Day Trips In Jamaica — TrekAlongWithME

What can you do in a day from Montego Bay, Jamaica?

If you’re staying at a resort or other accommodation in Montego Bay, what can you do in a day? We set up our trips with a guide from the resort we were staying in (we thought this was easiest but you can also book directly with the companies if you prefer). There were a variety of packages that our resort had to offer, and what we went with included transportation to each of the attractions.

The day trips we took included Dunn’s River Falls, Negril, and Rick’s Cafe. Leaving from Montego Bay, Dunn’s River Falls takes ¾ of a day, and Negril and Rick’s Cafe consume another day. Jamaica thrives on tourism, and these places I’m about to describe are some of the reasons why.

Dunn’s River Falls

Dunn’s River Falls is a remarkable waterfall that you can climb, hike, slide, and swim in near Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The bus ride was 1.5 hours east along Jamaica’s northern coast from our resort (Hotel Riu Montego Bay).

Dunn’s River Falls is a travertine waterfall that empties directly into the ocean. It’s somewhat of a touristy spot, but sometimes there’s a reason for that! This attraction is definitely worth the trek! Here are some tips on what to bring.

Water shoes or a good pair of sandals are required.
- Water shoes are available to purchase everywhere. We bought some close by our resort for $8-12 USD (compared to ~$30-40 USD in the resort).
If you want to use your phone you can purchase a waterproof case to keep it dry.
Don’t bring anything with you that you wouldn’t want to get wet!
General Admission (GA) = $25 USD per adult.The GA could vary depending on the time/season you’re there, but it’s usually included in the tour price.

Some takeaways from our experience:

The freshwater flowing over the rocks is cold and refreshing!
There are slippery areas, but in general it’s an easy climb (it does require good balance).
Be prepared for lines of people and having to wait your turn.
There are areas where you hold hands hiking up the rocks one by one.
There will be a portion of the hike where you have the option to slide down the falls into a deep pool (it’s short lived, but this made the excursion worth it for me).

If you’re not interested in souvenirs and things, ignore and bypass the slick tongued vendors you walk by on your way out of the falls back to the parking lot. We were persuaded into buying wooden souvenirs a guy carved our names into (it felt like a forced purchase), and he came with us back to the bus so we could get our money to pay him.

Overall, Dunn’s River falls was a lot of fun and I’m glad we experienced it. Next, we head west to the town of Negril.

Negril

Heading in the opposite direction of Dunn’s River Falls from Montego Bay, the next day we took another 1.5 hour bus ride to the west end of the country to the town of Negril. The coast of Negril is known for having miles of white sand beaches, mesmerizing turquoise waters, and is a destination for snorkeling and scuba-diving.

We went to a bar on Seven Mile Beach, considered one of the best beaches in Jamaica, and swam with many fish visible through the clear blue water. Seven Mile Beach is one of 50 public beaches in Jamaica, but there are privately owned areas. There’s a floating trampoline a little off the shore that’s great for jumping off of into the water, and plenty of beach chairs around to lounge on and enjoy a Red Stripe.

Rick’s Cafe

Another destination on the west coast of Jamaica is Rick’s Cafe. After swimming at Seven Mile Beach, we headed to Rick’s Cafe to enjoy Caribbean appetizers and cocktails. It’s a bar set on ocean cliffs known for breathtaking sunsets and cliff jumping.

Seating closest to the edge of the cliffs fills up quickly around dusk, but Evelyn and I were lucky enough to get a decent view. Unfortunately the sunset that evening wasn’t the best, but the good vibes and live music made for a great atmosphere. The food is a little pricey, the drinks are good, and the service is laid back.

Cliff Jumping

Another fun activity you can do in Rick’s Cafe is cliff jumping. It was exhilarating! There’s a few different heights you can jump from, the lowest at 8 feet and the highest at 40 feet!

A few things to keep in mind if you go:

There’s always a risk cliff jumping. The setup is safe, but it’s “jump at your own risk.”
Bring a backpack with your swimsuit, a towel, and a change of clothes.
Sandals are ideal around the bar and cliff area.
The locals have good tips about cliff jumping and make it look easy.
- Try not to flail your arms and legs.
- Be compact or like a pencil entering the wata (Jamaican slang).
- Do your best to hit the surface of the wata with your feet at a slight angle.
- Don’t hesitate, just jump!

A local professional cliff jumper at its finest!

I jumped from 25 feet, Evelyn from 8. Looking down at the clear blue water was serene. After pushing off the ledge I definitely didn’t pencil, and all I could think was why haven’t I hit the water yet. The video might show otherwise.

The warm water felt great. There were a lot of onlookers and others in line to jump, so I got out of there and filmed Evelyn skirting off the ledge (video available upon request).

We had a great time at Dunn’s River Falls, Negril, and Rick’s Cafe while visiting Jamaica. We highly recommend taking these day trips if you get the chance. Jamaicans are extremely hospitable, so when you do get the chance to visit just know that you’ll be “welcomed home.”