September 1, 2015 Jamaica Tourist Board 0

Kingston, The Heartbeat of Jamaica

A Window to Jamaica’s Ethnic Art, Culture and Heritage

Bustling with sunshine, Kingston is the capital and an important city of Jamaica. The city is an interesting mix of tradition and modernity, the timeless and the trendy, the chic and the classic. Offering variety of activities to amuse and captivate its visitors, this charming city keeps rocking all year long on the rhythm of reggae. Kingston being the heartbeat of Jamaica has plenty of things to offer to the vacationers.

Kingston offers the tourists a variety of active, captivating and unique attractions. One can escape to the Blue Mountains at the northern edge of the city. The hills are at their most stunning and evocative when a blue mist hovers over them.

Jamaica is home to museums, historical tours and sites that will give you a sense of its exciting history. Formerly the capital of Jamaica, the Spanish town, specifically the Spanish town square, offers fantastic representations of 18th and 19th century architecture. The Anglican Cathedral, the oldest of its kind in the Western hemisphere; the Spanish Town Iron Bridge, the oldest cast-iron bridge in the Caribbean; the town square, with stunning examples of Georgian architecture – are all worth a visit. For the reggae fans a visit to Kingston’s most visited attraction – Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road is a must. This museum is the home of Bob Marley’s personal belongings, press clippings and the awards and accolades received in his lifetime. You can also lose yourself in the myriad magnificence of the National Gallery which exhibits the largest collection of Jamaican fine art. Devon House is another premier historical site in the city that gives a quick insight into the architecture of houses of the past century.

Savoury, Sweet, Spicy are some of the flavours that make Jamaican meals special. The city has a gamut of fine dining to roadside stalls and everything in between such as cafés and fast food options. The satisfaction of a Jamaican patty cannot be put into words hence it is a popular option for locals and visitors alike. Another popular option is the road side cuisine which mostly consists of jerk chicken or pan chicken, along with roasted nuts, coconut water and coconut jelly, crab among other tasty options.

Jamaica boasts simple joys for anyone and everyone. Nature is one such simple joy and the focus of many of the gardens located in the Kingston region. At any of the gardens you can enjoy the lush and diverse vegetation on the expansive grounds of the property, with bursts of colours, scents, sights and sounds all interplaying but still providing with a sense of tranquillity.

The heart never rests; therefore the city of Kingston never sleeps. Kingston has a diverse nighlife from a plethora of clubs and hang-out spots which are sure to keep its patrons entertained. Night clubs such as Fiction, Club Privilege, and Quad among many others offer an eclectic mix of tunes to keep visitors on their feet all night long. Hang out spots encompass karaoke options and more chill spots as they are locally referred to.

Kingston, the commercial and business hub of the Caribbean, boasts a variety of luxurious accommodations with famous properties like Strawberry Hill, Terra Nova Hotel, Spanish Court Hotel, Knutsford Court and Mayfair Hotel. Wherever you are from or whatever your budget is, there is something to do in Jamaica’s capital city of Kingston.

About Jamaica Tourist Board
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica’s national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. The JTB was declared the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board by the World Travel Awards (WTA) from 2006 to 2013. Also in 2013, Jamaica earned the WTA’s vote for the World’s Leading Cruise Destination, Caribbean’s Leading Destination and Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Destination for the seventh consecutive year. Additionally, the Historic Falmouth Cruise Port was recognized as the World’s Leading Tourism Development Project while Ocho Rios was named the Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Port and Sangster International Airport was voted the Caribbean’s Leading Airport. In Canada, Jamaica was voted the Favourite Honeymoon Destination by Travel Agents.

JTB offices are located in Kingston, Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are located in Berlin, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, Delhi and Tokyo.

For details on upcoming special events, attractions and accommodations in Jamaica go to the JTB’s Web site at www.visitjamaica.com or call the Jamaica Tourist Board at 1-800-JAMAICA (1-800-526-2422). Follow the JTB on Facebook at www.facebook.com/visitjamaica, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/visitjamaicanow, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/visitjamaica, on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/myjamaica, or on YouTube at www.youtube.com/myjamaicajtb. View the JTB blog at www.islandbuzzjamaica.com.