10 Things to do in Jamaica – Montego Bay & Negril

Welcome to the vibrant island country known for its rum, reggae, and warm hospitality. Here, you’ll find pristine beaches, great food, and overall good vibes. There are plenty of things to do in Jamaica, from the beaches in Montego Bay and Negril to the waterfalls in Ocho Rios, and colonial heritage throughout. Jamaica excursions are some of the best in the Caribbean, so you certainly won’t struggle to find some amazing sights and unforgettable experiences.

Who Would Enjoy Jamaica?

If you’re itching to take a trip somewhere soon, you should consider all the awesome things to do in Jamaica. Fair warning—after reading about the highlights of touring this beautiful island country, your mind just might be made up! In Jamaica excursions are versatile, so there are plenty of options for everyone. Whether you prefer…

• Outdoor activities (cliff jumping, waterfall-chasing, etc.)
• Relaxation on the beach
• Historical learning tours
• Party vibes
• Fun distillery tours

…Jamaica truly has it all.

Things to do in Jamaica – My List

Who Joined me on my Jamaica Trip?

Recently, I went on a trip to Jamaica with Air Transat. I was joined on this adventure with some gals from Montreal and Toronto that became fast friends (and travel buddies). Check them out for their photos of the trip…. Angela, Alyssa, Anna, Krystle, Jeanne and Jess.

During our stay on this beautiful Caribbean island, we stayed pretty busy soaking in all the sights—and sun—while experiencing Jamaica like locals. There is much more to Jamaica than the beach, my friends! Check out my list of the 10 best things to do in Jamaica, below.

Rafting on the Martha Brae River  

I’d been river rafting a few times in my home country, Canada. Those rivers were always pretty hectic and fast-paced. This Martha Brae River rafting tour was the complete opposite, which was a very welcome change. It so peaceful and relaxing, plus the scenery is so beautiful! If you’re looking for things to do in Montego Bay, this is worth the drive. It’s less than an hour away and such a nice experience.

What can you Expect on the River Rafting Tour?

You get onto a 30-foot raft with a licensed and experienced captain, who steers and gently rows you down the river. The captain then plays the role of a guide. They share lots of fun facts about rafting in Jamaica, including how the rafts are actually made. The ride goes over about three miles of river, and lasts about an hour.

It was such an amazing experience and I would recommend this to anyone. It’s one of those outdoor activities that accommodates pretty much everyone. Although, I loved that the captains let us take turns trying to “drive” the raft. Test your strength—it may be more of a workout than you expect! This is optional, of course.

My Trip To Jamaica Vlog

Check out my trip to Jamaica vlog with all the details about vacationing in Jamaica! You can watch it on YouTube for better quality.

Hampden Estate Rum Tour

The Hampden Estate is located in Falmouth, and it is gorgeous. The Hampden Estate rum tour was actually quite captivating because of how far the rum dates back in history.

Apparently, the estate has been making their rum the same way for over 265 years! They use simple ingredients, and the rum is very tasty.

We were told this distillery makes the best rum in Jamaica, leaving little choice but to try it for yourself! I tried one that was 80 proof and it was so strong my whole body was burning. It was called fire rum—go figure!

Another rum type I tried was served mixed with juice, and it tasted wonderful. Decidedly, I will leave the 80 proof to the professionals. If you are a fan of rum cocktails, you might like this Easy Tropical Rum Runner Cocktail.

You might also like My Trip to Punta Cana | Dominican Republic, My Trip to Saint Lucia, or Turks & Caicos – Grace Bay Club.

Farm Tour and Lunch at Zimbali Retreats

Zimabali Retreats Farm Tour is an off-the-grid farm where you can enjoy a farm to table meal or stay there for a yoga retreat. It’s located in a tropical mountain valley, which should tell you enough about the views you’re treated with. It’s in a breath-taking location that is surrounded by rivers, forests and springs. This is one of the MUST-do Montego Bay excursions.

Fun fact: Zimbali Retreats has over 500 fruit trees, from pineapple to banana and plantain. We had a tour of the farm and it was amazing seeing all the fruits and vegetables, and how hard they work on the farm to table experience.  After the tour we enjoyed a farm to table lunch and oh my… it was so very delicious! The best part is that they make all the food you eat from products grown right there on the farm.

The Delicacies we Delighted in at the Zimbali Retreat

The chef serves unique dishes to each customer, which is pretty cool. It was more than just a lunch, though—it was a four-course meal. We started off with a salad, and next, a plantain dish for me since I cannot eat gluten. Then they served us jerk shrimp, next hash browns, and finally with fruit at the end. The others indulged in a traditional Jamaican cake that looked super tasty, but I couldn’t eat that because of my gluten issues and diabetes.

Let me just say, I was amazed at how accommodating they were to my special diet needs. Overall, the farm was such a perfect experience. If you’re vacationing in Jamaica, this place is an absolute must.

The Zimabli Retreat Options

You can also stay at Zimbali for retreats where you can do yoga and other relaxing activities. The cottages you stay in are quaint, colourful, and lovely amidst the jungle mountain scenery. They each come complete with their own nice porches you can chill out on.

This would definitely be on my travel checklist for my next visit!

Margaritaville at Seven Mile Beach

If you’re looking for things to do in Negril, you’ll really enjoy this stop. If you also savour long, lazy days soaking up the sun, then this place will be your absolute paradise. Add in margaritas, and it’s the perfect day!

Seven Mile Beach is found on an unofficial highway in Negril. While we were at Seven Mile Beach we went to Margaritaville and enjoyed margaritas (of course) and soaked in the sunshine on this beautiful beach.

This beach is also family friendly and very clean. That means you’ve got nothing to worry about except getting your best tan, and living your best life.

It also makes for a great spot for some mental rejuvenation time. We had a lot of fun a Seven Mile Beach, and it definitely was nice to wind down and relax.

You might also like My Trip to Jamaica + a Vlog, Oregon Waterfalls Road Trip or My Trip to Québec.

Cliff Diving at Rick’s Café

Rick’s Café was one of the first public bars and restaurant of its kind in this part of Jamaica. It used to be just a quiet fishing village. A few hurricanes actually tore it all down, the most recent one being Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

The Dreamy Sunset at Rick’s Café

Rick’s has obviously come back stronger than ever despite the hurdles mother nature has thrown at it! You can find the best sunsets here, by the way. Make sure you get there early if you are going around sunset time. The famous sunsets mean that it also gets very busy! It’s worth the early arrival though.

The Famous Cliff Jump at Rick’s Café

Besides just beautiful sunsets, there’s a bar and restaurant, plus cliff jumping! I was excited to go here for this reason. It’s one of my favourite travel activities. Rick’s Café is famous for the cliff jumping with one area that is over 30 feet high.

Don’t worry—there are lower areas that you can jump from, too. If you go planning to do the tall jump, though, make sure you go through with it! This is probably one of the most exhilarating things to do in Negril.

Visit Dunn’s River Falls and Go Ziplining

Dunn’s River Falls is one of Jamaica’s national treasures. They’re located in Ocho Rios, which is along the north coast of Jamaica. It’s quite popular for its rushing natural waterfalls, working plantations, tropical gardens, and hectic cruise ship port.

We went on the Chukka Fall Flyer Tour which is ziplining over the Dunn’s River Falls. This is such a fun and scenic zipline. Zipping through the palm trees and above the cascading waterfalls is reminiscent of flying through some kind of jungle fairy tale. This was one of my favourite Montego Bay excursions and I am sure you expected that since I live this type of adventure.

The guides were also hilarious while still being informative about safety procedures. You can climb up the falls because there are steps throughout (bring water shoes for this). Another option is to just sit and hang out in one of the pools. Make sure you bring bug spray on this tour!

While you’re, make sure to visit the beach for a quick dip in the water to cool off. All in all, this makes for such a great day trip while traveling in Jamaica. I had amazing time, as visiting waterfalls is usually on the top of my travel lists anywhere I go. This is one of those Jamaica excursions that are not to be missed!

Eat at Scotchies

Scotchies is a Jamacian food legend, and it has the best jerk chicken and pork that you will ever taste. I’m the type of girl to dream about food. Therefore, traveling always consists of trying the local favourites!

I love to try any foods that I can, and this place did not disappoint. My friends and I got lots of different things to try…it was very satisfying for my taste buds. If you don’t go to Scotchies, you’re missing out on some amazing jerk.

Visit the Markets in Falmouth and Montego Bay

The markets in Jamaica are full of craft goods and fresh fruits. This is another one of my favourite travel activities to do—it’s a nice way to have a little cultural exposure while trying amazing foods. Speaking of, if you want a good jelly (what they call young, green coconuts here) you’ll want to head to the market.

I love coconut water, so having it fresh just makes it 100 times better! Plus, it’s perfect for quenching your thirst and hydrating you on a hot day. I also tried star apple and Jamaican pineapple while I was there. To me, nothing is better than local fresh fruits.

Rose Hall Great House Haunted Night Tour

This is one of the most exciting Montego Bay excursions yet. Rose Hall is open during the day for normal tours, but the haunted night tour is a whole different kind of vibe—and super fun. During the day, the beautiful property has a lush, green garden where you can walk around (with lots of photo ops).

At night though, it turns into a VERY haunted house. The tour guide shared the story, and talked about how it is one of the very few great houses left in Jamaica. They explain that the grand colonial house was restored to its former glory back in the 1960s. They also tell you about the story of “Annee Palmer, the famed White Witch of Rose Hall.”

The story is scary, and I am sure I screamed several times on the tour. I would not want to sleep overnight there. Just sayin’…

This was undoubtedly a must-see out of all the things to do in Montego Bay Jamaica. It’s unique, which is another thing I loved about it.

Thanks for following along on my Jamaican adventure. There truly are so many things to do in Jamaica! If you ever go vacationing in Jamaica, check out all the Montego Bay excursions and things to do in Negril. There is so much to do outside the resort in one of my favourite Caribbean Islands!

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This blog post about things to do in Jamaica and vacationing in Jamaica is brought you in collaboration with Air Transat, Visit Jamaica and the Royal Decameron Cornwall Beach.  Thank you for supporting the brands that support me.