Negril |
It was the hippies and flower children who first found Negril, a part of Jamaica appreciated for being different from the over-developed package tour market of Montego Bay. Negril still attracts a young crowd, and the beachfront bars and cafes are abuzz each night with reggae music and wild partying. Along with the party people, however, Negril is favoured also by those just wanting to get away from it all. It sports its famous seven-mile (11km) stretch of pristine beach, encircling Bloody Bay, and five miles (8km) of cliffs, where locals and visitors alike dare each other to indulge in some extreme cliff-diving, sometimes from ropes. The coral reefs and caves along the coast make it a scuba diver’s and snorkeller's dream come true, and for active visitors there is the chance to take part in just about any watersport imaginable. Adventure seekers can venture by kayak into the mysterious Great Morass (a protected area full of palm trees, exotic birds and crocodiles).
Attractions
Negril Lighthouse
The lighthouse on West End Road, built in 1894, is open to visitors every day. The climb to the top (100ft/30m) is arduous, up steep iron steps, but worth it for the breathtaking views of the coast afforded at the summit.
Address: West End Road; Opening time: Daily 9am to sunset (times can vary and it is worth checking up before visiting); Admission: Free
Rhodes Hall Plantation
Visitors who tire of the beach can head for the countryside to a small estate, Rhodes Hall Plantation, a short distance east of Negril. Here guided horseback excursions give a glimpse of the magic and mystery of the Jamaican countryside, and you don't have to be an experienced rider to participate. Guides give some basic horsemanship tips and then take tourists off through the foothills, pointing out botanical wonders and regaling riders with stories and legends about local landmarks. The tours include riding through forests of banana and coconut palms and along a beach to Crocodile River (which really has crocodiles in residence). The riding tours last from half an hour to two hours, and are inclusive in the round-trip transportation from any hotel in the Negril area.
Telephone: 957 6334, 957 6883; E-mail: rhodes@cwjamaica.com; Website: www.jamplified.com/riding
Seven Mile Beach
The reason for Negril’s recent boom as a tourist Mecca is centred on this seven-mile stretch of beautiful shoreline around Bloody Bay (so-called because of the fierce battle here between Columbus and the Arawak Amerindians) dotted with palm trees and carpeted with pristine white sand. Development has been restricted to palm-tree height, and despite the proliferation of guesthouses and hotels along the strip the natural beauty of the beach has not been compromised. It is now a beach renowned for showing off the world’s smallest bikinis; in fact clothing is optional and generally the option is little or nothing! Expect to be hounded by hundreds of vendors, offering everything from hair braiding to illegal ‘ganja’ (marijuana).
Excursions