Locals Dish Negril’s Best

No matter where you go, people always say, if you want to know the best stuff, ask a local. Since Jamaica isn’t exactly the kind of place where you can ask a taxi driver to take you to his favorite dive bar, we did something even better for you and asked two locals ourselves.

Tour guide Mark Hylton, owner of Real Jamaica Adventures, says many of his Negril visitors want nothing more than a day on Seven Mile Beach and a few sunset cocktails at Rick’s Café. However, if you want something more active, he opines that Negril is “really the leader on the island when it comes to water-based adventures.” Jet skis, catamaran rides, river fishing, and kayaking are just a few ways to explore the waters around Negril.

Local entrepreneur and promoter Graham Rowe recommends the spa at Grand Palladium for a day of relaxation, or the bridge at Tensing Pen for 15 seconds of sheer adrenaline (achieved when you jump off it into the sea below). If you’re traveling with young children, visit Dolphin Cove at Treasure Reef and Kool Runnings Water Park.

Negril’s Best Unique Hotels

While Negril has plenty of big, busy, all-inclusive hotels, one of the things that makes it different from other Jamaican towns is its unique boutiques. They range in price from inexpensive to super-luxe, and each offers its own charming version of Jamaican flavor.

Rockhouse
Set on the dramatic sea cliffs, with an ocean-fed freshwater pool accessible by a slightly scary path cut into the rock, Rockhouse has million-dollar views for a hundred-dollar price tag. The rest of the property lives up to first glance, too. Drinks are cheap and cold and yummy; the food is spicy and local and delicious; the expat owners become friends at first sight; and the sunny but comfortable shaded patio bar is the kind of place you can easily while away many afternoons.

Nirvana on the Beach
With Nirvana in the name, you know you’re in for a true Negril experience. This “un-hotel” has only eight guest cottages. It’s the kind of place where your neighbors might become your new BFFs, or where you might not ever talk to a neighbor—all depending what your mood is. What you’d pay for a room in a normal hotel gets you a cozy three-bedroom cottage here. No onsite restaurant, but each unit is equipped with a full kitchen, and if you don’t want to go out, the room rate includes a cook for one meal per day. (BYOG—that’s “Bring Your Own Groceries.”)

Montego Bay – What All-Inclusive is Right for You?

Montego Bay is the tourism hub of Jamaica, and its greatest draw is its big, shiny, all-inclusive resorts. These places are designed to pamper, feed, and entertain their guests ‘round the clock, for one fixed price. And compared to what you’d pay in a more developed place, the rates aren’t bad at all. The down side is, it can be a bit difficult to come and go from your resort, between transportation, and security, and sheer logistics. The upside is, you probably won’t want to.

Families
Sunny and low-key, Beaches is the lower-cost cousin to Sandals, and it’s geared to families seeking all-ages fun. For a new twist on a very familiar brand, try the Holiday Inn SunSpree. This recently renovated property offers Holiday Inn deluxe quality for one all-inclusive price.

Top 5 Caribbean All-Inclusive Resorts

Find your own private slice of paradise in a pre-paid package that takes the guesswork out of your vacation budgeting.

1. The Reef Resort, Cayman Islands
2. Crystal Cove, Barbados
3. Coco Reef, Tobago
4. Curtain Bluff, Antigua
5. The Caves, Jamaica

Photo credit: Curtain Bluff Resort, Antigua (courtesy, Curtain Bluff Resort)

Top 10 Cheap Beach Vacations

These beach hot spots may not be statistically the cheapest of the cheap around the world, but factoring in the cost of travel and time, here are our ten best budget beach vacations in North and Central America, with one special shout out to Brazil (which currently offers great value for North American travelers):

10. Destin, Florida
9. Outer Banks, North Carolina
8. Huntington Beach, California
7. Cape Ann, Massachusetts
6. Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
5. Negril, Jamaica
4. Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil
3. Placencia, Belize
2. Tulum, Mexico
1. Cannon Beach, Oregon

Don't agree with our picks? Tell us in the comments section!

Photo credit: Cannon Beach, Oregon (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Getty)

Montego Bay Legends

The notorious legend of Annie Palmer, the White Witch of Rose Hall, lives on in Montego Bay. Many claim voodoo was her vice—her three husbands died of mysterious illnesses, and countless slaves suffered under her control. Legend has it she died as wickedly as she lived; in 1831, she was murdered by the last of her slaves.

Photo credit: Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica (Weststock)