Jamaica Vacation

Jamaica Map

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Jamaica is an island in the West Indies, 90 mi (145 km) south of Cuba and 100 mi (161 km) west of Haiti. It is a little smaller than Connecticut. The island is made up of coastal lowlands, a limestone plateau, and the Blue Mountains, a group of volcanic hills, in the east.

Jamaica is a large island, approximately 150 miles long by 40 deep – more or less the dimensions of Wales. Unlike Barbados or the Bahamas, it is mountainous and thickly wooded, with many sizeable rivers and some spectacular waterfalls.

The road system is comprehensive and was very well designed by the British, but is not now particularly well maintained, so exploring the hinterland can be quite an adventure, but it is immensely rewarding. Those with an interest in colonial architecture will enjoy seeking out the many fine old churches, great houses and 18th century sugar factories which remain.

For the naturalist there are marvellous birds everywhere and tree lovers will go wild for the specimens of guango, banyan and cottontree which flourish in the countryside. Botanists will delight in the several botanical gardens, the nearest of which is at Shaw Park, just outside Ocho Rios.

Administratively, the island is divided into three counties and thirteen large parishes, each of the latter with its own Custos, or prefect. The population is something over two million. The capital, Kingston, is in the southeast, some 90 miles from Unity, which is centrally placed on the beautiful north coast, an hour and a half from Montego Bay International airport.