Your vacations in Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles. It’s 234 km in length and as much as 80 km in width, amounting to 11,100 km². It’s situated in the Caribbean Sea, about 145 km south of Cuba and 190 km west of Haiti, on the island of Hispaniola, shared with the Dominican Republic. Jamaica is the third largest island and the fourth largest country in the Caribbean

Jamaica’s indigenous Arawakan-speaking Taíno inhabitants originally named the island Xaymaca, meaning the "Land of Wood and Water" or the "Land of Springs".

Formerly a Spanish possession known as Santiago, it later became the British Crown Colony of Jamaica. With 2.8 million people, it’s the third most populous Anglophone country in North America, after the United States and Canada. It remains part of the British Commonwealth, with Queen Elizabeth II as its Head of State. Jamaica’s capital is Kingston.

Internationally celebrated reggae musician Bob Marley was born in Jamaica and his legacy is very much respected there.

Official language

The official language of Jamaica is English. However, Jamaicans speak an English-African creole known as Jamaican patois.

Currency

Jamaican Dollar

Electricity

110 volts, 50 cycles

Shopping

Visitors can find good bargains at duty-free shops in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. Shop for cameras, jewelry and perfume. You can also buy batik, wood carvings and straw goods.

Useful information

Local dishes tend to be spicy. So be careful.

The climate in Jamaica

The average temperature in Jamaica is 27°C, with July and August being the hottest months and February the coolest. Temperatures in Jamaica generally vary approximately 10 degrees from summer to winter. Nevertheless, you should be prepared for winter in Jamaica to be slightly cooler, especially at the higher altitudes. In the mountains, temperatures can dip to 4°C.

The rainiest weather in Jamaica occurs in May and June and again in October and November and can sometimes extend into December. For the most part when it does rain in Jamaica, showers are short, heavy and followed by sunshine.
Jamaica does lie in the hurricane belt, and the official hurricane season runs from June to November, with August and September being the peak months. However, the Caribbean region is more vast than most people think, and the chances of any single island being hit directly by a hurricane are very slim.

Official language

The official language of Jamaica is English. However, Jamaicans speak an English-African creole known as Jamaican patois.

Currency

Jamaican Dollar

Electricity

110 volts, 50 cycles

Shopping

Visitors can find good bargains at duty-free shops in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. Shop for cameras, jewelry and perfume. You can also buy batik, wood carvings and straw goods.

Useful information

Local dishes tend to be spicy. So be careful.