Taking up most of the western shore of Jamaica, Negril is a large resort area that still feels mostly undeveloped compared to its neighbor, Montego Bay. Unlike Montego Bay, the town of Negril is actually tiny, and most people stay along the 7-Mile Beach stretch just to its north, or along the cliffs to its south. If you want to visit a resort area in Jamaica instead of just one all-inclusive resort, then Negril is the ideal choice because the beach is lined with restaurants, bars, shops, and even a few clubs.
The main language is English, so it’s an easy choice for many compared to all of the Spanish-speaking islands where few locals speak English. Negril has become a big Spring Break favorite in recent years, but many of the more expensive resorts remain calm and pleasant even during those weeks. Negril is very popular with budget and mid-range travelers from America, Canada, Germany, and elsewhere in Europe.
There’s good scuba diving in a section of the Negril area, and famous cliff-diving available at the very touristy Rick’s Cafe. Most people are just hanging out in the sun, but those looking for things to do during the day will have endless choices of water sports and such. Those taking a Caribbean cruise usually don’t make it to Negril because it’s a long way from the closest port. That means that it’s more peaceful than Montego Bay or Ocho Rios during the day.
Where to stay
There are well over 100 hotels and resorts along the long stretch of sand that qualifies as the greater Negril area. In the north you’ll find mostly large and all-inclusive hotels, while in the south there are smaller hotels and many independent restaurants and shops. Negril is certainly one of the cheapest Caribbean island destinations for resort-goers, and cheap flights from all over add to its appeal.
When it comes to all-inclusive resorts, Negril has mostly mid-range and upper-range resorts, offering great value for those who can afford them.
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Getting there
You’ll be flying into the Sangster International Airport, which is in the nearby resort town of Montego Bay. From the airport you can get a hotel shuttle and be at your Negril resort in 60 to 90 minutes.
Nonstop flights from:
Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Newark, Boston, Chicago-O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Calgary, Edmonton, Moncton, Montréal-Trudeau, Ottawa, Québec City, Toronto-Pearson, Winnipeg, Vancouver, London-Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow, Lisbon, Madrid, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino
