Jamaica Travel Information

Taking a Jamaica vacation is a sure way of finding a relaxing resort in a tropical setting. It's also a great way to visit an island with interesting people and things to do.

Jamaica is one of the five most popular vacation destinations in the Caribbean for other reasons. The island is located 600 miles from Miami, so it is more easily accessible than other locations in the Caribbean, especially the southern destinations.

Anyone planning to vacation in Jamaica for the first time might look for hotels or resorts in three major areas -- Ocho Rios, Negril or Montego Bay. Like the Dominican Republic, Jamaica is known in particular for all-inclusive resorts, where guests are able to take advantage of meals, beverages and entertainment for one fee. It is similar to the experience they will find on a typical western Caribbean cruise.

Although many visitors stay at the all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica all week, some of the more active visitors will want to get out and find Jamaica attractions worth seeing. One of the most famous family attractions is Dunn's River Falls, where visitors can climb hundreds of feet up the cascading waterfalls in a daisy chain of handholding. Other visitors who want outdoor adventure can hike through the Blue Mountains, which are known as the location of Jamaica's famous Blue Mountain Coffee.

Kingston is a popular place to tour for both cruise visitors and anyone staying for the week on the island. It is the largest English-speaking city south of Florida and has local attractions including the Bob Marley Museum, the nearby Royal Botanic Gardens, plenty of shopping and a long list of other historical and cultural sites to see.

If you are planning your first visit to Jamaica via a hotel or resort, you need to obtain a passport to enter or leave the country. If you are visiting via a cruise ship, you will need a passport when you embark on the cruise and when you return. But you will need only your ship ID to get off and back on the ship when it docks in Jamaica.

Jamaica weather is a critical part of any plan for a vacation there. Visitors avoid September through November because those months are in the middle of the annual Caribbean hurricane season. Heavy rain and tropical storms are common, while hurricanes pass through or nearby on rare occasion.

The two most popular months to visit Jamaica are June and July, while the late spring months are popular as well.


Mellow and good natured is the best way to describe Jamaicans. They make the shopping experience different from any other island we have visited. They don't hesitate to approach a tourist, but they easily take no for an answer and often give a smile in return as they walk away. It's unlike the hard sell of other islands in the region.

It is justifiably famous for a distinct culture and alluring dialect that shows up even on excursions. The coolest people I have ever met were the crew of the catamaran that we took to Dunn's River Falls. If climbing the falls isn't appealing, do consider any type of cruise along the coast that is one of the most beautiful in the Caribean. If you see Mick Jagger standing outside his villa, be sure to wave.

The fact that Jamaica is only 600 miles from Miami makes it easily accessible to most American and Canadian tourists.

Jamaica is the third most popular tourist island in the Caribbean. It is somewhat more popular among stopovers than cruises, with most of the stopovers heading to the numerous resorts.

Jamaica Attractions

Unique attractions include Kingston, the capital of Jamaica; the famous Dun River Falls, which is a fun family climb up the waterfalls; and Dolphin Cove in the beautiful resort setting of Ocho Rios. Noteworthy regular attractions include 12 golf courses and hiking the 7,000-foot-tall Blue Mountains.


All U.S. and Canadian stopover visitors require a passport. Cruise visitors simply need to have their ship IDs available when leaving the ship and returning.

The most popular time to visit is July followed by September. The least popular time is September and then October. Note that Jamaica claims more nude beaches than another other Caribbean island.

Jamaica Weather

Tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior. The hurricane season is especially strong from July to November. The average annual temperature is 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The hottest months are May through September, and the coolest are December to March. But the combination of moutains and plains create great variety to the temperatures and rainfall, with the mountains receiving up to 300 inches a year and other areas receiving as little as 30 a year.


The national currency is the Jamaican Dollar. Most currencies can be exchanged at local banks. Many ATMs accept international bank cards. Jamaica follows the common practice in the Caribbean of 10-15 percent tips on services such as hotels and restaurants. But some places automatically add a gratuity while others such as all-inclusive resorts do not allow tipping at all. Hotels have a 10-15 percent room tax.


English and English patois (vernacular or nonstandard form of English)  are the dominant languages. The economy depends heavily on services especially tourism. Jamaica is mostly mountains, with a narrow and discontinuous coastal plain.

• U.S. Dept. of State
  
• CIA Factbook
  
• Caribbean Tourism Organization
  
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration