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We spent two glorious weeks in Negril, Jamaica in January of 2009. Negril is a beach resort town about ninety minutes west of Montego Bay. I have loved Jamaica since my first visit in 1982. Over the years many things have changed in Jamaica including a higher volume of traffic (which luckily has also brought better highways). In Jamaica (particularly in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios) as in many of the Caribbean and Mexican sun destinations, there has been an ever increasing move towards the large all inclusive resorts.
My first Jamaican adventure included a visit to Negril. I also returned to Negril for a visit in 1984 and then for a day trip in 1999. Negril has grown so much since those early days; almost the entire beach is lined with hotels. Despite the growth, there is a real charm to the resort town. Most of the hotels are still small and not part of larger chains. Resorts have names that fit the laid back atmosphere of Negril, including Firefly, For Real, and Roots Bamboo.
Negril River
Negril is often referred to as the “Capital of Casual”, which really is great for those who are looking to get away from the stresses of life back in the cold climates. The temperature is lovely with daily highs around 27 C and night time lows of 24 C.
Of course, the main attraction is the beautiful seven mile stretch of white sand beach and the warm, emerald/turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. You can walk a long way out into the generally calm water before it begins to get deep, thus creating the perfect place to cool off for both swimmers and non-swimmers alike.
Negril Beach
Another attraction is the magnificent sunsets that you see from the beach daily as well as during a trip to Rick’s Café in the “cliffs”. You will need to be at Rick’s early to claim a front row seat to watch the cliff divers jump into the sea followed by nature’s daily light show.
Also, in the cliffs of the West End are the exotic dining establishments of Xtabi and Rockhouse. Go just before sunset soak up the chic decor and the relaxed atmosphere, followed by great food and excellent service.
Rick's Cafe
Negril Sunset
People watching is another favourite past time. Watching tourists of all ages and from all over the world walk by gives one a feel for the international nature of Negril. And, of course there is also the never ending parade of vendors walking up and down the beach selling every thing including CD’s,Lobster, Jamaican meat patties from a man with a bike, tropical fruits from a lady carrying the fruit on her head, jewelery featuring Jamaican colors, a Rasta man carrying a large selection of hand painted water colors, trips in a glass bottom boat with Captain Kirk, snorkeling excursions, para-sailing, horseback riding and many other products and services. These amazingly hard working sales people are very interesting to talk to. Once you take the time to get to know them you will realize that they often have very interesting life stories. Some vendors we talked to have worked the beach for more than 20 years. One older gentleman, who was selling fruit in Negril Town told us that when he was younger he had caddied for celebrities, including Billy Graham at a golf course in Montego Bay.
Rasta ManA good selection of restaurants is available with a wide a range in prices. During our stay, I always found the food quality to be exceptional.
There are many other entertainment choices available with most activities occurring right on the beach. Different hotels and beach bars have live reggae bands and fire shows in the evenings (and sometimes live bands during the day). There are nightly music events featuring old time recording artists and DJ’s like The Mighty Diamonds and King Yellowman. We also enjoyed the performances of a less famous group, Phase 2, which performed at several hotels along the beach and at Rick's Cafe at sunset time. The group played Bob Marley material and sounded amazingly similar to the Reggae Legend.
Phase 2/Lead Singer at Rick's Cafe-Wearing an Ottawa T-shirt We stayed at the White Sands Hotel which is close to the center of the 7 mile beach. It was a perfect location for daily walks in each direction and a good healthy walk into the town site. The White Sands is a family run hotel and after a short time there, you begin to feel like family. We had many conversations with owners, family members and staff. With such personalized service, it is no wonder that many guests return year after year for short and long stays.
White Sands Hotel - Beach EntranceThanks to Francis the White Sands Hotel Manager who was always there when we needed him for assistance, suggestions or conversation;
Henry - the owner who spent time talking to us and wanted feedback on how he could make our stay more enjoyable. (Now there is service you won't see at a larger hotel!);
Ida - sister - I had a few great conversations with her;
Ethel - another sister of Henry - always pleasant;
Both Valarie and Tassana (the front office manager) - were very helpful. They booked our dinner reservations and taxi rides and put up with our bad jokes;
Janet and Claudette - housekeeping staff - not only cleaned our room but told jokes, sang and danced and as Francis phrased it: "gave us the full entertainment package";
Tony and Paul (bartenders),
Henry - helped us with our bags, always had a kind word and pleasant smile and helped us to cross the street in the beginning (which can be confusing due to the right hand drive);
Powers - Who helped us navigate around the Hi-Lo grocery store and took us on an adventure through Negril town and cliffs area including Hammock Park and Rick's Cafe. Powers has an amazing knowledge of history and is very interesting to talk to;
Linden - Security at the beach for being diligent at doing his job ensuring we felt safe and secure. He was always pleasant and very proud of his work.
The atmosphere at the White Sands is so warm and friendly we managed to meet many guests. People we talked to the most included Arthur and Julia (New York/Russia), Brian and Dianne (Cobourg), Keith (Minnesota), Carol (Connecticut), George and Rhoda (New York), Earl and Angie (Nanaimo, British Columbia), Jeff Baltimore).
We also, took great pleasure in getting acquainted with Larisa and her two lovely daughters Victoria and Ksenia who were staying at a resort down the beach from us. Lots of interesting conversations were shared between us and these three fascinating women. Touring with them through the country side and on to Mayfield Falls proved to be a most interesting and enjoyable day.
A return trip to Negril is definitely in order.
Mayfield Falls
