Kingston is the capital and the commercial, administrative and cultural heart of the island. It is the largest English speaking city in the Caribbean, has the seventh largest natural harbour in the world, and lies on a wide plain with the sea to the south and the St. Andrew Mountain as it backdrop to the north.
At the foot of the Blue Mountains, overlooking the world’s seventh-largest natural harbor, Jamaica’s vibrant capital is the largest (population 850,000) English-speaking city south of Miami.The center of the country’s government and commerce, Kingston is truly the heartbeat of Jamaica, with a wide array of historical and cultural attractions, along with sophisticated nightlife and dining, that offers a cosmopolitan contrast to the rest of the island’s slow and easy pace.
Tours will take you to explore mansions like historic Devon House, the exciting performing arts at the Little Theatre and to the National Gallery, which houses a comprehensive collection of Jamaican art.
A city of museums, galleries and theatres, Kingston is also the birthplace of Jamaica’s own infectious reggae music that has swept the world. The metropolitan area abounds with nightclubs, discos, dance and theatre companies and restaurants that keep nightlife sizzling.
History is everywhere--from Kingston Parish Church, where the oldest grave is dated 1699, to the Parade, a lively, crowded square where British soldiers once drilled.
Colorful and diverse, you can tee up for golf or watch the horses go to post; listen to the Philharmonic Symphony or watch the National Dance Theatre Company perform; picnic on the beach or tour a botanical garden. Kingston also boasts a spectacular arts and crafts market and there is excellent duty free shopping all over. A short drive up from the city into the verdant Blue Mountains brings you to enchanting inns tucked into hillsides covered with lush foliage. Or, visit our famed Blue Mountain Coffee plantations and bring home the coffee known around the world as the best.
Near the University of the West Indies campus, flowers and trees bloom year-round at the 200-acre Hope Gardens, which opened in 1881 and features an orchid house and small amusement park for children. The University itself was founded in 1948, on the grounds of a former plantation, and is now the Caribbean’s most famous center of learning.
Visit the place that, In the 17th century, was the lair of famous pirates -- Port Royal -- set at the end of the Palisadoes Peninsula that curves around Kingston Harbor. Relics of the town’s wicked past can be seen at the Museum of Historical Archaeology, the Maritime Museum and Giddy House (which tilts at a 45 degree angle -- as well as about 30 feet offshore, where, with special permission, buried ruins can be viewed on a scuba diving expedition.
A short drive from Kingston, Spanish Town was the island’s capital under both the Spanish and, until 1872, the British -- and is home to the Cathedral Church of St James (St Jago de la Vega). Built in 1523, it’s the oldest cathedral in the Western Hemisphere.
With hotels designed to please everyone from business travelers to families, Jamaica’s capital is an increasingly desirable destination. The city’s location also provides easy access to the picturesque inns and guesthouses of the Blue Mountains, which rise more than 7,000 feet above sea level across the eastern half of the island.
Activities
In addition to the highlighted sports, the following are also available in the resort areas:
Camping, Jogging, Parasailing, Sailing, Snorkeling, Swimming, Tennis, Waterfall Climbing, Waterskiing
Biking
Bicycles are available for rental at some hotels and guest houses.
Diving
Jamaica's underwater world is filled with spectacular caves, canyons and crevices...schools of shimmering tropical fish...star, rose and giant pillar coral. All the equipment you need is available from licensed diving operators.
Buccaneer Scuba ClubTel: 876-967-8061Fax: 876-967-8073
Golf
For the player:
Caymanas
18 holes, 6,844 yards, par 72. Snack bar, pro shop.
Tel: 876-922-3386/8
Constant Spring
18 holes, 6,196 yards, par 70. Clubhouse, restaurant, bar, pro shop.
Tel: 876-924-1610
Horse Racing
Caymanas Race Track - Thoroughbred horses and parimutuel betting make for a good day's fun.
Mountain Climbing
The foothills of our mile-high Blue Mountains are just minutes from Kingston. Laced with forest trails and exciting vistas for adventuresome hikers and backpackers.
Polo - Caymanas Park
Hotly contested matches featuring leading local and international riders.
Restaurants
- Blue Mountain Inn International
- Devonshire Continental, Jamaican
- Fish Place Seafood
- Fish Pot Jamaican
- Grog Shoppe Continental, Jamaican
- Guilt Trip Seafood
- Heathers International, Lebanese
- Hot Pot Jamaican
- Ivor's Gourmet
- Jade Gardens Chinese
- Lychee Gardens Chinese
- Peppers Jamaican
- Queen of Sheba Ethiopan
- Raphael's Italian
- Red Bones Jamaican, Continental
- Strawberry Hill Jamaican, Continental
- Talk of the Town International
- Terra Nova Continental, Jamaican
- The Orchard Room Thai
Nightlife- Asylum
- Carlos
- Chaser's
- Countryside Club
- Junkanoo Lounge
- Wyndham Kingston Hotel
- Peppers
- Priscilla's
- The Grog Shoppe
- Devon House
- Turntable
