Jamaica hotels

There is more to Jamaica than reggae and Rastafarians. Fringed with white-sand beaches, the island has year-round sunshine, misty mountains, lush rainforest and superb coffee. All-inclusive resorts cater to package tourists, but escape to the east and south for a local vibe.

Resorts line the north coast. To the west, lazy Negril's long beach, coconut groves and clear waters are popular with couples, while partygoers head to Montego Bay with its colonial architecture and bars and nightclubs. Cruise ships dock at Ocho Rios for its golf courses and water park, while Port Antonio's proximity to the Blue Mountains appeals to eco-lovers. The capital, Kingston, is an edgy contrast.

Rose Hall Great House, on a hilltop overlooking Montego Bay, offers a glimpse of the heyday of Jamaica's plantation families and even has a resident ghost. Visit Bob Marley's mausoleum at his birthplace, the mountain village of Nine Miles, or raft on the Martha Brae River and have a swing at Tarzan Corner.

Serious hikers can scale Jamaica's highest mountain, the 2256-metre Blue Mountain Peak; less daunting are walks in the gorge of the Rio Grande Valley. Take an eco-tour in the swampland of the Black River Great Morass to look for crocodiles or swim in the Blue Lagoon, encircled with fairytale forest-clad hills.

Head to the north and west coasts for diving and snorkelling in clear waters with reefs, garden grottoes and deep drop-offs. Take off with a local fisherman in a narrow longboat to try deepwater game fishing for marlin and tuna, and gallop along the beach on horseback.

Taste island favourites jerk (meat in spicy marinade), ackee fruit and salt fish at roadside stalls. Beachfront restaurants serve fresh seafood and escoveitch (pickled fish fried with peppers and onions), while Caribbean staples like callaloo (a leafy vegetable often served in soup), cassava (root vegetable) and plantain are sold everywhere. Wash it down with Red Stripe beer or a rum punch.

Dance on the sand at beach parties in Negril and Montego Bay and hear soca, calypso and reggae in hotels, roadside bars and local clubs. Serious reggae fans need to go to one of Kingston's sound system discos for the real deal.

Take a taste of Jamaica home with Blue Mountain coffee or rum from local factories. Buy colourful art from the Contemporary Art Centre in Kingston or go to the craft market in Negril for carvings and coral jewellery.