Things to do in Westmoreland Jamaica

• Benji's Paradise: Feel the need to be a "Rasta for a Day"? About 45 minutes from Negril and 8 miles NE of Savanna-La-Mar, you can relax, hike, swim in the river, and dine on Ital food at this lush and beautiful private property. Contact Benji’s sister, Biggie, and tell them when you would like to be "Rasta for a Day". Phone: 876.350.6152.
  

• Long Bay Beach Park - Although Long Bay Beach is the alias for Negril's 7-mile Beach, the Beach Park sits at the far north end and is actually in Hanover Parish. See more information here. (FYI - Don't confuse this with beautiful Long Bay in Portland parish on the opposite end of the island.)

• Mayfield Falls and Mineral Springs is located in Glenbrook, in the Dolphin Head Mountains, and is approximately a 1-hour drive from Negril. Mayfield Falls is home to 52 varieties of ferns & wildlife, wildflowers, and different species of birds. There are also two waterfalls and 21 natural mineral water pools on the property. This is one of Jamaica’s first eco-tourism resorts. Take a guided tour of the falls or just bask in the beautiful and natural surrounding.

• Negril Hills Golf Club - The Negril Hills Golf Club is an 18-hole par 72 course located on the main highway outside the resort center of Negril. It has spectacular views over Negril Bay. Get a cart - there are plenty of hills to tire you out. Golf clubs are available for rental. Phone: 876.957.4638 or 876.957.3614.

• Negril Point Lighthouse - This Lighthouse is situated at south Negril Point which is at the extreme western end of the Island. The concrete tower is painted white and stands 66 feet above ground level. The light is elevated 100 feet above sea level. The Negril Lighthouse was built in 1894 by the French Company, Bubbler & Bernard, on a tank 14 feet deep, which is kept filled with water. This is to keep the tower balanced and secure in the event of an earthquake. Initially, the Lighthouse was operated by a gas lamp, but in 1956 it was replaced by an acetylene gas lamp. This was used until 1985 when it was replaced by solar energy.

• Negril Scuba Centre - With several locations in Negril (Mariner’s Negril Beach Club on 7-Mile Beach, Negril Escape Resort on the West End, and Sunset at the Palms on Bloody Bay), Negril Scuba Centre offers both shore and boat dives to the best dive sites in Negril. Their services include equipment rentals, PADI certification courses, refresher courses, and a course/dive for beginners. The marine life here is beautiful and guests say a particular highlight is the “Throne Room” dive where you enter a vaulted cavern through a reef chimney. Phone: 876.383.9533.

• Peter Tosh Birthplace & Mausoleum -True reggae fans will want to visit this memorial in the small coastal village of Belmont, near Bluefields, Jamaica, south of Negril. Winston Hubert “Peter Tosh” McIntosh, militant poet, songwriter and Rastafarian trailblazer was born in Belmont in 1944. His success as one of the three original founding members of the 1960s band “The Wailers” (the others were Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer) saw him rise to international stardom. Tosh was murdered in his Kingston home in 1987 at the age of 42. His body was returned here and the mausoleum was erected. Nothing like the tourist mecca of Bob Marley’s Nine Mile, this is a small humble memorial containing Tosh’s tomb and some photos and memorabilia. There is also a small gift shop for CDs and t-shirts. You will find it in a small yard just off the A2; look for brightly painted gates. Stop in, sign the guest book and pay your respects to the Malcolm X of reggae music. Tosh family members still occupy the property and care for the monument.

• Roaring River Park and Cave – A former slave plantation, the Roaring River Estate near Petersfield is named for the gushing waters of the river. Now a heritage and nature park, you can get a taste of Jamaica's cultural heritage and enjoy its natural beauty. Roaring River is located in the little village of Shrewsbury, one of the estates owned by Peter Beckford, a horse trader who arrived in 1660 and broke his neck some 50 years later when he intervened in a riot in the JamaicaHouse of Assembly. He died leaving 24 estates and 4000 slaves. The Roaring River runs underground, before appearing close to the Roaring River Cave, a series of limestone caverns with a small mineral spring inside. The river provides the parish capital, Savanna-la-Mar, with its water supply and it is the most important source of water in central Westmoreland and the Georges plain. The Roaring River Citizens Association, a local community group, looks after the property. Steps lead up a steep hillside to the mouth of a cave which tunnels into the cliff face. The cathedral-like caverns are quite large. It is lighted and has many chambers.An admission fee for the cave covers the services of a guide. There is also a fresh water sinkhole where visitors can swim and a landscaped private garden. The majestic Silk Cottonwood tree by the pool is at least 300 years old. Be sure to bring a bathing suit and a towel, as the water is very clean and loaded with healing minerals. This nice park has yet to be totally commercialized. A hidden gem!

• Salem was created from the need to relocate the Moravian congregation at New Hope. Moravian missionaries had been invited to Jamaica in the 1750s to serve the large slave population. The church building was a small school-house which was in a state of disrepair. Also New Hope had gained the reputation of being an unhealthy place. In 1860, A. B. Lind purchased a lovely property at Beeston Spring, about 750 feet above sea level, sold back to the mission about 40 acres for a mission station and then sub-divided and sold the rest to members of the church and to others. Soon after the purchase, preparation for the construction of a new church began. By the end of 1867 the church was completed and received the name of Salem.

• Savanna-la-mar Fort - The fort at Savanna-la-mar seems to have no name and is simply called the Fort. It can be seen at the end of Great George Street. It was constructed in the middle of the 18th Century. Situated partly on land and mostly in the sea, a large section of the wall in the water has crumbled. The fort was built originally to protect the town but was never completed.

• Savanna-la-mar Court House - The Savanna-la-mar Court House was built in 1925. It is located on Great George Street in Norman Square. The public square which has several other public buildings is protected by Jamaican Law. The Act is known as the Norman Square Act of 1891. This piece of legislation ensured that: the expressions of Norman Square shall be deemed to include all piece or parcel of land in the town of Savanna-la-mar around the Court House. Located near to the Court House is a large cast iron Fountain which was presented to the town of Savanna-la-mar in 1887 by E. J. Sadler, a planter from Westmoreland.

• West End Cliffs - Make at least one visit to the West End Cliffs at the southern end of Negril to have a bite to eat or something to drink at one of the popular bars and restaurants that sit atop the cliffs. While there you can witness a spectacular sunset, visit the Negril Lighthouse, and view the popular cliff diving. Tip one of the local kids to dive from the cliffs for you or take the plunge yourself if you are so inclined!

For hotels, inns, guesthouses and B&Bs in Negril, Savanna-la-mar, Bluefields and Darliston, click here.

To find out more about the history of Westmoreland Parish and the surrounding area, click here.

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