Jamaica is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, from the Blue Mountains to the East famous for its coffee, (claimed to be the best in the World), to the white sand tropical beaches to the West
Jamaica’s National Motto is, “Out of many, one people”. Which reflects the diversity of the Jamaican people, being a mix of different races, cultures and religions. This is evident in the vast array of Jamaican cuisine mingling European, Chinese and Indian influences to name a few, and of course Bob Marley. Jamaica is the birth place of Reggae Music.
The West Coast of Jamaica is where you will find the laid back town of Negril, famous for its magnificent white-sand beaches. Water sports abound in this tropical paradise, including SCUBA diving, paddle-boarding, windsurfing, snorkelling, jet-skiing, para-sailing, kayaking, sailing, boating, fishing, there is something for everyone in Negril.
Negril History
Negril, Jamaica is small beach resort town located across two Jamaican parishes, Westmoreland and Hanover. The name Negril is a shortened version of Negrillo, as it was originally named by the Spanish in 1494. The name is thought by some to reference the black cliffs to the south of the town.
Negril became a resort town in the late 1950’s, the area’s welcoming and hospitable reputation grew and the first resorts were constructed in the mid to late 1960’s. After Negril’s infrastructure was expanded, a small airport was built in 1976 near Rutland Point, catering to winter tourists.
For years, Negril’s beach has been consistently rated as one of the “Top Ten Beaches In The World”, by many travel magazines, offering a variety of rooms, services and prices. South of downtown Negril is West End Road, offering easy access to waters good for snorkelling and diving, with jumping points reaching 40’ (12m) high.
There are a number of vendors and shops located around the beach area, predominantly on the South end of the beach, there is also a duty free zone for those looking for duty free items during their visit.
The charm of Negril is that it is fairly undeveloped compared to other towns in Jamaica, but new attractions and excursions are being added.