When traveling to Jamaica you’re undeniably going to do four things… stay at a resort, lay on the beach, drink rum, and swim in a pool. You’ve got it all, the fresh and salt water, drinks, food, and service, and your gorgeous hotel room. What more could you ask for?
…ADVENTURE
No trip is worth the money spent without a little adventure mixed in. Taking a day away from caged in the resort to see the culture and thrills of locals and a peek into their lives is worth more than any free rum drink in my travel experience. For me, these were the 5 top adventures you must try while in Jamaica.
1. Blue Hole Mineral Spring– The Blue Hole in Negril, Jamaica is somewhat of a hidden gem, mostly because there are two blue holes in Jamaica. One is large and open, surrounded by trees and rocks, beautiful and an easy find. But this Blue Hole is the one you want to find. Way up in the mountains of Negril is this turquoise blue mineral spring deep in a cavernous opening completely surrounded by limestone. The limestone creates a sort of underground filtration system creating a clear pool of enriching minerals to swim in. But how do you get into this hole you ask? JUMP! Right off the edge of the cave is a 22foot drop to the water. And that sketchy blue ladder…is your only way back out. Video coming soon to show more!
2. Kayaking or other resort adventures– Resorts typically have activities going all day. Everything from dance contests, swimming contests, beach yoga, and more. Within 2 hours of getting to the resort I participated in a push-up/swim relay competition and I am NOT what you would call a good swimmer. To the point of when I came up for air from my underwater doggy paddling the entire pool conglomeration yelled: “you’re going the wrong way!” But hey, I kill it at push-ups and I was greeted with a rum shot at the end. Along with the daily antics, our resort provided free snorkel gear, windsurfing, and kayaking rental. Take up the opportunity.
3. Rick’s Cafe– A tourist location for sure but still a great place to experience while in Jamaica. Rick’s is known for providing tourists and locals alike a cliff jumping platform 35 feet above the glassy gorgeous blue waters sitting pretty along the coast. While that was the best part for our group, you don’t have to be a thrill seeker to enjoy Rick’s Cafe. They also provide Jamaican singers and bands and rated #1 for paradise sunset locations…more than once.
4. Snorkeling– Like most paradise locations, you don’t have to go far for a great snorkeling experience. All you need is a little guts to get close to dark rock/cave formations and swim over the dark seaweed patches. (You can’t see much in most seaweed areas so I suggest flipping over and swimming on your back until the “shark infested seaweed” portion is cleared) We encountered many types of fish, purple urchins, and large coral starfish. I would pay to scuba dive…I would not pay someone to take me somewhere to snorkel because you can always find it yourself. Most hotels or local grocery stores have cheap/free to rent snorkel gear so always check first!
5. The Luminous Lagoon– The Luminous Lagoon is an area of water where the Martha Brae River meets the Caribbean Sea previously used as a goods trading port. Long after the days of ship trading scientists found microorganisms called dinoflagellates, a tiny organism that lives where salt and fresh water combine and glow a bright blue color when agitated (a.k.a when you swim in the water) Of the four locations that are home to these glowing marvels, Jamaica is home to the most brilliant of them all.
6. *Bonus- Rum Overload– Because its Jamaica.
When planning a big trip, it’s important to use the most helpful resources. Booking.com is one of my favorite resources for the best prices for every type of accommodation. Plus Booking.com never has booking fees and offers free cancellations on most rooms.
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Yas! As a local, I endorse all these and more 🙂