Flights to Kingston

Arriving on the Palisadoes

Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) sits on a long spit of land that shelters Kingston Harbour. The drive to New Kingston, where most hotels are, takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. Use an authorised airport taxi or a pre-booked transfer, and agree the fare first. Jamaica uses the Jamaican dollar, although US dollars are taken in many hotels. The island is five hours behind the UK in winter and six in summer, and driving is on the left.

Uptown and downtown

New Kingston and Hope Road form the uptown area. The Bob Marley Museum occupies the singer's former home at 56 Hope Road, and Devon House, a 19th-century mansion, is known for its ice cream and shady lawns. Emancipation Park is a favourite spot for an evening walk. Downtown, the National Gallery of Jamaica faces the waterfront, and Trench Town Culture Yard tells the story of the neighbourhood that shaped early reggae. Kingston was named a UNESCO Creative City of Music in 2015.

Port Royal and the cays

At the end of the Palisadoes, about 10 minutes past the airport, Port Royal was a busy harbour town until much of it sank in the earthquake of 1692. Fort Charles and the tilted Giddy House remain. Small boats run from here to Lime Cay, a sandbar with clear water that fills with Kingston families at weekends. West of the city, Hellshire Beach is known for fried fish served with festival, a sweet fried dumpling.

Into the Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains rise to 2,256 metres at Blue Mountain Peak, and farms on their slopes grow Jamaica's Blue Mountain coffee. Hikers start the climb to the peak before dawn to reach the top for sunrise. Hollywell, within the national park, has shorter trails and picnic areas about an hour from the city. The mountains are cooler and wetter than the coast, so pack a layer. On the coast, the rainiest months are usually May and October.

Planning to fly into Kingston and home from Montego Bay? Call 020 7871 4545 and we'll price it.