Beaches in Jamaica

The island divides sharply. The north coast from Negril round to Ocho Rios has the resorts, the calm reef-protected water and the sand; the south is drier, rockier and almost entirely undeveloped; and the east around Port Antonio is the wettest part, with rivers, coves and the Blue Mountains rising behind. Beaches are public to the high-water mark but access from the road frequently runs through hotels, and several of the best-known stretches charge entry. Sargassum affects the eastern and southern coasts in the summer months rather than the north. Hurricane season runs June to November and the island sits in the track. Vendors work the tourist beaches persistently and a licensing scheme exists; agreeing prices before accepting anything is the practical advice. Reggae, jerk cooking and the Blue Mountains are the island's other claims, and the interior repays leaving the coast for. The Blue Lagoon near Port Antonio, fed by underground freshwater springs, sits at the wetter eastern end and is a different island from the Negril strip.