Jamaica

St Elizabeth, Jamaica | Neighbourhood

By Caribbean Beat | Issue 161 (January/February 2020)

Tucked away in Jamaica’s southwest, St Elizabeth Parish is a laid-back alternative to the bustle of Kingston and the all-inclusive resorts of the north coast

Jamaica on the road | Explore

By Caribbean Beat | Issue 159 (September/October 2019)

A rambling road trip is one of the best ways to explore the diverse landscapes of Jamaica — from forested mountains to valleys and villages, from the cliffs of Negril to the waterfalls of Ocho Rios

Said to have been first planted in the seventeenth century, Bamboo Alley in St Elizabeth Parish stretches for two and a half miles between the villages of Lacovia and Middle Quarters — a sun-dappled tunnel of green along the road to the south coast. Pho

Koffee: Strong and sweet | Backstory

By Nazma Muller | Issue 158 (July/August 2019)

Dancehall’s latest sensation, nineteen-year-old Koffee, is captivating fans across the globe with her vibesy toasting, catchy riddims, and cheeky lyrics. Nazma Muller reports on the pint-sized Jamaican phenomenon with the relentlessly positive attitude

Blue Lagoon, Port Antonio | Bucket list

By Caribbean Beat | Issue 157 (May/June 2019)

Just far enough from the bustling resorts of Jamaica’s north coast to feel secluded, this expanse of vivid blue water is a not-so-secret treasure

All about blue | Round trip

By Caribbean Beat | Issue 155 (January/February 2019)

Is any colour more distinctive of the Caribbean? Take a tour of the region through our many hues and shades of blue

Dean’s Blue Hole, the Bahamas The limestone landscape of Long Island is dotted with caves and sinkholes, eroded over many centuries — the latter forming distinctive “blue holes,” flooded with fresh or sea water, almost perfectly circular, and eerily deep. Most impressive of all is Dean’s Blue Hole, in a bay west of Clarence Town, with a depth measured at 663 feet — the perfect location for the celebrated Vertical Blue freediving competition, running annually since 2008. Photo by Shane Pinder / Alamy Stock Photo

A beginner’s guide to the Jamaica Food & Drink Festival

By Shelly-Ann Inniss | News & Online Exclusives

Kingston: a haven for food-lovers. Datebook writer Shelly-Ann Inniss explores the Jamaica Food & Drink Festival

White River, Jamaica | Wish you were here (Nov/Dec 2018)

By Caribbean Beat | Issue 154 (November/December 2018)

Postcards from the Caribbean’s most extraordinary places

A leisurely drift down the picturesque White River is a standard in the itineraries of most visitors to Ocho Rios on Jamaica’s north coast — and you’ll understand exactly why, after you’ve floated through bamboo groves and perhaps taken a bracing dip, encouraged by your chatty guide. Photo by LBSIMMS Photography/Shutterstock.com

The inimitable Grace Jones | Backstory

By Nazma Muller | Issue 154 (November/December 2018)

She’s an instantly recognisable icon of music and fashion, with a forty-year career in the limelight. And the inimitable Grace Jones is Jamaican to the core, says Nazma Muller

Jones’s “statuesque flamboyance” in full display on stage. Photo by Joseph Okpako/Getty Images

Head for heights | Round Trip

By Caribbean Beat | Issue 152 (July/August 2018)

There’s nothing like the thrill of a higher perspective, far above the ground — from ziplining to rock-climbing to floating in a hot-air balloon. Get ready to soar

Ziplining, Rockland Estate, Sint Maarten. Photo courtesy Rainforest Adventure St Maarten

Arthur Wint: long before Bolt | On this day

By James Ferguson | Issue 152 (July/August 2018)

Usain Bolt may be Jamaica’s most famous Olympic medallist — but he was far from the first. James Ferguson looks back at the life of Arthur Wint and his extraordinary achievements both on and off the track

Love is in the air | Round trip

By Caribbean Beat | Issue 151 (May/June 2018)

For many lovebirds around the world, the idea of a Caribbean wedding — making vows on the beach, with a backdrop of glimmering blue sea — seems like a dream. And it easily comes true

Historic Fort King George overlooking Scarborough in Tobago makes a regal setting for any couple’s wedding photos. Photo by Relatestudios.com

Sans-Souci, Haiti: uncovering a kingdom | Discover

By Erline Andrews | Issue 151 (May/June 2018)

It’s one of the Caribbean’s most resonant historic sites, but surprisingly little is known about the true history of Sans-Souci, the palace of Henri Christophe, writes Erline Andrews. Now a multinational team of archaeologists are using high-tech tools to resurvey the site, and perhaps rewrite Haitian history

Image courtesy Katie Simon, Centre for Advanced Spatial Technology, University of Arkansas

Sin city: Jamaica’s Port Royal | On this day

By James Ferguson | Issue 151 (May/June 2018)

It was once known as “the Sodom of the New World” — until a catastropic earthquake sent it tumbling into the sea. On the 500th anniversary of its founding, James Ferguson recalls the history of Jamaica’s infamous Port Royal

Skip Marley: “I’m not trying to fill his shoes” | Own words

By Nazma Muller | Issue 150 (March/April 2018)

Twenty-one-year-old Skip Marley, grandson of the legendary Bob, on growing up in Jamaica’s musical royal family, his hopes for stardom, and the message of his songs, for his own and every other generation — as told to Nazma Muller

Ronald Moody: a way of life

By Cynthia Moody | Issue 46 (November/December 2000)

Like the sons of most middle-class West Indians, Ronald Moody was expected to become a professional. Reluctantly, he trained as a dentist, but a chance turn in the British Museum changed his life forever. His niece Cynthia Moody profiles one of the Caribbean's premier sculptors