Montego Bay

This is the number one destination for all of Jamaica, appealing to the widest possible range of visitors. "Mo Bay," as it's known has the best golf in the West Indies and four of the grandest resorts on the island; the duty-free shopping here is great. This is about as far from rural Jamaica as you can get: The tourist dollar drives its economy. But it also boasts several attractions in its environs including former Great Houses of plantations, decaying old towns such as Falmouth and daylong adventures into remote Maroon Country.

Negril

Situated near Jamaica's relatively and western tip, Negril enjoys a reputation as the nudist center of the West Indies, with a kind of gently Provocative do-you-please attitude. Its Seven Mile Beach is one of the longest uninterrupted stretches of sand in the Caribbean. Other than that beach, its laidback lifestyle and wild parties, there isn't much here. Outside the mega-resorts, restaurants here tend to be locally run dives; amusing, but rarely the place for first-class cuisine.

Kingston & Spanish Town

Located on the southeast coast, Kingston is Jamaica's capital, largest city, and principal port. Kingston is a cosmopolitan city with approximately 750,000 residents in its metropolitan area and serves as the country's economic, cultural, and government center. Residents proudly call it the world's reggae capital, as well. The city's northern district, New Kingston, is mostly high-rises, modern buildings, business hotels, and upscale homes.

Kingston can make for a fascinating one-day visit; it has more cultural attractions, including the National Gallery, than anywhere else on the island. Nearby are the remains of Port Royal, once an infamous lair of pirates and renegades.

Nearby are the remains of Port Royal, once an infamous lair of pirates and renegades. Twenty minutes west of Kingston by car is Spanish Town, a slow-paced village containing the Cathedral of St. James.

Mandeville

Located in south-central Jamaica, Mandeville is the country's highest-altitude town and is built in a style strongly influenced by the British. It is now the center of the island's noted coffee cultivation; a sense of slow-paced colonial charm remains a trademark of the town.

The North Coast

This region's primary natural attractions include its steeply sloping terrain, the setting for panoramic public gardens and dramatic waterfalls.

Set on a deep-water harbor easily able to accommodate cruise ships, Ocho Rios boasts a dense concentration of resort hotels and other vacation spots. It runs a very second to Mo Bay in its appeal, although its hinterlands do contain a number of Jamaica's premier attractions, including the overrun Dunn's River Falls. It also can't compete with Mo Bay in beaches or nightlife. What it does offer, however, are some of the grandest resorts in the Caribbean.

Directly west of Ocho Rios is the satellite town of Runaway Bay, which boasts a handful of resorts opening onto some good beaches and has the distinct advantage of not being as overrun with tourists as much of Ocho Rios.

Port Antonio

The hub of verdant eastern Jamaica, Port Antonio still basks in nostalgia. Frequently photographed for its Victorian/Caribbean architecture, it is a refreshing change of pace from touristy Negril, Ocho Rios, and Montego Bay. Beaches such as San San are among the most alluring in the country, and this is also a base for exploring some of the major attractions in Jamaica's hinterlands, including rafting on the Rio Grande River.

The Blue Mountains

A land of soaring peaks and deep valleys with luxuriant vegetation, the Blue Mountain range rises to the north of Kingston. Mountain roads wind and dip, and they are in bad repair, sometimes it's easy to get lost. Touring this region, you'll visit several coffee plantations and rum factories. Maintained by the government, the prime part of the mountain range is the 192-acre Blue Mountain-John Crow Mountain National Park.

The South Coast

The little-visited South Coast, lying east of Negril along the A2 the road to Kingston), is undiscovered Jamaica-although it's becoming better known all the time. Contrary to the island's lush, tropical image, this area is dry and arid. Hotels are few and far between and they are frequently of the mom-and-pop persuasion. The chief draw here is Treasure Beach tucked away on the secluded coast.

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