Source: @Jamaica Tourist Board
From the crystal blue of the Caribbean waters that surround the Jamaica to the fluorescent blue of the Luminous Lagoon in Falmouth, from the turquoise of the Blue Hole of Ocho Rios to the emerald of the Martha Brae River, from the light blue of the Dunn's River Falls to the cerulean of the underground lake in the Green Grotto Cave, there are a thousand (at least) shades of blue that envelop the island considered the "must see" destination of the year by Lonely Planet.
In short, Jamaica is a true paradise for the eyes, mind and spirit. Here it is always summer and every moment of the year is good for taking a dip in the waters of the ocean, lake or river.
The Taino indigenous people called the island "Xaymaca", which means "land of wood and water", a very poetic description that evokes the dense tropical forests, the scenic peaks of the Blue Mountains, but also the splendid white sand beaches , waterfalls and rivers.
Source: fortourslovers - @Ilaria Santi
Where to go in Jamaica
Jamaica is quite easy to explore as the main places of interest and attractions are not far from each other. You can choose to base yourself in one of the most touristy locations such as Montego Bay, convenient because it is a stone's throw from the international airport, or in Negril, home of hippies and casual holidays since the 70s (there are still several naturist beaches today) with its talcum powder beaches, or even in the wild Ocho Rios, famous for its primordial nature and for those who love adventurous holidays, or in the land of the Caribbean pirates in Port Royal.
But you can also organize a traveling tour, without missing out on some of the top places on the island and the unique experiences that can only be had here (or in a few other places in the world).
Jamaican beaches
The beaches are among the main reasons that attract tourists to Jamaica. Some of them have been included in the rankings of the most beautiful in the world, such as the famous one Seven Mile Beach in Negril, more than eleven kilometers of soft white sand that flows into the transparent waters of the sea, flanked by some of the most beautiful hotels on the island, such as the Azul Beach Resort. This long strip of white sand is even visible from satellite.
Source: fortourslovers - @Ilaria Santi
How to Doctors Cave, in Montego Bay, whose waters are said to be particularly healthy. The beach takes its name from a doctor, Alexander James McCatty, who owned it, which was once accessed via a cave that no longer exists today, as it was destroyed by a hurricane that hit the coast in 1932. In the 20s , the British osteopath Sir Herbert Barker visited this beach and published a study in which he declared that these waters had healing power, as he himself had benefited from them after diving. One of the coolest hotels in the area, the S Hotel, overlooks Doctors Cave.
Or like Dunn's River Beach on which the scenery is thrown Dunn’s River Falls, the highest waterfalls in Jamaica (55 metres) that can be climbed on foot, whose waters even feed the internal waterfalls of one of the most luxurious resorts in Jamaica, Sandals Dunns River, opened just this year, located on talcum powder beach of Ocho Rios. But the beaches are not the only attractions of the island.
Source: @Marc Sjoeberg
The primordial nature of Jamaica
Jamaica deserves to be seen not only to lie down on one of its soft white beaches overlooking the crystal clear sea. Not visiting some natural paradises or trying some of the adventurous experiences it offers would be a real shame.
If the Caribbean Sea offers hundreds of shades of blue, inland there are thousands more.
Hidden in the forest of Ocho Rios, for example, there is a spectacular one Blue Hole where to dive. The Persian blue waters of this wonderful natural pool are fed by a powerful waterfall, that of the Island Gully Falls, from which you can let yourself (partially) slide. If you wanted to give a real image of the biblical Garden of Eden it would look a lot like this place.
Source: fortourslovers - @Ilaria Santi
On the coast of Negril, in addition to the coral reef where you can snorkel or explore with glass boats, there are also steep cliffs that are not only fascinating to admire, especially if you arrive by boat, but also simply if you order a Piña Colada at Rick's Cafe, one of the most iconic places in Jamaica which offers a front row seat on the cliffs and one of the most spectacular sunsets that can be admired on the island, from which, for those who do not suffer from vertigo , it is possible to launch yourself into the cobalt blue waters of the most extreme point of the island.
In the immediate hinterland of the North coast, there is a very famous cave, the Green Grotto Cave, which takes its name from the color of the algae that covers its walls and which hides an underground lake with waterselesti also appeared in a famous scene from a film about James Bond, “Agent 007 – Live and Let Die”, played for the first time by Roger Moore, and which was used as the secret lair of the bad guy, Mr. Big (in Jamaica there are several locations where the films were set of James Bond).
Source: 123rf
In the interior of Trelawny, also on the north coast of Jamaica, runs a river on whose turquoise waters you can sail aboard a bamboo raft, just as local populations once did to transport bunches of bananas from the interior of the island to the coastal cities. This is the Martha Brae River and the rafts are operated by expert sailors.
Slowly slide along this silent river observing the wild nature made of bamboo canes that emerge from the water (with which rafts are built), of gigantic banyan trees, whose branches are intertwined with those of dozens of other plants, banana trees and lianas from which Tarzan could easily emerge at any moment and listening only to the chirping of hummingbirds and crying birds is one of the most authentic and relaxing experiences you can have in Jamaica.
Source: @Jamaica Tourist Board
Finally, one of the experiences that can only be done in Jamaica, and in a few other places in the world, is worth living: swimming at night in bioluminescence, a phenomenon whereby some microscopic organisms emit light due to a chemical reaction due to absorption of light during daylight hours.
It is done in the Luminous Lagoon, the largest and brightest lagoon in the world, a place where the fresh waters of the river meet the salty waters of the ocean, causing this unprecedented and exceptional reaction which turns the ripples in the water a fluorescent blue colour. This incredible adventure alone is worth the trip.
Info
Nine hours of flight connect Italy with Jamaica. The Neos Air airline travels once a week (twice in December) with a direct flight from Milan Malpensa airport to the international airport of Montego Bay (on the outward journey it makes an initial stopover in the Dominican Republic).
Once you reach your destination, you will need to turn the clock back six hours. The best time to go to Jamaica is from November to May. In the other months the rainy season begins, even intense ones (a little less on the southern coast). Like the entire Caribbean area, hurricanes can also occur between August and October.
