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Negril holidays
When whiling away hours on the beach is your priority, free-spirited Negril is the answer. Things slow to a luxuriously laid back pace here on the west end of the island: life is about enjoying good food, good company and glorious sunsets.
- Flight time
- 10 h
- From London
- Currency
- J$
- Jamaican dollar
- Time zone
- GMT -5h
Getting to Negril
Sangster International Airport (MBJ) is 1.5 hours’ drive away from Negril via the A1 highway, headed west. It’s served by direct flights from London Gatwick, which take around ten hours. Some of the bigger hotels operate their own transfer services, otherwise you can book a shared shuttle or private taxi. Those who prefer not to drive can book private plane or helicopter flights to the Negril Aerodrome, then book a taxi for the last leg of the journey.
Average weather in Negril
- Temperature (°C)*
- Rainfall (Inches)*
Holidays in Negril
Rick’s café is king when it comes to nightlife in Negril: here since the seventies, it’s earned a name for itself throughout the Caribbean as one of the hottest party spots. Built into the cliffs, this is a place to devour Sheddy the chef’s creations, nurse glasses of Rick’s rum punch and watch nutty locals dive into the water from knee-knocking heights... Just don’t be too distracted that you miss the sunsets… If you prefer your sunset to be accompanied by a more chilled atmosphere, try the LTU Pub – also with a cliff side location, but a little less raucus. Alfred’s Ocean Palace is another local legend, hosting live reggae on Seven-mile beach and serving fruity cocktails, it’s been going strong for over 25 years. When it comes to night clubs, you can party with the locals at the Jungle Night Club.
You just can’t visit Jamaica without trying proper jerk chicken – try Best in the West (on the beach road) or Cosmo’s (on Seven Mile Beach), two favourite, truly Jamaican dining spots. For veggie food and fish dishes, Just Natural has a gorgeous location in tropical gardens. Theresa’s one of the most welcoming host’s we’ve seen and we could easily eat here for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ivan’s Bar is perfect for a romantic supper, all lit up and looking over the sea (check when the sun sets and plan your meal accordingly). To experience Jamaican cooking first hand, check out the Zimbali cooking tour where you can visit a local farm and watch a cooking demonstration.
Negril’s Craft Market is easy to reach from the hotels near the south end of Seven Mile Beach. Here you’ll find hand carved wooden ornaments, jewellery and clothing, all made by locals. There’s also Time Square mall, which has an army of touristy shops selling souvenirs, coffee, snacks and duty-free jewellery – shop around first before you buy anything as a lot of the shops sell similar goods.
Activities in Negril
Sure this is a quieter part of Jamaica when it comes to activities, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find anything to do. Take advantage of the beautiful beaches with water-based activities (the diving is amazing here), or explore the nearby mountains, rivers and countryside for a taste of inland Jamaica.
Watersports
Diving in Negril
Negril Scuba Centre and the bigger hotels run PADI courses and lead scuba and snorkel tours off the west coast. Throne Room is a spectacular underwater cave, 60 feet below surface, where you dive amongst sponges, corals and - if you’re lucky - nurse sharks. The Deep Plane site is really popular, home to a sunken Cesana 152 right next to a reef - the area’s brimming with corals, sponges, jellyfish, stingrays and seahorses making for a gorgeously colourful dive. There’s also Shark Reef, where you can spot nurse sharks, dolphins and gazillions of tiny fish. Boats take snorkelers out to Booby Cay, where you’ll find an ancient sunken anchor and cannons, caves and tropical fish galore.
Surfing in Negril
Negril’s at the wrong end of Jamaica for the good swell – surfers are better off on the eastern end which gets bigger, more consistent waves. You’re looking at a 5-6 hour drive from Negril to get to the breaks at Boston and Bull Bay. Stand Up Paddle Boards are on offer in the bigger all-inclusive hotels, where you can while away the hours pootling about on the big blue.
Windsurfing & kitesurfing in Negril
Conditions on the eastern coast don’t often get windy, but when they do, the main all-inclusive hotels have windsurf equipment to use. Most of the kitesurfing action happens around Montego Bay, where companies like Kiteboarding Jamaica provide hire and IKO accredited lessons.
Fishing in Negril
Locals who’ve been fishing as long as they’ve been walking - like Capt. Carvalho of Stanley’s Deep Sea Fishing – run fishing tours from Negril, taking you offshore trolling a few miles from the west coast where wahoo, kingfish and snapper are common catches. Spearfishing for lionfish is also popular in this neck of the woods, as well as tarpon fishing in the South Negril River – a local fisherman is your best bet to the most popular spots.
Canoeing & kayaking in Negril
Tour companies run kayak and canoe trips around the Black River’s Great Morass, where you paddle through the wetlands that hundreds of species of birds, fish and other swamp life call home. For ocean kayaking, the bigger hotels have a fleet of kayaks for guests to use. Last time we checked, the Half Moon Beach did too, where you could paddle out to the little islets and find hidden beaches along the coast.
Land activities
Golf in Negril
The Negril Hills Golf Club has an 18-hole course spread over the rolling hills of the western coast. Water hazards, elevated tees and sloping greens make for a healthy challenge, accompanied by gorgeous tropical greenery. We wouldn’t be surprised if more courses cropped up over the next few years, but in the meantime, the next nearest offering is the Tryall Club just over an hour’s drive away. If you want a week of golfing, you might be better off in Montego Bay where a handful of courses deck the coastline.
Cycling & mountain biking in Negril
JuJu and other local companies run bicycle tours through the Jamaican countryside – stopping off to see schools, gardens and wild swimming spots along the way. The Dolphin Head Mountains have a couple of superb nature trails and there are some brilliant coastal rides (the cliffs around West End are spectacular).
Walking & hiking in Negril
A nature trail from Half Moon Beach leads to one of the Jamaican Great Houses and an 18th century sugar mill – a terrific way to combine walking with beach time and a spot of history. Beach walks don’t get better than the famous 8-mile beach, where you can wander along the seaside for hours, soaking up the sights and sounds of the different stretches of sand. If you fancy something different from the coastline, head into Hanover’s Dolphin Head Mountains where forest trails lead to the legendary Mayfield Falls.
