Negril, Jamaica: Cliff jumpers, beach loungers and a side of bammy

We just returned from a week in the coastal resort town of Negril. I had never been to Jamaica, and I’ll admit that it has never topped my list of must-see islands. We went for a friend’s wedding, but being the curious travelers we are, my little family and I took the opportunity to explore a little and, as you do in a resort-type setting, relax a lot.

Our first few days, in wedding world, were at the Rockhouse in Negril’s west end. A boutique hotel along cliffs, with gardens, bridges and perches aplenty from which the more dare-devilish can jump into the turquoise waters below, it was a dreamy play land, perfect for serious unwinding (the hotel does not sanction any of the leaping, by the way).

Stairs and ladders on the property’s edges allow the more cautious among us (including me) access to the reef waters below.

Because of the secluded feeling of the Rockhouse, I was shocked to witness the sea of tour buses outside famous Rick’s Cafe, just a couple of minutes up the road. The draw? The rubbery, overpriced chicken wings I tried indicated it’s not the food. At sunset, the masses are watching cliff jumpers, torpedoing into waters below from platforms and astoundingly high tree branches. Though some novices jumped (we saw some sloppy, and a couple scary, landings), most seemed to be local pros jumping for $10 or $20 incentives.

Rick’s is one of those spots to tick off a list, but a much better place nearby for sunset and especially food was a shack called 3 Dives, apparently once featured on “The Amazing Race.” The jerk chicken was tasty, and even the rice and beans, with a subtle kick, were memorable, and the beach lookout was in itself worth more than the price of a meal.

But enough of the west end. All those jagged cliffs everywhere were getting me anxious, as we had a toddler in tow. So after the wedding events, we relaxed for real at the lovely Idle Awhile hotel on Seven-mile Beach. Here, 18-month-old Siona could build sandcastles, play in the water and run out her energy, without endangering her skull.

And here, on famous Seven-mile Beach, as we strolled pass sunbathers, beach-resort bars and restaurants, glass-bottom boats, Jet Skis and a thumping rave raft outside Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, we met local peddlers, including a Rastafarian who sold us these hand-crafted bowls (”Before there was plastic and metal, there was coconut.”)

We encountered birds, lizards and, sadly, the occasional stray, seemingly friendly but sickly dog. At night, we were serenaded by tree frogs.

At Idle Awhile, I tried a Jamaican breakfast of ackee, saltfish, bammy (cassava) and plantains.

But some of the best local food we sampled was at Sweet Spot, near the town center. Our last night in Negril, we feasted on curried chicken, peppered steak, and rice and beans, accompanied by freshly made vegetable juices (no Red Stripe here).

Jamaican food had never topped my culinary wish list but, like the idle beach life (just one small facet of a country that is complex, like most places, and fascinating), I got to know it a little better this last week, and it has grown on me.

- Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photos: Susan Derby]

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 15, 2009 at 4:29 pm by Susan Derby and is filed under Caribbean, Family & Kids, Islands & Beaches, Latin America & Caribbean, Outdoors & Adventure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.