Jamaica?
- Thread starter filippo
- Start date
I stopped there once on a Cruise. Did the excursion thing and went to Dunn's Falls and the requisite shopping stop :lol: The falls were cool, but the vendors by the parking lot are quite aggressive with the sales pitch. Can't really say anything about the diving other than what I've heard, which is why I went on the land trip 
Oh, the Blue Mountain coffee is good also 
Oh, the Blue Mountain coffee is good also reefmaster30
In Memoriam
i can only say i went there once and was not impressed at all be careful of the locals and like david p said diving is not that great.
maxheadroom
Clownfish Farmer
I stayed for a week at sandals in negril a few years ago. The diving and snorkling there is so so. Nowhere near as nice as here in south florida. Watch out for the locals, though. They will try to corner you to get you to buy their stuff. Good luck & take lots of pics!
I was their twice this year. It is definatly a different experience if you dont go as a cruise stop, when the ships are in port everyone comes out of the woodwork. The beach in Negril is nice but not very good for snorkeling. The diving was better than I expected nice coral and sponges not alot of fish though, they eat anything that swims. People are very nice they are trying to support their families by selling things to tourists if you tell them no thanks nicely they will usually move on.
Negril
Negril
Negril has been overbuilt, but Jamaica is a very big island, and the cruise ship horror stories are mostly around the Ocho Rios area, on the north coast. Negril is in the south west corner, and, so far, no cruise ships. Snorkeling there was wonderful years ago, and some good snorkeling survives. Assuming you want to do this on your own, and not on a tourist boat to an offshore reef, the cliffs area, starting around Chicken Lavish and extending past the lighthouse, is very good shore entry snorkeling. The further from town the better. Cabs are cheap and numerous if you are not driving. If you are staying on the cliffs ('West End'), you probably have excellent snorkeling at your doorstep. The several miles of cliffs, and the rocky areas beyond the cliffs offer very interesting snorkeling.
The snorkeling along the sandy 7 mile beach is mostly gone, and the boat traffic is deadly. You can go on one of the boat excursions that takes you to shallow reefs a mile or two off shore. These are expensive, if not included in the resort price.
All prices are negotiable, but beware of the endless cons and con men. Avoid all casual conversation, and practice your polite, brief 'no'. Do not get drawn into any conversations with street merchants. The same goes for people who will approach you in a boat while you are snorkeling and offer to take you to fabulous places. Ignore them.
I started diving and snorkeling negril in the 70s. It was paradise. I don't go there any more, but if I did I'd certainly bring my snorkeling gear, and the one place I'd head for would be Negril and its magnificent cliffs. In truth, I still miss them.
Negril
Negril has been overbuilt, but Jamaica is a very big island, and the cruise ship horror stories are mostly around the Ocho Rios area, on the north coast. Negril is in the south west corner, and, so far, no cruise ships. Snorkeling there was wonderful years ago, and some good snorkeling survives. Assuming you want to do this on your own, and not on a tourist boat to an offshore reef, the cliffs area, starting around Chicken Lavish and extending past the lighthouse, is very good shore entry snorkeling. The further from town the better. Cabs are cheap and numerous if you are not driving. If you are staying on the cliffs ('West End'), you probably have excellent snorkeling at your doorstep. The several miles of cliffs, and the rocky areas beyond the cliffs offer very interesting snorkeling.
The snorkeling along the sandy 7 mile beach is mostly gone, and the boat traffic is deadly. You can go on one of the boat excursions that takes you to shallow reefs a mile or two off shore. These are expensive, if not included in the resort price.
All prices are negotiable, but beware of the endless cons and con men. Avoid all casual conversation, and practice your polite, brief 'no'. Do not get drawn into any conversations with street merchants. The same goes for people who will approach you in a boat while you are snorkeling and offer to take you to fabulous places. Ignore them.
I started diving and snorkeling negril in the 70s. It was paradise. I don't go there any more, but if I did I'd certainly bring my snorkeling gear, and the one place I'd head for would be Negril and its magnificent cliffs. In truth, I still miss them.
Grace's Dad
New member
Stayed at Xtabi -not too far from the light house in Negril twice and had to go out to the shallow reefs just to see anything interesting. I think it was only like $20 a person last time we went but we did have a group of 4 and our own stuff.
dv0920
New member
I snorkled at the reef outside of Ochos Rios, basically a fringe reef, with incomming waves. I found the dive very challenging, a straight drift dive, rough currents and poor visability. Best thing I saw was a small Atlantic Carpet, and blue head wrasses, as well as the very common Atlantic Blue Tang. I say if you like the feeling of being in a washing machine, barely able to see, and the possibility of becoming a snack for an eel or shark then good luck.
I found it very unerving.
Bonus, to wash the day down they served alcohol sans any water after the dive.. SWEEET!
My advice don't do Jamaica, there's a reason Jamacians move from a tropical island to Queens and Brooklyn. It's not a pardise and the reefs have been abused too.
Grand Cayman is just as cheap and has great dive sites and hotels, and the island people are nice and not con men.
Cheers
D
I found it very unerving.
Bonus, to wash the day down they served alcohol sans any water after the dive.. SWEEET!
My advice don't do Jamaica, there's a reason Jamacians move from a tropical island to Queens and Brooklyn. It's not a pardise and the reefs have been abused too.
Grand Cayman is just as cheap and has great dive sites and hotels, and the island people are nice and not con men.
Cheers
D
sharkmanstudio
New member
the main problem with jamaca is overfishing!!
you can book a boat snorkel trip there and some places have decent corals but they eat fish of any size. I once say a guy walkinf through town with a stringer full of 2" damsels and tangs.
you can book a boat snorkel trip there and some places have decent corals but they eat fish of any size. I once say a guy walkinf through town with a stringer full of 2" damsels and tangs.
