Travel Guide from New York Kennedy Airport to Norman Manley International Airport Kingston, Jamaica

Poplar Places to Stay in Kingston

1. New Kingston

New Kingston is located in the uptown area of Jamaica’s capital, Kingston. It’s just about a 20-minute drive from downtown Kingston. You can have a feel of Jamaica’s reggae music in the museums of New Kingston. You can also tour the homes of the world’s most loved musicians in this area, browse the wares of street vendors and try out the local delicacies.

Include a visit to the Bob Marley Museum when you’re in New Kingston. It takes place inside the legend, Bob Marley’s former colonial-era home. Tours of the house’s rooms are led by guides, who point out original furniture, photo exhibitions, and memorabilia from Marley’s life and career.

Another reggae hero and member of Marley’s influential band, the Wailers, is honored at the Peter Tosh Museum. Examine artifacts such as a guitar shaped like an M16 rifle and Mick Jagger’s microphones.

Stroll around Kingston’s lively Half Way Tree district to get a sense of the city’s dining and shopping scene. Consume exotic fruits, jerk chicken, and patties as snacks. Look up to see the Half Way Tree Clock, which was built in 1913 to honor King Edward VII. The Little Theatre hosts Caribbean-themed dances, theatrical performances, and pantomimes.

2. Port Royal 

Port Royal was established in 1518. It was once the busiest city in the New World, serving as a naval base for the Spanish and then the English. It served as a stopover for traders from all over the world. Bring your diving equipment to this world-famous underwater archeological site.

Wander around Port Royal’s sleepy fishing village and imagine it in its early days, with pirates, sailors, and merchants crowding the streets and taverns. Visit Fort Charles and other buildings from the town’s glory days, and eat the freshest fish in Jamaica at one of the town’s restaurants. Spend an afternoon snorkeling or reading in the sun on the idyllic Lime Cay.

Wander the quiet streets and take a break from the hustle and bustle of Kingston. St. Peter’s Church, which dates back to 1725, can be found on Church Street, and historic relics can be found in its courtyard. Visit Fort Charles to learn how the English kept control of Port Royal for nearly 200 years. Two small museums also house artifacts from the 1692 earthquake.

Hire a pilot to take you to Lime Cay, a small, uninhabited island off the coast. Spend the afternoon snorkeling, swimming, and sunbathing on the beach. Return to Port Royal for dinner at one of Jamaica’s best seafood restaurants. Head to one of the town’s bars or nightclubs to extend your evening.

To get to Port Royal, take the bus or drive southeast 17 miles (27 kilometers) from Kingston. Accommodation is available, but most people visit the port as a day trip from Kingston.

3. Irish Town 

Irish Town is characterized by many residents who have lived their entire lives there. However, it is linked to Kingston in terms of people movements, and may be considered a suburb. The village is a popular stopping point for visitors on their way to national park attractions such as Holywell Park, nearby coffee plantations, and the famous Strawberry Hill Resort. Stop in Irish Town to mingle with the locals and experience the atmosphere of a typical Jamaican town.

Get a full sense of Jamaica’s natural beauty from Irish Town: lush vegetation, breathtaking mountain ranges, palm trees, and pristine white beaches. Go to the neighborhood bar and drink with the locals. Hear about the history of this area and how it has changed. You might run into some Rastafarians from the nearby settlement. St Mark’s Chapel is a sweet little white clapboard church. Graves from the mid-nineteenth century can be found in its small cemetery.

Hiking around this area’s waterfalls and forest trails is a wonderful way to spend a day. Drive carefully and pay attention to signs on the narrow roads leading to Irish Town, between Kingston and the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park.

4. Portmore 

Portmore is a large urban settlement located along the southeastern coast of Jamaica in Saint Catherine, and a dormitory community for the neighboring cities of Kingston and Spanish Town. It is regarded as the largest residential community in Kingston. The city is served by the Norman Manley International Airport with over 130 flights weekly.

The  Municipality  of  Portmore  has  many  offerings  for  tourism  and  entertainment  and  is  known  for: the  only  horse  racing  track  in  Jamaica,  Hellshire  beach  –  world  famous  for  its  fish  and  festival,  Fort Clarence  and  Waves  beaches  –  home  for  beach  parties  and  Two  Sisters  Cave  among  many  other natural  attractions.  A  variety  of  musical  hotspots,  and  entertainment  events  are  also  found  within Portmore.

For  adult entertainment,  Portmore  is home  to  Fort  Augusta  Drive  more  famously  known as  ‘back  road’  (a  red  light  district).   In  addition,  Portmore  offers  spectacular  flora  and  fauna,  boasting the  largest  dry  forest  in  the  Western  Hemisphere.    A  rich  history  of  the  sea  and  “pirates”,  fishing village life and  local agricultural  practices  are  also prevalent.

Hotel Recommendations for Kingston, Jamaica 

1. Hotel Four Seasons
2. R Hotel Kingston
3. The Spanish court hotel
4. AC hotel by Marriott Kingston, Jamaica
5. The Courtleigh Hotel and Suites
6. Courtyard by Marriott Kingston, Jamaica
7. Grand Hotel Excelsior, Port Royal
8. ROK Hotel, Kingston
9. The Jamaican Pegasus Hotel