The Caribbean region, to the south east of the Gulf of Mexico comprises more than 7,000 tropical islands, islets, reefs and cays.
| Country: | Jamaica |
|---|---|
| Capital: | Kingston |
| Population: | 2,804,332 |
| Time Zone: | GMT -5 |
| Currency: | Jamaican Dollar |
Now Port Antonio is untouched by mass tourism and is charmingly old-fashioned. It is developing as a centre for ecofriendly projects. It is the kind of place sought out by travellers who have no need for boutiques and postcard stands and it’s still possible to have lunch in a place where you are the only non-Jamaican.e tropical paradise is the number one travel destination for the Americas, tourists drawn to the white sand.
The island was glamorised by Hollywood as a model of paradise in the 1940s and 50s, and this image was reinforced with the arrival of movie star Errol Flynn in 1946. His yacht, Zacca, washed ashore in bad weather and he subsequently bought Navy Island, the 18th century base of the British Navy in Port Antonio. He and his third wife, Patrice Wymore, who still lives on the island, helped popularise tourism in the area, promoting trips down the island’s rivers on bamboo rafts. The Clipper fleet will be moored in Errol Flynn Marina when they visit Port Antonio.
Jamaicans love sport. The nation’s profile has been raised to stratospheric levels as the country celebrates Usain Bolt’s achievements. The fastest man on Earth, Bolt is the first man ever to hold the Olympic and World titles in both the 100 and 200 metres at the same time. And it’s given sports tourism a huge boost. Cricket is a national passion, the football team qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and the bobsled has been a serious contender in the Winter Olympics, providing the inspiration for the 1994 film Cool Runnings.
No mention of Jamaica would be complete without reference to its global musical identity, thanks in no small part to the island’s favourite son, reggae legend Bob Marley. His is not the only style to emerge from this small corner of paradise in the Caribbean. Ska, rocksteady, dub, dancehall and ragga are all Jamaican-inspired musical genres and it is the birthplace of many international recording artists, including Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, Shaggy and Grace Jones. Ian Fleming, who lived on the livelier north coast - now home to upscale hotels and exciting attractions - repeatedly used the island as a backdrop for his James Bond novels including Live and Let Die, Doctor No, For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy. Tom Cruise filmed cocktail there, too.