Negril

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Jamaica

$24.99

Shop Book

Getty Images

Overview

Stuck out on the Jamaica’s western tip and graced with its finest and longest natural beach, Negril was first colonized by hippies in the early 1970s. Unsurprisingly, 40 years of development has left its mark – not all of it good: Negril is renowned for its hustlers. But it’s not all hassle. A strong local business community, fueled by a desire to safeguard Negril’s precious ecology, has kept the area from becoming a full-on circus. Consequently, Negril remains a laidback place of impromptu reggae concerts and psychedelic sunsets.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Seven Mile Beach

Negril

Seven Mile Beach was initially touted on tourism posters as ‘seven miles of nothing but you and the sea.’ True, sunbathers still lie half submerged in the…

Royal Palm Reserve

Negril

Officially closed to the public, the 289-acre Royal Palm Reserve stretches along the southern side of the Great Morass, and consists of three distinct…

Negril Hills

Negril

This range of low-lying hills rises inland of Negril’s West End. The raised limestone upland is wild and smothered in brush. Tiny hamlets sprinkle the…

Barney's Flower & Hummingbird Garden

Negril

At the south end of West End, follow the signs to this private garden, where Jamaica's endemic hummingbirds flit between the firecracker flowers,…

Kool Runnings Adventure Park

Negril

If you prefer your water fun doled out in a theme park, descend on this 2-hectare collection of different experiences, from the main water park with flume…

Long Bay Beach Park

Negril

Toward the north end of Seven Mile Beach, this beach is more peaceful and far less crowded than the sand further south. Here you’ll find more sugary sand…