After visiting several areas in Jamaica I have to keep it real and tell you why I love Negril! (Shhh!…Don’t tell my dad! He is from Montego Bay) From Seven Mile beach, to beautiful locations to watch the sunset, and taking on the road with scooters, negril has so much to offer and I am here for it all!!
History
Located about an hour and a half from Sangster International Airport sits Negril in the parish of Westmoreland. Negril has a history dating back to the 1400’s but it was not until the later half of the 20th century that Negril began to develop in to a vacation destination. Once a road was structured from Montego Bay to Negril more and more hotels and resorts began to appear, making it easier for tourists to visit this once small fishing town. The first major resort to be built in Negril was Hedonism II in 1977. Negril then became a hot spot for “hippies and flower children” in the 70’s. People loved the freedom Negril provided, with its seven mile stretch of beach and the ability to camp out and walk around freely. Today, the good vibes still exist.
Convenience
While in Negril, a taxi or rental car is not really needed. On one side of the road you have the long stretch of seven mile beach with hotels, bars, and restaurants all along it and on the other side of the road you have the same thing minus the beach. You can literally walk on either side and check out all there is to see and do along the way, stopping for a dip in the water whenever you want to cool off. There are so many places within walking distance even popular clubs like The Jungle and Margaritaville which is a restaurant and attraction by day and a club by night. You can even rent a scooter and take a ride (wear your helmet!!)
Negril Attractions
Rick’s Cafe– Voted top 10 best bars in the world, great place to relax, take a dip, grab some food and drinks and watch professional cliff divers jump into the sea from unimaginable heights!
The Caves– The are unique caves all along the west coast of the island, some you can even dine in! Also a perfect location to watch the sunset
Kool runnings Water Park– Family Friendly water park
Times Square Shopping– Get all of your souvenirs and much more!
One Love Bar Hopping Tour– Unique bus bar hopping tour that you surely will not forget! And…it’s Free!! Just tip your tour guide! Read about my experience here.
Dream Weekend– One of the biggest, most popular yearly events held in Negril. It is a weeklong music festival headlined by some of Jamaica’s most popular artists! Usually held first week of August
Reggae Marathon– A marathon for runners usually held in December
Rayon Hotel
I have stayed at my fair share of hotels along seven mile beach but there is one in particular that I just have to shine a light on. I’m such a fan of boutique hotels and Rayon Hotel was so cozy and perfect! I ended up making two reservations for this hotel, One for a couple of days in one room and then decided to extend my stay and made another reservation for another room. The check in process was smooth and quick! The staff even helped lugg all of our things to the room and up several steps. Once it came time to move to the other room, they decided to let us stay where we were to avoid any hassle and switching to what would have been a smaller room.
They have a variety of rooms but the one I was in was very spacious, and had a full kitchen, it also had a balcony and came with conveniences like AC, ceiling fan, cable tv, and wifi! Check out the room types here.
One of my favorite things about the hotel was that they offered FREE breakfast every. single. morning. And i’m not talkin’ bout no granola bars and cold cereal! I’m talkin’ bout hot breakfast! A mixture of American and Jamaican cuisine and a variety to choose from! The breakfast was a perfect start to my day! Probably the only time I was excited to wake up early while on vacation!
The property is beautiful, there are flowers and greenery all around the hotel grounds. There is a large pool in the center with a bar nearby and a very nice sitting area to gather with your friends/ family/ traveling buddies. While I was there they were actively doing construction on an area that will soon be a full gym!
Location is perfect! It is located directly across the street from the beach! Once you hit the beach everything is within reach, restaurants, bars, etc. It is also about a five minute walk to Margaritaville and The Jungle.
Would I recommend Rayon Hotel? Heck Yes!! And tell them Jasmine sent you! 🙂 Book Now!
Wine Glass Half Empty: The fact that I didn’t extend my stay even longer! 🙁
Wine Glass Half Full: Location! Location! Location! I would not have asked for a better location, we were within walking distance of literally everything!
Have you ever been to Negril? How did you like it?
P.S – Bathing suits pictured are from Shein, click below to shop the look 🙂 I am an affiliate marketer with Shein so I may get a commission if you purchase through my link.
