Sure, you can find fantastic beach holidays all over Jamaica. The land of wood and water has everything you could think of in a holiday, scratch that, it has no snow., So ok, the only thing cold is the Red Stripe etc. and air conditioning, everything is warm or hot. However, when it comes to beach holidays, Jamaica is a favourite destination to many with its crystal clear waters, warm Caribbean waters, and beautiful sandy beaches, to name a few. Negril stands out because it has pristine white sands and crystal clear waters stretching for 4 miles and then another 3 miles in Bloody Bay, where it gets its seven-mile beach name.
Negril is a fantastic beach holiday for both locals and tourists from around the world. I will try to explain why below.
Where is Negril, and which Parish is it in?
Negril is in the Parish of Westmoreland, on the far west of Jamaica. Next to the Parish of Hanover, which by the way, is the smallest Jamaican Parish.
How far is Negril from Montego Bay or Ocho Rios?
Negril is 1hr 45 mins or 81km from Montego Bay, or 3hr 10 or 177km from Ocho Rios.
The A1 Northern Coastal Highway connects all three places. This highway runs along the north coast, where you can see local villages and beaches along the way.
Plenty of stops for locals and visitors alike offer everything from bars, restaurants, activity-type places, shops and local beaches.
Is Negril Safe?
Crime exists everywhere, but as a white UK couple living in Kingston for the past two years and Kelly working in Downtown Kingston, we found Negril much friendlier and safer walking around.
Like anywhere in the world, you keep your wits about you, don’t make yourself a target for an opportunist thief to take your phone off a table or something like that, especially if you are drunk or high. The news will tell you of high crime levels. Which is sad, but they mostly seem to be around family arguments, gang-related tension or at least known to each other in some way. There are very few random acts of violence like there are in other countries. You could be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yet that’s no way to live your life.
I have never seen a car broken into either, but maybe I have just not seen it. In the UK, for example, it’s not uncommon to walk down a street and see broken glass on the floor where a car has been broken into at some point, especially in built-up areas, But I’ve never seen it in Jamaica, which is why I’m making this comparison. Also, in another comparison, a group of kids in the UK will make you wonder if you should put your guard up. In Jamaica, they will likely see you and try to sell you some chocolate or fruit.
Walking around Negril has a tourist beach holiday vibe to it. If you walk around downtown Negril, there will be people you may pass that will ask you if you wish to do tours with them, if you need a taxi or maybe if you want some weed.
With regards to walking, I would recommend walking along the beach, not only is it very hot to walk anywhere in Jamaica, but by walking along the beach you will get to see a lof of things and also have the option of a dip when it gets too hot.
Most places of interest in Jamaica are spread out. Walking from bar to bar or restaurant to bar is not always just a 5-minute journey. It usually involves a car or taxi.
If you are staying in a resort or hotel on ‘Seven-Mile’ beach, you have plenty of options. You can walk along the coast to see all the hotels, bars and restaurants that line the shore. Plenty of vendors will try and sell you different things, from trinkets and trips and most probably weed if they think you may be interested.
The vendors walking the beach are friendly enough, not aggressive, perhaps persistent, but they will move on very quickly if you don’t spark any conversation.
Police patrol the whole beach on the water and along the sand, and security are positioned near each bar, restaurant or hotel. In addition, you will see lifeguards or beach attendants everywhere around each resort or hotel.
Single people, families and couples are pretty much left alone to enjoy the beach and water, perhaps the odd interruption from a vendor passing by.
The beach is a mix of tourists, families, couples and singles either enjoying the sea, the sand or in the bars and restaurants that line the shore.
Why is it a fantastic beach?
The famous seven-mile beach is a stunning stretch of land. The sand is so clean and fine. No large pieces of rock or shells to step onto. The fine sand carpet beneath your feet carries on into the water. Again no rocks or seaweed anywhere to be found, and you can walk out a few meters in the water before the water reaches a deeper depth. This makes it perfect for children or even people worried about deep water to still be able to enjoy the water and cool off.
As the water is so clear, you may see small fish coming as you are wading in, shooting off as they see you entering the water or moving.
Here is a list of why we like this beach over others.
- Clear sand and sea (no rocks, seaweed or rubbish)
- Plenty of space on the beach.
- It’s a public beach !, You don’t even have to be staying at any of the hotels on the beachfront to enjoy it.
- Access to bars and restaurants all along the beach.
- Listen to music while. Standing on the sand or even in the water.
Why do I call this a fantastic beach holiday? It’s simple. It has all your wants and needs in a beach holiday. No matter where you are located in the area, you have access to the same beach and can either enjoy a spot on the sand or venture up and down the coast to enjoy the music and ambience of other places that line the sand.
Where else can to listen to different music emanating from various bars whilst swimming?
If you are not staying on the beach side, there are plenty of access points along this stretch to access the white sand and crystal clear waters.
Where did we stay?
We got an apartment through Airbnb located in the Negril Beach Club Condos. The apartment was fantastic for us. We had access to the beach bar, swimming pool, and the beach. In addition, our apartment had a balcony that overlooked the beach, which would have had a great view if it wasn’t for the line of Seagrape trees in the way.
Although the trees provided shade from the relentless heat if you were sitting under them, we missed being so close to the fantastic beach but unable to see it. However, it is hard to complain when the beach is only 20 steps away from our door.
We arrived in Aug 2022, tourists were slowly returning, and hotel prices were skyrocketing as now they had customers trying to make back some of the money they had lost in the previous two years.
We had a car to pick up groceries and get out and about quickly. Our apartment was in a great location on the beach and was much cheaper than any of the hotels. If you don’t have a car, depending on where you are, there are multiple places to shop, you may be able to walk, or you may need a small taxi ride.
We even managed to find a local Laundry service in downtown Negril that meant we could refresh our clothes without paying crazy fees. Our apartment didn’t have washing facilities, so we were happy with the service.
For JM$ 1400 / US$ 9/ GBP 7, Aninita’s will wash and dry a big bag of washing in a few hours.
Take a look at their Facebook page if you would like more details.
https://www.facebook.com/people/Anitas-Laundry/100045894565812/
Shopping In Negril
There are plenty of shops and local supermarkets, especially in downtown Negril by the roundabout where Norman Manley Boulevard meets West End road. They all stock both local and some international products. The recent global shortage has affected all Jamaican supermarkets, so some items available one week won’t be back in stock for a while. Negril is no different. There is also a more touristy type centre halfway along Norman Manley boulevard.
Eating out.
We enjoyed our food experience in Negril. We tried a few. Unfortunately, some places offering food were not operating for one reason or another, but the ones we did try were all excellent.
One place of note was along West End Road on the way to Rick’s bar, Canoe Bar and Grill. We went here for breakfast and returned another night for an evening meal.
The food was fresh, delivered with care and tasted terrific. Each ingredient was cooked well, full of flavour and was a joy to eat. The price of the meal was the biggest surprise. It was probably one of the best meals in Jamaica for the price. We ate there a few times, enjoying cocktails and food while watching the sun go down.
Live music plays on some nights, and before the day turns to night, you can sit at your table with the water lapping at the sand a few metres away while crabs pop out of the sand and scurry away.
Of course there are plenty of places to eat in the area, covering all tastes. We even had a takeout pizza from an Italian restaurant called Ciao Jamaica. The pizza was full of ingredients and the dough was nice and thin.
Other Fantastic Beaches
Of course, there are plenty of fantastic beaches all over Jamaica. Some are attached to hotels and resorts, and some are public beaches. There are far too many to list out here, and a quick search on google will allow you to see what other people think are the best. A few of the ones attached to hotels we liked that I managed to do posts about are below.
If you want to stay away from the crowds, yet in the heart of things, and again with a fantastic beach, read about our stay in Bahia in Runaway Bay, between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios.