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Jamaica / Day Sails/Boat Trips

By Deana Bellamy, James Henderson

Sailing trips are not as numerous in Jamaica as in most Caribbean islands, but you will find a small selection in each of the major resort towns. There are party boats but you can also find yachts that will take you out on a proper day sail.

Other boat trips worth knowing about include trips to the offshore cays to the South of Kingston (actually the best beaches in the area) and the trip to the Luminous Lagoon near Falmouth. Boats travel out at night to see the bioluminescence which occurs when the waters of the lagoon are agitated.

River Rafting

Less known is that Jamaica has something that none of the other islands have however. River rafting. This does not involve inflated dinghies, rocks and rapids, but instead it is a leisurely and extremely pleasant way to spend an afternoon, gliding down a flat river, seeing the island’s fantastically beautiful rivers from the ‘inside’. The rivers with rafting trips are Great River (west of Montego Bay), the Martha Brae south of Falmouth, the White River outside Ocho Rios and the Rio Grande near Port Antonio. They are well worth the trip.

The rafts, which are about 30 feet long and have a raised seat for two near the rear, are built out of lengths of bamboo bound together, and they are punted by a rafts man at the front using a long bamboo pole. Originally these rafts were used to transport bananas from upland plantations down to the docks in Port Antonio during the banana boom in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Errol Flynn, the 1940s Hollywood actor who had a holiday home in Port Antonio, helped to popularise the tradition.

There are also other activities on the rivers in Jamaica, including swimming. There are several rivers where you can scramble over rocks until you reach a waterfall where you can swim. Some of the best are YS Falls south of Montego Bay, Mayfield Falls between Negril and Montego Bay and Reach Falls in Portland in the East.

River rafting trips and tour companies include:

Caliche Rainforest Park & Adventure Tours, Montego Bay and Negril - They offer tours on the Great River near Montego Bay on inflatable, self-bailing rafts, with two river rafting trips to choose from. The Canyon White Water Rafting is an exciting trip down an untamed section of the river with rapids, waterfalls, and boulders to negotiate. The Rainforest River Tour is gentler paddling, allows you to appreciate your surroundings more easily, and is suitable for children (four years old and up), with river swimming and rope swinging.

Calypso Rafting, nr Ocho Rios - A picturesque 45 minute trip down the White River on a 30ft bamboo raft.

Mountain Valley Rafting, nr Montego Bay - Embark at Lethe village and travel along the Great River on 30ft bamboo rafts.

Rio Grande Rafting, Portland - The longest and most dramatic of the river rafting trips, on 30ft long bamboo rafts that were originally used for transporting bananas down the Rio Grande river. This is now a popular leisurely outing, with the chance for a cooling dip along the way.

River Raft Ltd, Falmouth - The three mile Martha Brae river trip is on 30ft bamboo rafts. It starts out at the Rafter’s Village, a recreational facility which includes a swimming pool, bar, souvenir shops and picnic areas and ends up at Martha’s Rest, where there is a bar, lounge and souvenir shop. You can visit Martha’s Herb Garden, where you can learn about the different medicinal uses for a range of plants.

White River Valley, nr Ocho Rios - A 300 acre park set in the White River Valley, with a variety of activities including river tubing, kayaking, horse riding, nature walks, an horticultural tour and hiking trails.

Browse Day Sails/Boat Trips on other islands

Anguilla | Antigua and Barbuda | Barbados | British Virgin Islands | Dominica | Dominican Republic | Grenada & Carriacou | Jamaica | Nevis | St Barthélemy | St Kitts | St Lucia | St Martin/St Maarten | St Vincent and the Grenadines | Tobago

Or read our other island guides

Anguilla | Antigua | Aruba | Bahamas | Barbados | Bermuda | Bonaire | British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands | Cuba | Curacao | Dominica | Dominican Republic | Grenada and Carriacou | Guadeloupe | Haiti | Jamaica | Martinique | Montserrat | Nevis | Puerto Rico | Saba | St Barthélemy | St Eustatius | St Kitts | St Lucia | St Martin/St Maarten | St Vincent and the Grenadines | Tobago | Trinidad | Turks & Caicos Islands | US Virgin Islands

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Looking for inspiration?

  1. Sample some fiery jerk chicken or pork at one of the many stands in Boston - the home of jerk 
  2. Take a tour of Appleton Estate, Jamaica's oldest rum producer
  3. Spend the day exploring Dunn's River Falls & Park
  4. Enjoy a round of golf at one of Montego Bay's five, 18-hole courses
  5. Immerse yourself in local culture and pay a visit to the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston

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