, of course, its music.
Wherever you walk there’ll be tunes playing, the island moves to a reggae beat – and music festivals are an important part of the social scene. Reggae Sumfest each July showcases the best artistes, both Jamaican and international, and Bob Marley Week every February pulls in the crowds.
A new sports stadium has been built, the airport has been given a facelift and hotels have been refurbishing, upgrading and improving. SuperClubs’ Breezes in Runaway Bay has new suites and new restaurants, while the Half Moon Resort in Montego Bay has a new multi-million pound spa and six spa suites. In addition, new hotels are being built. Iberostar in Montego Bay is a new addition, while Couples Resorts is due to open its fifth adults-only resort, in Trelawny, in 2008.
At 146 miles long and 51 miles at Jamaica’s widest point, it is the third largest island in the Caribbean. It’s geographically placed in the Greater Antilles, south of Cuba and west of Hispaniola, the island split between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It’s mountainous; almost half of the island is above 1,000 feet with Blue Mountain Peak, the highest point, soaring to 7,402 feet.
When the British arrived in 1655, the Spanish fled to other islands and their slaves escaped to the mountains, where they settled and became known as Maroons. It was the Maroons who introduced “jerking” to Jamaica – a way of spicing and cooking pork underground so that smoke would not be seen.
When the British abolished slavery in 1834, they brought in migrants from India and China to work the sugar estates. Jewish settlers arrived and Arab traders came from what was then Palestine. All married and inter-married, creating the colourful culture of today – its reggae music and dance, folk tales and patois, the unofficial “language” of the country. Jamaica’s national slogan is “out of many, one people” – an apt description for the melting pot of peoples that live together in harmony on the island.
Jamaica has magnificent mountain ranges, spectacular waterfalls (Dunn’s River Falls in the parish of St Ann and YS Falls in St Elizabeth are among the most beautiful), 150 rivers, soft sandy beaches and craggy cliffs and is split into several distinct regions.The main tourist areas of Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril are on the north coast, while the south, boasting attractions such as Lovers’ Leap, Bamboo Avenue, a two-and-a-half mile long avenue embraced by towering and rare bambusa vulgaris bamboos, is unspoilt and spectacular.
Kingston, the capital, is on the south-east coast. Once the haunt of pirates, it is now the largest English-speaking city in the Caribbean. Port Antonio is on the north-east coast, at the foot of the Blue Mountains, where the famous coffee is grown, and offers low-rise villa-style accommodation rather than the lavish five-star hotels that adorn other resorts.
