Things to do in Jamaica

Most visitors arrive on the north coast. Montego Bay is the main resort hub, with reef-fringed beaches, great houses and the Hip Strip, while Ocho Rios is known for Dunn's River Falls, jungle pools and turquoise bays. Between them, the parish of Trelawny has the Georgian port of Falmouth, bamboo rafting on the Martha Brae River and a lagoon that glows at night.

Further afield, Negril's long beach and clifftop sunsets lie to the west, the Blue Mountains east of Kingston grow celebrated coffee, and Port Antonio is a lush, quieter corner of rivers and coves. Kingston, the capital, is home to the Bob Marley Museum and a thriving music scene, and Nine Mile, his birthplace, lies in the hills above Ocho Rios.

Jerk chicken and pork, ackee and saltfish, curry goat, patties and fresh fruit bring fire and fragrance to the table. The dry season from mid-December to April is the most popular, while summer and autumn are hotter and fall within the hurricane season.