Kingston

Kingston is the beating heart of Jamaica — the capital, the largest city in the English-speaking Caribbean, and the birthplace of reggae, dancehall, and ska. This is where the culture is made, not just performed. Skip Kingston and you've skipped Jamaica.

The city is split by geography. Downtown holds the historic waterfront, the National Gallery, and the raw energy of Coronation Market. Uptown — New Kingston, Half Way Tree, and the leafy Barbican and Cherry Gardens neighbourhoods — is where you'll find the Bob Marley Museum, Devon House (and its famous ice cream), Emancipation Park, and most of the boutique hotels and vacation rentals.

Rising directly behind the city are the Blue and John Crow Mountains — a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to the world's most coveted coffee, hiking trails to Blue Mountain Peak, and a network of small guesthouses in coffee-farm villages just forty-five minutes from the airport. Come for the music, stay for the food, and take the mountain drive at least once.