Jamaica

Nestling in the sugar cane fields of St Elizabeth parish, the Appleton Rum Estate near the village of Magotty offers visitors the chance to find out all there is to know about the production of rum. There is a small museum with equipment and artifacts from days gone by, and a resident donkey to demonstrate how sugar cane used to be crushed by turning the teeth of the mill.Visitors are shown how the sugar cane is harvested, processed to be distilled in handmade oak barrels, and finally blended and bottled. Thirsty tourists can end off their visit at the tavern to sample the estate's rums and liqueurs. Tours also usually include a complimentary bottle of rum. The guides are friendly and extremely proud of their product.Note that the roads to the estate are rather hair-raising, although they wind through some lovely scenery. Photos are not allowed at certain stages of the tour because Appletons wants to preserve some of its secrets!

Website : www.appletonestate.com

Blue Lagoon was renamed in honour of the movie which made it famous, and is one of the most scenic spots in Jamaica. It is fed by underground mineral springs, and is believed by many to be bottomless, although divers have discovered that it is about 185 feet (56m) deep. Surrounded by steep, green hillsides, the Blue Lagoon is a wonderful place to swim if one chooses to ignore the tales of sea monsters deep below the surface that are circulated by locals.The colour of the water, which is the lagoon's most alluring feature, changes throughout the day depending on light and weather and makes for some stunning photographs. It is also interesting to feel the mixture of the warm water from the Caribbean and the icy cold water from the underground springs.The lagoon is only a 20-minute drive from Port Antonio, and some choose to hike the distance. Once there, visitors can hire a local boatman to take them to the best swimming spots.

Towering across eastern Jamaica, the 28-mile (45km) long mountain range seems constantly shrouded in a mist that gives the mountains their bluish colour. The John Crow National Park, at the base of the mountains, was established to preserve the diverse range of species that call the Blue Mountains home. Among them are more than 800 endemic plant species, 200 bird species and 500 flowering plant varieties as well as the world's second-largest variety of butterflies.The coffee that is grown on the slopes is world-renowned and visitors can organise tours of some of the larger coffee estates. Visitors to the Blue Mountains can climb the highest peak by way of the Peak Trail, which starts at Abbey Green. Most hikers spend a night in one of the cabins on the mountain. Local advice or guides are highly recommended. Bicycle tours of the Blue Mountains can also be arranged, and are a great way to explore the foothills.

Jamaica's most famous son, singer and songwriter Bob Marley, was responsible for making reggae music a global phenomenon. The popular Rastafarian became a cult figure even before his death in 1981, caused by cancer when he was only 36 years old.This museum devoted to his memory is one of the most popular attractions in Kingston. It is the simple clapboard house where Marley lived and recorded his music until he died, and is now packed with Marley memorabilia. There are also screenings of a movie about the singer's life. Memorabilia on show includes Marley's guitar, his old blue jeep, and a number of his awards.Even for those who aren't big Marley fans, his music was deeply influenced by the social issues of Jamaica during his lifetime and it gives insight into the culture of the country. It is hard to visit Kingston without wanting to pay tribute to the iconic musician.

Address : 56 Hope Road

Website : www.bobmarleymuseum.com

Devon House in Kingston is a prime example of Jamaican Georgian architecture. The house was built by Jamaica's first black millionaire, George Stiebel, at the end of the 19th Century. It's furnished with a number of antiques and evokes the feel of a 'Jamaican Great House'.Devon House is a national monument, but also a heritage centre aiming to promote local arts and crafts and keep Jamaican traditions alive. The ice-cream sold here is famous and the dozens of flavours on offer frequently pop up in tourist reviews. There are also baked goods, liqueurs and wines, coffee, cigars, spices, arts and crafts, clothes and much more on sale. The Norma's on the Terrace restaurant comes very highly recommended for sampling Jamaican cuisine.Devon House also prides itself on maintaining a peaceful and lovely green area in the centre of the city and the gardens are open to the public free of charge.

Address : Corner of Trafalgar Rd and Hope Rd

Website : www.devonhousejamaica.com

Near the centre of Ocho Rios lies the popular beach and waterfall attraction of Dunn's River. The waterfall cascades down 600ft (183m), forming cool pools among slippery rocks. A favourite tourist pursuit is to climb to the top of the falls with a guide, enjoying being splashed by the cold, clear mountain water en route. Water shoes are a good idea because the rocks can be very slippery, but people of all ages manage the activity and one can turn back and climb down at any stage.Alongside the Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios is Dolphin Cove, where visitors can swim with a family of bottlenose dolphins. The natural cove is surrounded by four acres of lush tropical rain forest, and is also home to species such as rays, eels, sharks, and tropical birds like the macaw. Swimming with the dolphins is a profound experience that makes it onto many people's bucket lists.

Website : www.dolphincoveja.com

One of Jamaica's most prominent natural attractions, the huge, labyrinthine limestone cave is 5,000 feet (1,524m) long and characterised by stalactites, stalagmites, overhead ceiling pockets, numerous chambers, light holes, and a subterranean lake in its depths.The caves have played an important role in Jamaican history: the island's original inhabitants, the Arawak Indians, used them for shelter; they were used as a hideout for Spaniards during the British take-over; they were a natural haven for runaway slaves; the Jamaican government used them to store barrels of rum during World War II; and they were even used as a den for smugglers running arms to Cuba. They were also used as a setting for scenes from the 1973 James Bond film, Live and Let Die.Located just a short distance from Runaway Bay, the history and natural features makes this a fascinating excursion for adults and children alike.

Address : Runaway Bay

Website : www.greengrottocavesja.com

The Montego Bay Marine Park is proclaimed to protect some of Jamaica's best coral reefs and marine resources. The park is divided into zones where different activities (for example various watersports and fishing) are allowed or restricted. The park's resource centre is found at Pier One Marina on the waterfront in downtown Montego Bay, and provides information about the park, and ecological presentations. Private operators also run undersea submersible tours of the reefs.The marine park offers wonderful scuba diving and snorkelling. Venomous Lionfish have become common in the park and although they are beautiful visitors are warned not to touch them as contact with the poisonous spines is painful and in rare cases can cause convulsions or paralysis. A really fun way to explore is to swim/snorkel out from Doctor's Cave Beach or Sunset Beach. This should only be attempted by experienced swimmers, who should have either a diver's flag or a bright life vest.

Address : Marine Park Resource Centre and Headquarters, Pier One, Howard Cooke Blvd

The popular Rain Forest Adventures centre (or Mystic Mountain Amusement Park) offers a number of different adventures. Visitors can zip-line through the treetops; take the Sky Explorer chairlift for spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and beaches; enjoy an infinity pool and water slide; and wander through the Butterfly Garden and Hummingbird Garden for a rest from thrills. For a bobsled ride with a difference, Bobsled Jamaica offers visitors a plunge through the rainforests with wonderful twists and turns.The park is safe and well-maintained with wonderfully friendly and competent staff. All the activities come highly recommended by previous visitors. The centre also has some shops and stalls, a restaurant, and locker facilities for storing bags and valuables. The park offers a great variety of things to do, and visitors to Jamaica should definitely reserve a full day for this fun-filled attraction.

Website : www.rainforestadventure.com

The Rio Grande has been used since 1911 as a means of transporting goods by bamboo rafts from the Rio Grande Valley to St Margeret's Bay. Today, bamboo rafting trips are a major tourist attraction, offering an experience that showcases the natural beauty that the Portland area has to offer.Trips last between two and three hours, and the 30-foot (9m) rafts can carry two passengers and are steered by skilled raftsmen who also act as guides. Rafts can be boarded at Berrydale or Grant's Level and end at the mouth of the Rio Grande at St Margaret's Bay.The guides are extremely knowledgeable and encourage questions and conversation - they may even give lessons in managing the raft. Swimwear is a must for some great swimming opportunities. A very popular addition to this rafting experience is a meal cooked on the riverbank over open fires at Belinda's Restaurant.

Legend has it that the stunningly beautiful Annie Palmer was murdered at the Rose Hall Great House in 1831, but not before she had rid herself of three husbands (allegedly by using voodoo magic). Annie herself was killed during a slave uprising on the estate, brought about by her battle with a slave girl for the love of the estate supervisor. Annie is now known as the 'White Witch of Rose Hall'.The house, originally built in 1780, was abandoned for many years, but has now been restored. A gift shop and pub are in operation in the dungeon, where the white witch is said to have imprisoned and tortured slave victims. Investigation into the ghost story suggests that Annie Palmer is fictional, as there never was a mistress of Rose Hall by that name. However, the story endures powerfully in the local imagination and makes exploring this wonderful house quite spooky, especially on a night time candlelit tour.

Address : Rose Hall Highway

Website : www.rosehall.com

The reason for Negril's recent boom as a tourist destination is centred on this seven-mile (11km) stretch of beautiful shoreline, dotted with palm trees and carpeted with pristine white sand. Development has been restricted to palm-tree height, and despite the proliferation of guesthouses and hotels along the strip the natural beauty of the beach has not been compromised.There are lots of restaurants, resorts and shops along the beachfront but thankfully the length of the beach usually prevents it from becoming too crowded. There are myriad activities and watersports available at the beach and the snorkelling is wonderful. Although obviously not suited to those who like remote and secluded beaches, Seven Mile beach is a fun, vibrant and exceptionally pretty place to spend the day. Walking the length of the shore is a good way to enjoy everything it has to offer.

The neighbourhood known as Spanish Town is on the western outskirts of Kingston, and was capital of the island under Spanish rule between 1662 and 1872. Today the architecture is an interesting mix of Spanish and British Georgian, and there are some historic attractions to explore.St James Cathedral is the oldest Anglican church outside England, having been built in 1523. Another landmark is the Old Iron Bridge, a cast-iron bridge spanning the Rio Colbre erected in 1801. The Jamaican People's Museum of Crafts and Technology showcases some vintage farm implements, musical instruments and pottery, giving an insight into the traditional lifestyle of the Jamaican people. Town Square is overlooked by the Old King's House, the former residence of Jamaica's British governors.Spanish Town also has a colourful local market in the Town Square. It's an interesting and historic area to wander through and is best tackled on foot.

Trips to YS Falls are usually included in organised Black River tours, but the falls are an attraction in their own right and many happy hours can be spent enjoying the pools and lovely scenery. Located on a privately-owned farm, the waterfall is beautiful, with the water flowing over seven tiers to create a spectacular cascade surrounded by jungle and meadow scenery.Visitors to the falls can go on a relaxing 20-minute tube ride down the river, or float in a lovely natural spring pool. For the more adventurous, there is a thrilling rope swing which propels visitors over one of the deep turquoise pools, and an exciting zip-line tour.There are plenty of scenic picnic areas and it's ideal to bring some food and spend some time relaxing at the falls. Try to get there early, as the falls are more pleasant when they aren't crowded.

Website : www.ysfalls.com