Top 10 Things to Do in Jamaica – A Montego Bay & Negril Guide

Welcome to the vibrant island of Jamaica 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. You likely will never want to leave!

Top 10 Things to Do in Jamaica (Montego Bay & Negril)

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!

Here are my top 10 things to do in Jamaica. It’s a bucket list trip for sure!

1. 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.

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.

2. 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.

3. 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 breathtaking location that is surrounded by rivers, forests, and springs. This is one of the MUST-do Montego Bay excursions.

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.

Insider tip! 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.

4. 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.

5. Cliff Diving at Rick’s Café

Rick’s Café was one of the first public bars and restaurants 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.

Rick’s has obviously come back stronger than ever despite the hurdles Mother Nature has thrown at it!

Today, you can find the best sunsets here. Just 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.

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 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.

6. 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 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 for 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!

8. Eat at Scotchies

Scotchies is a Jamaican 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.

9. 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 in Jamaica—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.

10. 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.

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.

Side note: During this trip to Jamaica with Air Transat, I was joined on this adventure with some gals from Montreal and Toronto. Check them out for their photos of the trip…. Angela, Alyssa, Anna, Krystle, Jeanne and Jess.

Is a trip to Jamaica Worth It?!

If you’re itching to take a trip somewhere soon, you should definitely consider Jamaica. There are so many awesome things to do in Jamaica, that it will quickly become your favourite destination. 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. Start planning your vacay today!

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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.