The sun rises and sets at roughly the same time in Jamaica each day, give and take a few minutes. This constant supply of golden sunshine is guaranteed because of our close proximity to the Equator at 18 degrees North, and is the reason behind the golden stripe on the Jamaican flag. That being said, we don’t always appreciate the beauty of the sunset in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, with buildings, billboards and rush hour traffic blocking the view. When you get a chance to slow down and admire a Jamaican sunset, here are the eight best places to do it.
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Rick’s Cafe
The cliffs at West End, Negril offer the perfect vantage point for admiring a west coast sunset. Rick’s Cafe is completely free to enter even if you’re not dining, but it will be hard to resist the lure of doing so with this sunset as your backdrop. A sunset catamaran cruise is a luxurious alternative to admiring the Negril sunset, many of which are all-you-can-drink.
Lovers Leap
One of Jamaica’s most romantic spots, Lover’s Leap gets its name from the legend of two star-crossed lovers and slaves who decided to jump over this cliff rather than be parted by a jealous plantation owner who wanted the female slave for himself. Legend has it that they did not die but instead were caught in a moonlit net and gradually lowered to safety. Whether or not there’s any truth to the legend, Lover’s Leap is a beautiful location which comes aglow at sunset. Visit on a Sunday when there’s live music and the sweet strains of saxophone wafting on the breeze. They begin playing in the late afternoon while it’s still light, into the sunset then way up into the evening hours.
Montego Bay
There are so many options to admiring the sunset in the coastal city of Montego Bay but the sunset pictured below was captured at Dead End Beach, one of the few free beaches left in Montego Bay. I’d recommend getting here early, choosing a nice spot on the wall with a coconut jelly or Red Stripe in hand and stay for the whole thing. The dancing rays of light on the water as the intensity of the sunset colours wax then wane are mesmerizing.
Kingston Water Front
How fortunate is it that Jamaica’s two cities are located on the coast. Thus, a sunset is always a short drive away for majority of the population. Victoria’s Pier on the waterfront in Downtown Kingston is a great spot to watch the sun set, and you can do just that over dinner or while grabbing some Devon House icecream at the outlet. Get other ideas for things to do in Kingston here.
Runaway Bay
I’m not sure why sunsets in Runaway Bay are purple, and perhaps it’s only coincidence that the sunsets I’ve seen here were purple on those two days but isn’t it just brilliant? The sunsets I’ve seen in Runaway Bay are amongst the best I’ve seen in my entire life. Like, God is really showing out here! You can dine at Sharkies’ Restaurant in Salem, Runaway Bay with this lovely view as your backdrop.
Longboarder Bar & Grill
Nestled away on the St. Thomas coast and perhaps only known to those who love dining with a view is the Longboarder Bar & Grill. Enjoy fried fish with bammy and festival at this gem while the sun does its final show before going off to sleep for the night. In fact, this is the perfect final destination for a roadtrip through St. Thomas, often dubbed as the “forgotten parish.” Get ideas for building your St. Thomas roadtrip itinerary here.Strawberry Hill
Overlooking Kingston lies the luxurious Strawberry Hill Resort in Irish Town. Watch the entire Liguanea plain out to the Kingston Harbour come aglow at sunset while the orange splendour is perfectly reflected on the surface of their dramatic infinity swimming pool. Get ideas for other things to do in the Blue Mountains here.
Pelican Bar
One mile off the coast of Parottee in St. Elizabeth lies the coolest bar in the Caribbean, which resembles a gigantic bird nest made from driftwood, palm fronds and coconut tree trunks. Pelican Bar is perched on a sandbar in the middle of the turquoise Caribbean Sea so the view of the sunset is 360 degrees. Drink in this glorious sunset with Jamaica’s favourite beer in hand.
Wrap Up
Isn’t sunset just the most precious thing? Have you ever watched sunset at any of these places? Tell me, where’s your favourite spot to watch sunset in Jamaica?
P.S. I’ve been doing pretty well at posting at least once per week this year so far. Check out all my 2020 articles here. I hope I can keep it up. Feel free to send in article suggestions. 🙂 It’s not always easy coming up with new ideas but I love love love writing and putting new articles together. 😅 Also, yesterday I hit ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND reads on my blog. 🎉 2020 ah gwaan wid tings!
Read next: 10 things I’ve learnt after 3 years of blogging.
‘Til next time.✌🏽
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