See more pictures - Here
Jamaica map
|
Airport
There are two international airports in Jamaica, one outside Kingston in the South-east of the island, the Norman Manley International Airport (airport code KIN), and the other in Montego Bay in the North-west, the Sangster International Airport (airport code MBJ). In most cases you will want to fly to Montego Bay, which is the destination of most long-distance flights anyway. However, if you are eventually heading for the Blue Mountains or Kingston itself, then you should look for a flight bound for Kingston.
Montego Bay is the best point of arrival for the resort areas along the north shore, from the western tip at Negril through Montego Bay, Runaway Bay and Discovery Bay, as far as the towns of Ocho Rios and Oracabessa. Port Antonio is a close call, but it is probably easier to fly in to Mo Bay. Sangster International recently completed an extensive expansion and improvement programme which started in 2003. The airport also has a new domestic terminal with local scheduled flights to Kingston. Small local airlines operating from here also offer shuttle services and private charters to Negril, Ocho Rios (Boscobel), Runaway Bay and Port Antonio, where there are small airstrips for daylight landing only.
Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport serves the South-east of the island, covering the city and the Blue Mountains, Port Antonio in the North-east and Mandeville in the centre of the island. The domestic airport in Kingston is Tinson Pen Aerodrome (airport code KTP), which is located in the west of the city, adjacent to the Kingston Free Zone. It has scheduled local services into Montego Bay and a small airline that will charter into the other airports around the island.
STOP PRESS – Boscobel Aerodrome near Ocho Rios is currently being upgraded and once completed will become the third international entry point for Jamaica. There will be a new terminal building and an extended runway to facilitate private jets. The completion date has yet to be confirmed.
|
| ^ back to top |
Banks
Six commercial banks currently operate in Jamaica, Scotiabank/the Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Limited, First Caribbean International Bank (Jamaica) Limited (formerly CIBC & Barclays Bank), First Global Bank of Jamaica, Citibank NA, RBTT Bank and the NCB/National Commercial Bank of Jamaica. Branches are located in all the major towns but not necessarily in smaller towns or villages
Bank opening hours are generally 9am – 2pm, Mondays to Thursdays, with an extended 2-hour period on Fridays, 9am – 4pm.
There are currently over 300 cash machines around the island wide, in all of the main shopping areas, in the malls and in some of the larger petrol/service stations. Most cash machines issue local currency only, however some, in the main tourist areas, also give out US dollars.
You will also find many currency exchange bureaus around the island. In Jamaica they are known as Cambios. |
| ^ back to top |
Bars & Nightlife
With such a large population on the island - of both Jamaicans and visitors - and such a strong tradition of music, Jamaica has an excellent selection of bars and clubs. Some are actually world famous - drinkers have been jumping off the cliffs at Rick’s Cafe in Negril for 30 years - but you will find excellent variety, from the upbeat, themed bars of the main tourist towns to the uptown bars of Kingston and from local rum shops to the near limitless beach and cliff bars of Negril. There is even a bar several miles out to sea, on a sand-bar off Treasure Beach. And remember that some of the best fun in Jamaica is to be had visiting local bars, in which you are generally welcome, quiet stops at the roadside or on a secluded waterfront in the island’s small towns.
In Montego Bay Gloucester Avenue, the so-called ‘Hip Strip’, is where it all happens. It is a very busy area lined with bars and clubs among the many hotels. All in all, though, Negril is probably the coolest area for bars. There are several excellent ones dotted along the cliffs and then down on the beach they stand nearly shoulder to shoulder. Ocho Rios is relatively spread out - there are some bars along the main street, others are scattered in the outlying districts – and farther east you will find that the bars are increasingly local. In fact every village in Jamaica has its rum shop (as the name implies it usually sells provisions as well as rum) and it can be entertaining to stop by for a while, as the Jamaicans do. Kingston, on the other hand, is large enough for there to be bars and clubs catering to the different crowds – professional, arty, uptown, younger, older. Finally, in the countryside many bars actually double as small restaurants and snack joints. The best of these are the small seaside bars, often rickety sheds, where you can get a grilled fish to go with a beer. It is a great way to eat and drink while you are taking a leisurely tour of the island.
Of course music is central to the nightlife in Jamaica and each of the main resort towns has at least one club which can be interesting to visit. There are also more formal outside venues, ‘reggae parks’ where you can hear a local band playing easy-listening reggae (also see under Music). |
| ^ back to top |
Beach Bars
Sitting in a beach bar, drinking a rum punch or a Red Stripe, with the easy pulse of reggae in the background, is some of the best fun to be had in Jamaica. And there is a reasonable spread of options, from beachside restaurants where you can get a barefoot but nicely cooked meal to very simple shacks that offer a fantastic local vibe.
From the image of the island you might have thought that Jamaica’s shoreline would be one long line of beach bars standing shoulder to shoulder. In fact this is only the case in Negril. In the other main resort towns beach bars are relatively thin on the ground. Many of the hotels are all-inclusive, with bars on the beach inside their compounds, and their guests tend not to venture out. Independent hotels are usually happy to let you in and so in some areas this may be your easiest option. In the smaller, less touristy towns there are other more local options.
Negril has the most beach bars, with some classics among them. Some of the best are in the many small hotels stretched along the five miles of the main beach, with other independent bars strung between them (and there are still more excellent bars on the cliffs). In Montego Bay head for the beaches and bars of Gloucester Avenue. In Ocho Rios there are just a couple. Between the resort towns, and particularly in the east and along the southern shore, you will find some superb beach bars, tucked into the coves and bays. Some are associated with fishing communities, others very local bars offering fried fish, but they are well worth stopping in if you are travelling around the island.
The public beaches in the main tourist areas all have a beach bar with changing facilities, but be aware that most will not. Off the beaten track many are simply bars on the beach and may only have a lavatory.
A full list of the best Jamaica beach bars will be published with our Jamaica regional guides.
Pick of the best:
Groovy Grouper, Doctors Cave Beach, Montego Bay
Floyd’s Pelican Bar, offshore St Elizabeth
Cool Runnings, Long Bay, Portland
Norma’s at the Marina, Port Antonio
Margaritaville, Negril Beach |
| ^ back to top |
Beaches
Jamaica has an excellent variety of beaches, ranging from the magnificent five-mile, sunset-facing strand of perfect white sand at Negril in the far west, through the meandering curves and bays of the north shore, to some very pretty, hidden coves the island’s eastern end. The sand on the north shore is overwhelmingly white and is usually protected by an offshore reef, making it safe for swimming. The south coast has some dark sand beaches among the white ones and it is usually protected from the weather, so it often calmer. Offshore it is often shallower too, giving rise to cays and sandbars. The beaches there tend to be quieter too, mainly because there are far fewer tourists, though the beaches nearest to Kingston can be extremely lively on the weekends. A few beaches do have lifeguards but not that many. There are only a few places with currents that you need to be aware of. If you go swimming in remote areas you should ask around.
As in the rest of the Caribbean, all beaches in Jamaica are officially public up to the high water mark. This said, many of the beaches do have restricted access and are often held up as ‘private’. Some, often the best in the area, have restricted access with an entry fee. Others are contained within a resort and access overland is restricted. The result is usually a hassle-free visit with better maintained facilities (though there may be less local character if that is important to you). The hotels will generally permit you to visit on a day pass (usually for eight hours). This includes many of the Jamaica all-inclusive hotels, which charge a bit more but then give you the run of the place – the dining room, bar and watersports shop.
On the beaches with no restricted access - for instance in Negril - you will find independent operators, including bars, restaurants and sometimes watersports shops where you can get a drink or fix up a ride on a jet ski or parasailer. On certain beaches you can expect to be approached by hustlers and small tradesmen. They will offer you anything from coral jewellery to an aloe massage or an island tour. Fine if you want what they are offering, but they can also be quite persistent and sometimes annoying. The only response is to be polite, and as persistent as they are in saying no. Eventually they will go away.
A full list of the best Jamaica beaches will be published with our Jamaica regional guides.
Pick of the Best – a selection of the best beaches in Jamaica
Negril Beach
For its bars, music and sports, and endless sand to walk.
Doctor’s Cave Beach
The main beach in Montego Bay, lively with nice restaurants and bars (entry fee).
Jamaica Inn Simply the prettiest, classic Caribbean beach on the island (entry restricted).
Frenchman’s Cove
A tight cove with overhanging greenery.
James Bond Beach, Oracabessa
A lively and popular public beach with three golden beaches around 30 minutes east of Ocho Rios, close to Ian Fleming’s holiday home, Goldeneye where he wrote the Bond novels. The main activity is on the smaller beach, flanked by man-made sand terraces for sunning and a two storey waterfront bar and grill called Moonraker. Watersports are available, there is also a life guard. There is an admission fee.
Cornwall Beach, Montego Bay
Cornwall Beach is located on Gloucester Avenue (it is close to Doctor’s Cave Beach, but usually a bit quieter) and has excellent white sand, crystal water and good swimming. Watersports are available and there is a snack bar. Admission fee. |
| ^ back to top |
Bird-Watching
Jamaica has extremely varied terrain in its 4250 or so square miles and a bird-life that is just as diverse. In the Blue Mountains, some of the highest in the Caribbean, where there is rainforest and cloudforest, there are solitaires and vireos at high elevations and parrots and tanagers lower down. There are wet and dry limestone forests and cultivated areas where you can see cuckoos and flycatchers, kingfishers darting along the rivers and four of the Caribbean’s 16 hummingbirds. Down on the plains and wetlands (know locally as morasses) there are different species again, jacanas, ducks and gallinules and on coastal stretches yet more, such as sandpipers that twitter along the sandy beaches and offshore raiders such as boobies and pelicans.
There are well over 250 species to be found on Jamaica, of which 28 species and 21 sub-species are endemic. During the winter, from December to May, the number of species is supplemented by many migratory species. As with anywhere in the Caribbean, the best time to spot birds is early morning or late afternoon. Look out for the most spectacular of Jamaican birds, the red-billed streamer-tail (also the national bird). Known locally as the doctorbird, it is a striking, emerald coloured humming bird, and the male sports a double black ribbon-like tail-feather several times the length of its body. Of course there are many others that you are bound to see, including at the breakfast table, where the bananaquit is likely to fly in to steal the sugar. Overhead you are bound to see the John Crow (actually a black vulture), which soars on the thermals on the hillsides.
The most famous habitats in Jamaica are the Blue Mountains, where there are a couple of nature reserves and also a number of lodges that specialise in birding and hiking. There are also areas just outside Kingston at the Mona Reservoir and woods. In the North East are the John Crow Mountains, which is the lushest and probably the prettiest area of the island. There are many good birding areas in Portland. In the central west, the Cockpit Country (wet limestone forest), is another haven for bird life, if hard to access. All but one of the island’s endemic species found there. If you cannot get into the forest itself, then there are good areas to the North (around Windsor), and to the South, near Mandeville. Also in the west, on the south coast, is the Black River Morass, which is excellent for wetland birds. You might even be staying in Negril without knowing that close by is another wetland, the Great Morass, which also has excellent bird-life.
Accommodation that can help you arrange bird-watching tours include Forres Park in the Blue Mountains and Mocking Bird Hill, Port Antonio. |
| ^ back to top |
Calendar of Events
2010
JANUARY
Jan-Apr, LTM National Pantomime, the Little Theatre Movement’s production of Pirate Jack, playing throughout January on Fri-Sun and on Wed-Sun from February through to April, at The Little Theatre, Kingston. 06 Jan, Accompong Maroon Festival, St Elizabeth, with dancing, singing, a Maroon feast and ceremonies. 16 Jan, Rebel Salute, 17th annual reggae show, Port Kaiser Sports Club, St Elizabeth. 03-31 Jan, JPA/International Polo – 17 Jan, Doc Masterton Tournament, opening tournament of the JPA polo season, Kingston Polo Club, as drawn. 19-24 Jan, ICWI Ladies Tri-Nation Polo Tournament, Jamaica v USA v UK, at Kingston, Chukka Blue and St Ann polo clubs. 31 Jan, Harry Miller Fun Day, St Ann Polo Club. 24-30 Jan, 13th Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, this year's international line-up includes Gladys Knight, Joss Stone, Babyface, Hall & Oates, Jon Secada, Roy Ayers, Joe Roy Jackson, Billy Ocean, The Whispers, Monty Alexander, Maxi Priest, Erykah Badu, The Queen Project, and Third World, plus local artistes. Main stage events at the Greenfield Stadium in Trelawny. 31 Jan, 27th JSP High Mountain Coffee 10k & 5k Road Races, for international and local athletes, Williamsfield, Mandeville.
FEBRUARY
Feb-Apr, LTM National Pantomime, the Little Theatre Movement’s production of Pirate Jack, playing throughout February until April on Wed-Sun, at The Little Theatre, Kingston. Reggae Month - Bob Marley Celebrations, a month of events held throughout the island including: 01 Feb, Dennis Brown Day. 02 Feb, Reggae Month Art Exhibition, The Bob Marley Museum, Kingston. 04 Feb, Excellence in Music & Entertainment (EME) Awards, The Jamaican Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston. 06 Feb, Bob Marley 65th ‘Earth’ Day Celebration, Nyabinghi drumming at sunrise followed by a cake cutting ceremony at the Bob Marley Museum. 06 Feb, Bob Marley Birthday Bash, One Love Boulevard, Negril. 06-13 Feb, Bob Marley Celebration Week, island wide. 17-20 Feb, International Reggae Conference, UWI, Kingston. 25-27 Feb, Reggae Film Festival, the Jamaica Film Academy ‘s third annual event at the Hilton Hotel, New Kingston. 28 Feb, Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JARIA) Honour Awards, Hilton Hotel, New Kingston. 03-28 Feb, JPA/International Polo: 03, 06 & 07 Feb, informal UK visiting team led by Tim Bown, Kingston Polo Club, 8-10 goal. 14 Feb, Hanover Charity Polo & High Tea, exhibition charity match, starts 3.30pm at Chukka Blue, VIP tickets @ US$85 with all proceeds to Hanover Charities. 23-27 Feb, JPA Keeling Cup, local 4 goal tournament at St Ann Polo Club. 23 Feb, quarter finals. 25 Feb, semi finals. 27 Feb, final. 05-11 Feb, 2011, Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race, biennial event. The 811 nautical mile race sets off next year from Port Everglades Inlet, Florida on 05 Feb for Montego Bay. 05 Feb-11 Apr, 2010 Bacchanal Treasures, the Jamaica carnival season begins with a series of ‘Bacchanal Friday’ themed events with live bands and ‘SocaCise’ get fit parties. 06-12 Feb, 12th Annual Jamaica Fat/Fatta Tyre Festival, daring downhill and cross-country mountain bike races, plus social events organized by SMORGA (St Mary Off-Road Bicycling Association). This years’ Jamaica Bicycle Bash on 07 Feb includes the Rambo Race, Bunny Hop and Rambolympics. 13 Feb, Sugar Cane Ball, annual fund raising event at Round Hill Hotel & Villas in aid of Hanover Charities. 14 Feb, Fi Wi Sinting, African heritage event held at Nature’s Way, Buff Bay, Portland. 28 Feb, Misty Bliss 2010, annual cultural festival relating to the Blue & John Crow Mountains National Park, at Holywell Park.
MARCH
Mar-Apr, LTM National Pantomime, the Little Theatre Movement’s production of Pirate Jack, playing throughout March until April on Wed-Sun, at The Little Theatre, Kingston. 04-28 Mar, JPA/International Polo: 04-07 Mar Mar, visiting team from Newport Polo Club, Rhode Island, USA – 04 Mar, Chukka Blue, 6 goal, 06 Mar, St Ann Polo Club, 6 goal. 07 Mar, Kingston Polo Club, 6 goal. 09, 11 & 13 Mar, JPA Marescaux Cup, 8 goal tournament for local players at St Ann Polo Club. 18 & 20 Mar, Willie DeLisser Tournament, St Ann Polo Club, 12 goal tournament for Jamaica’s top players. 25 Mar, JPA Tonka Brown Tournament at St Ann Polo Club, for low goal, club teams. 27 Mar, JPA Hurlingham 10-14 goal for top club teams, St Ann Polo Club. 01-29 Mar, JamFest 2010, series of concerts held in Negril every Monday night during the annual ‘Spring Break’ party season. This is a three week period when American youngsters flock to Negril and Montego Bay for non-stop wild partying. 01-31 Mar, 2010 Bacchanal Treasures, parties continue in the run up to the main carnival events in April. 26-28 Mar, Jamaica Orchid Society Show, Royal Botanic Gardens, Hope, Kingston. 22 Mar, Trelawny Road Race, 10k from Falmouth to Bounty Hall and back. 25-27 Mar, The Royal Jamaica Yacht Club Spring Fishing Tournament 2010, RJYC, Kingston. 25 Mar-03 Apr, Jamaica Kite Board Pro 2010, Long Bay Beach, Portland. Part of the 2010 Kiteboarding Pro World Tour Circuit.
APRIL
01-03 Apr, Jamaica Kite Board Pro 2010 continues, Long Bay Beach, Portland. Part of the 2010 Kiteboarding Pro World Tour Circuit. 01-04 Apr, LTM National Pantomime, the Little Theatre Movement’s production of Pirate Jack, playing at The Little Theatre, Kingston. 03-11 Apr, 2010 Bacchanal Treasures, parties continue in the run up to the main carnival events: 03 Apr, Beach J’ouvert at James Bond Beach in Oracabessa, 09 Apr, Bacchanal J’ouvert from Oxford Road, New Kingston and 11 Apr, Bacchanal Road March, costumed Road March from Mona Heights through the streets of Kingston. 01-25 Apr, JPA/International Polo: 01 & 03 Apr, JPA Densham Cup, 0 goal for local players, St Ann Polo Club. 10 & 11 Apr, visiting team from Singapore, 10 Apr, against St Ann Polo Club, 8-10 goal and 11 Apr against Kingston Polo Club. 15 Apr, JPA Junior B, no handicap and 17 Junior Cup, 6-9 goal, at St Ann Polo Club. 20, 22 & 25 Apr, JPA Jamaica Open, 12-14 goal Pro-Am tournament at Kingston Polo Club. 02-05 Apr, MBYC Easter Regatta, Montego Bay Yacht Club, Montego Freeport. 03-05 Apr, Trelawny Yam Festival, a local food and heritage festival. Month of events leading up to the festival include a Schools Songs, Poems & Dance competition, a Farmers Field Celebration, Culinary Competition and a King and Queen Pageant. The main event is the Grand Yam Festival Day street fare on 05 Apr, at the Hague Agricultural Show Ground, Trelawny. 05 Apr, St Elizabeth Horticultural Show, annual flower show at Indepencence Park, in Black River. 23-24 Apr, Jake’s Jamaican Off-Road Triathlon & Sunset Run, Treasure Beach, 14th annual charity event welcomes international participants. The triathlon on Saturday includes 500m ocean swim, 25k mountain bike race and a 5k run, with a 5k Sunset Run the night before.
MAY
12-16 May, 15th Annual Caribbean Golf Association Classic, at the White Witch, Cinnamon Hill and Half Moon courses, Rose Hall. 01 & 31 May, JPA/International Polo: 01 May, JPA Senior Cup & JA Cancer Society Fundraiser, 10-14 goal, St Ann Polo Club. 31 May, Harry Miller Fun Day if not held in January. 11-13 May, JAPEX, 20th Annual Jamaica Product Exchange trade show and convention, Half Moon Resort, Rose Hall, Montego Bay. 16-18 May (ETA), Clipper 2009-10 Round the World Yacht Race, Errol Flynn Marina, Port Antonio, Leg 6 port visit of the clipper fleet including the Jamaica team clipper, Jamaica Lightning Bolt. Fleet departs 22 May on the final Leg 7 of the race to Hull via New York, Nova Scotia, Cork and The Netherlands with ETA in the Humber 17 July. 28-30 May, 10th Calabash International Literary Festival, Jake’s, Treasure Beach.
JUNE
02-14 Jun, Digicel Series 2010 - South Africa in the West Indies: 02 Jun, 5th Digicel One-Day International at Sabina Park, Kingston. 05 & 06 Jun, warm-up match at Chedwin Park, Spanish Town. 10-14 Jun, 2nd Digicel Test Match at Sabina Park, Kingston. 03-27 Jun, JPA/International Polo: 03, 05 & 06 Jun, visiting team from Chile, tbc. 09, 11 & 13 Jun, Players Championships, 6 goal, Kingston Polo Club. 15, 18 & 20 Jun, Dennis Lalor Trophy, Kingston Polo Club, 6 goal. 24, 26 & 27 Jun, visiting team from Barbados, tbc. 08-14 Jun, Caribbean Fashion Week, 10th anniversary, National Indoor Sports Centre, Kingston. 13-20 Jun, 20th Annual Ocho Rios Jazz Festival, various jazz concerts and events held in Ocho Rios, Kingston and the South Coast. 18-26 Jun, KOTE/Kingston on the Edge Art Festival, platform for local artists at Redbones Blues Café, Kingston.
JULY
01 Jul, International Reggae Day, Jamaica Conference Centre, Kingston. 04 Jul, Portland Jerk Festival, annual jerk feast (jerk pork, chicken, fish, lobster, sausage and conch) with entertainment, games and competitions including a jerk eating competition, Folly Estate, Port Antonio. 11 Jul, 12th Little Ochi Seafood Carnival, with cooking demonstrations, cook-offs, live music and entertainment, Alligator Pond, Manchester. 18-24 Jul, Reggae Sumfest, 18th anniversary of the world’s premier reggae festival, Catherine Hall, Montego Bay. 04-31 Jul, JPA Polo: 04 Jul, Mike Davis Memorial, fun day of exhibition matches at Chukka Blue. 13, 15 & 17 Jul, John Young coaching league, tournament for new players, St Ann Polo Club. 20-31 Hi-Pro & ICWI Low Goal Family Tournaments at St Ann Polo Club with Jamaica’s best polo playing families in competition – 20, 22 & 24 Jul, Hi-Pro & ICWI Low Goal, 4 goal matches and 29 & 31 Jul, Hi-Pro & ICWI High Goal,10 goal matches. End of season party. tba, Mello Go Roun’, performing arts festival, Kingston.
AUGUST
01 & 06 Aug, JPA Polo: Emancipation Ladies Zimbabwe/Kenya, tbc. 06 Aug, 48th Anniversary of Independence, celebrations island wide with a National Float Parade and Gala through the streets of Kingston. 28 Aug, Breadfruit Festival, annual cultural food event centred around the breadfruit, Bath, St Thomas.
SEPTEMBER
05-11 Sep, Stir It Up Film & Music Festival, international film and music expo, Rose Hall, Montego Bay. 24-26 Sep, Shakti Love Fest, a Spinning, Yoga and Music Charity Festival produced by Shakti Mind Body Fitness in Kingston. Event organized in collaboration with the Shaggy Foundation, with all proceeds going to the Bustamante Hospital for Children. 24 Sep, Wine & Food Festival, annual fund raising event held by the Heart Foundation in Kingston.
OCTOBER
09-16 Oct, 47th Port Antonio International Marlin Tournament & 26th Port Antonio Canoe Tournament, Errol Flynn Marina, Port Antonio. 23-24 Oct, Rose Hall Triathlon, annual international event open to 500 runners. 23 Oct, the Rose Hall Bolt 5km Run and Sunshine Kids Triathlon. 24 Oct, the Rose Hall Triathlon: International Distance with a 1500m swim, 40km bike race and 10 km run, Sprint Triathlon with 750m swim, 23k bike race and 5k run, and a Beach Duathlon with 23k bike race and 5k run.
NOVEMBER
08-15 Nov, Kingston Restaurant Week, various restaurants throughout the city.
DECEMBER
tba Dec, 5th Annual Jamaica Invitational Pro-Am ‘Annie’s Revenge’, White Witch Golf Course, Rose Hall. 01-06 Dec, Rally Jamaica, Jamaica Millenium Motoring Club’s annual event, Kingston. 04 Dec, Reggae Marathon & Half Marathon, Long Bay Beach Park, Negril. 21-23 Dec, Devon House Christmas Craft Fair, held on the North and East Lawns of Devon House Mansion, Kingston. 31 Dec, Fireworks on the Waterfront, family entertainment and firework display, Down Town Harbour, Kingston
Jamaica public holidays 2010: 01 January, 17 February, 02 & 05 Apr, 24 May, 02 & 06 August, 18 October, 25 & 27 December.
Please note that the above events and dates may be subject to change/cancellation. Please check locally for confirmation of details. |
| ^ back to top |
Car Rental
Hiring a car can be an excellent addition to a visit to the Caribbean, but particularly so in Jamaica because the country is great fun to drive around. It is large enough to have proper variety and is exceptionally attractive. There are over 8000 miles of paved roads (well, usually) encircling the island and there is a lot to explore. Actually the roads in Jamaica are quite good at the moment as there has been an extensive building programme in recent years. It is quite possible to set up an itinerary lasting a couple of weeks, staying a few nights in the different areas of the island and in varied types of accommodation. For details and information on driving in Jamaica, please see Driving and Parking.
The minimum age for renting and driving a hired vehicle is 21 years, though some companies charge an ‘underage’ surcharge for drivers under the ages of 23 - 25 years (it depends on the car hire company). Drivers must have held a licence for at least two years, though some will accept one year for underage drivers for a surcharge. The maximum age for hiring and driving varies between 65 and 70 years, again depending on the car rental company. Please note that the wearing of safety belts is compulsory and children under 3 years of age must be placed in a child seat. Child-seats cost approximately US$6 per day to hire.
Unlike most other Caribbean islands, there is no need to purchase a local driving licence when driving in Jamaica. Visitors from the UK may use their licence for up to twelve months and visitors from North America may use their country’s licence for up to three months - both per visit. Jamaica also recognises valid International Driver’s Licenses. |
| ^ back to top |
|