May04thThu The Ultimate Jamaican Bucket List

Welcome to Jamaica!  Now that you’re here the next step is figuring out how you’re going to cross off all the items on the ultimate Jamaican bucketlist. All you need to know is how to best organize your trip so that you can experience all the following iconic excursions. Whether you want to relax and enjoy the sounds of the ocean outside your hotel window or prefer the thrill of the outdoors, Jamaica has something to offer everyone. We promise!

We’ve compiled the ultimate Jamaica bucket list for those looking for a truly unforgettable experience. These are the places that you must visit at some point - whether on this trip or the next or the one after that! This list will hit all your Jamaica ‘must-dos’, from relaxing on the beach, to thrill-seeking adventure, connecting with all things Bob Marley or James Bond, going back in time or partying like there’s no tomorrow, all with a lot of great food and rum in the mix!  Whether you’re here with family, your babe, besties or flying solo, these are just a handful of the hotspots and off-the-beaten-path experiences that will create memories to last a lifetime.

Bob Marley Museum

Let’s hit the most iconic thing on your list first. The great Jamaican reggae legend would be over 70 years old now and the island still celebrates his birthday in a big way every February, officially known as Reggae month in Jamaica. Take a day trip to the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston to see the newly renovated former home and recording studio of the reggae king. Make your own vinyl souvenir, grab a meal and experience the music and history of the legend with a tour of the grounds.

Scuba Diving in Port Royal

If you’re a true history buff and an active explorer, visit Port Royal, a short ride outside of Kingston which was once known as the “wickedest city on earth”, as it was home to pirates and buccaneers in its heyday and the rampant debauchery that was the norm there. Since then, a devastating earthquake sunk most of the city leaving behind a tilted giddy house, sunken ships and structures, seaside eateries and historic museums. It’s a scuba-diver’s dream if you get permission to check out the ruins down under.

http://www.scuba-jamaica.com

James Bond Beach at GoldenEye

Jamaica has no shortage of iconic places and personalities including where Ian Fleming once called home, Fleming Villa at Goldeneye. There, he penned all 12 James Bond novels and 2 short story collections about the most famous spy in the world. Visit the property, and walk along James Bond beach and draw inspiration from the same spots that Fleming birthed the famous 007 character, and a few locations where some of the first movies in the Bond series were also filmed.

Bike Downhill in the Blue Mountains

Famous for its world class coffee, the UNESCO Heritage site also boasts many other attractions. Trek through the cool Blue Mountains, to the highest point in Jamaica. Stay in a rustic hostel or tour a working coffee estate or factory which produces one of the world’s most expensive and coveted coffees. Or jump on a bike and take a tour of the region and cross a few of these experiences the region offers all in one go.  

https://jamaicatoursltd.com/tourdetail.php?tourid=qKWr

Authentic Jerk Everything

It should be a crime to visit Jamaica and not seek out the very best in jerk everything. Jamaicans put everything over pimento wood from chicken to pork to rabbit, seafood and even ice-cream. It’s true! Boston Bay in Port Antonio is home of this deliciously spicy meal and it won’t hurt that the beach here is simply breathtaking. If you can’t make it out to Boston Bay this trip, seek out a Scotchies Jerk Center or hey, check out the street eats nearest to you. It’s Jamaica after all, we guarantee you that authentic jerk is never too far away. For those interested in seeing how the famous sauce is made, head to Walkerswood just outside Ocho Rios and take the tour right in the heart of where the famous brand name sauce is created.

http://www.walkerswood.com/theatre/jerkcountrytour.php

The Great Jamaican Rum

While we’re onto signature Jamaican food, a visit to the Appleton Estate, Jamaica’s oldest sugar and rum distillery to check in with the world’s first female rum blender and sample some of her age old concoctions is a must on your checklist. The tour is a fun blend of history, rummaking and of course imbibing. 

www.appletonrumtour.com

(Note: The Appleton Estate Rum Tour is temporarily closed for upgrades until November 2017. In the meantime why not check out the Hampden Estate Rum Tour with Island Routes Tours)

Go Caving

Jamaica is a very mountainous island and beneath all those mountains are caves with rich history, some with artifacts now on display in museums in Britain. Whether you’re an expert spelunker or just want to do a little light exploring, there’s a cave that’s suited to all activity levels, from a stroll with the young ones and the grandparents with a little history thrown in, to an adrenalin filled exploration of the depths of the island’s caving systems.

www.jamaicancaves.org

Swim with Dolphins

Dolphin Cove is a treasure here on the island for the magical creatures it allows us to be friends with. Visit one of their two locations in Negril or Ocho Rios where you can swim and interact with dolphins, sting rays, sharks, starfish, iguanas and a host of other animals.

Try the pot, if that’s your thing

Only being recently decriminalized in Jamaica, the reputation is known far and wide so you might as well. Experience the Jamaican strain of marijuana soon to be available to those with a prescription for it but not to worry if you’re found with a joint and no paperwork, it only carries a small fine.

Go to a Reggae Concert

There’s nothing like it. Experience the vibrations jamming through your body as you’re moved by the rhythms under the warm Jamaican moonlight. There’s always a live concert happening somewhere on the island and if you’re a music buff they’re an experience not to be missed.