Jamaica Find your groove on the island where everything’s cool
Sun-drenched white sand and turquoise waters maybe Jamaica’s best-known features but this lively Caribbean island offers more than a day at the beach. It’s also a country of waterfalls and the Blue Mountains, which produce some of the planet’s finest coffee; of rum and tasty local specialties such as jerk chicken; and, of course, there’s reggae, the unique Jamaican music known for its socially conscious messages. Ready to soak up some island spirit? Let Cosa create the perfect Jamaican trip for you.
Where it is
Caribbean
When to go
December to April
Why go there
Brilliant beaches
Reggae grooves
Great food
What to see
Negril
Pelican Bar
Bob Marley Museum
Sunbathe on Seven Mile Beach
Negril’s Seven Mile Beach (actually four miles of icing-sugar sand) consistently ranks on the world’s best beaches list. Pack your snorkel and mask too as the marine life is fantastic.
Song and dance
If it’s reggae then that means Bob Marley and you can tour the late superstar’s Kingston home where he recorded many of his hits.
Chasing waterfalls
Dunn’s River Falls draw the crowds but YS Falls are arguably even more beautiful. Expect a series of seven cascades set amid acres of lush vegetation and limestone cliffs.
Raft down the Rio Grande
You can thank Errol Flynn for this very Jamaican activitiy: he popularised floating down the Rio Grande on long rafts made from bamboo poles. Don’t worry, the rafts come with a captain.
Travel in Jamaica
As the third largest of the Caribbean islands, travelling around Jamaica takes longer than you think. However, Cosa can arrange a car and private driver to whisk you wherever you want to go – while providing nuggets of information about the island that has hosted everyone from Ian Fleming to Elizabeth Taylor. While English is the official language, many Jamaicans speak Patois, a colourful Creole dialect. Chances are you’ll soon pick up phrases like Wah gwaan (What’s up).
Jamaica facts
After Columbus ‘discovered’ the island in 1494, Jamaica stayed under European rule for the next 450 years or so. The island finally achieved independence from the UK in 1962, and will soon become a republic. Perhaps its biggest cultural export (after rum) is reggae, which originated out of a mixture of different music styles and is closely tied to Rastafarianism. Jamaica’s greatest hero since Bob Marley is arguably superstar sprinter Usain Bolt, winner of eight Olympic golds, who owns a local restaurant called Tracks and Records.
Time zone
UTC -5
Flight time
10 hours from Switzerland
Local currency
Jamaican dollar
Dialling code
+1
