Tour Jamaica: From Usain Bolt, Bob Marley to Dunns River Falls

Jamaica's name is prominent in the world thanks to our outstanding athletes like Usain Bolt, the fastest man on the planet. We also gave the world Bob Marley who is one of the most revered musical icons in the world as was his compatriot Peter Tosh. But what else do you know about our beautiful island?

Did you know that Negril at the extreme western end of Jamaica has seven miles of pristine white sands beaches? Maybe you knew that Dunns River Falls near Ocho Rios is the most photographed attraction in the Caribbean but Joan considers Reggae Falls in the eastern side of the island even more beautiful. Now you have better choices so check it out for yourself!

Also you never knew you could go surfing in St. Thomas did you? Yes you can and they have been hosting annual international surfing competitions at Macka Beach in the parish for some years now.

And while this is a tropical island, there have been two recorded instances of snow flurries falling at the Blue Mountain peak and this 2,256 metres (7,402 ft) Caribbean wonder is now a UNESCO Heritage site.

Also , I bet you didn't know that Seville Museum in St. Ann gives you a comprehensive history lesson about the life of the Tainos, Spanish, and British in pre-independent Jamaica and that Port Royal in Kingston was once considered the wickedest city in the world? Well you can visit it today and see exactly how the pirates lived and operated in those days.

Best of all, you should go rafting down the the majestic Rio Grande river in Portland which is where our tourism industry started in the 40's. For farmers used to transport bananas by raft in those days and when they saw the absolute beauty of the Rio Grande Valley, they decided to share it with the rest of the world.

And you have not lived until you have tasted Jamaican food from jerk pork to janga soup. So go out and eat to your hearts content.

Jamaica has 14 parishes and each parish is an unique experience, in fact it is often said that each Jamaican parish is even more scenic than each of the Caribbean islands that once formed the English speaking colonies. So check it out for yourself for this book gives you a comprehensive overview of what you will find in each parish.

Then there is the wildlife! For one of our most popular attractions is the Black River safari which takes you down the island's longest navigable river and into the mangroves where you can see huge crocodiles sunning themselves while an exotic and rich profusion of various types of birds observe them cautiously from the trees.

Our mysterious Cockpit Country is a hilly and dense limestone area traversing three parishes and covering over 500 square miles. The cockpits are formed because limestone, the predominant soil in the area, does not retain water. Rainwater therefore, percolates downward through cracks and fissures, creating in time a landscape of pits and valleys. Below the surface are hundreds of rivers, streams and caves, providing some of the best spelunking opportunities in the Caribbean.

Most of that area was a stronghold of the Maroons from the eighteenth century, when attacks by the British forced ex-slaves to use the harsh terrain to their advantage. The Cockpit Country is still home to one of the most important Maroon communities in the island, the town of Accompong in the parish of St Elizabeth which this publication recommends that you visit.


There is so much about Jamaica that you can never learn about by looking at brochures for even persons living in Jamaica miss out on many of our wonderful natural attractions. This book will fill in the gaps and leave you just wishing to visit and explore Jamaica and enjoy it all as Joan does on a regular basis.

To ensure you miss nothing because of language differences there is a dictionary at the back with cartoons and all. For while we do speak English in Jamaica, we also have our own colorful and very expressive language called Patois.

Editorial