15-day roundtrip Jamaica

Day 1: Arrival in Montego Bay

Welcome to Jamaica. You land in Montego Bay, the beating heart of the north coast. After customs, you'll pick up your rental car. The first drive will take you to a boutique hotel selected by us, small-scale and stylish, where the tropics immediately beckon. Think wooden verandas, a verdant garden and that first fresh drink that slows everything down. Take a dip, take a walk on the beach and let travel fatigue slip away from you. In the evening, sample the house's cuisine or head to a restaurant for your first jerk seasoning and fresh fish.

Day 2: Free morning Montego Bay and evening excursion Luminous Lagoon

The morning is yours. Start slow. Relax on the white sandy beaches around Montego Bay, take a refreshing dip or stroll along the waterfront. Later in the afternoon, drive to Glistening Waters at the Luminous Lagoon. As soon as dusk falls, hop aboard for a short cruise. Every movement in the water lights up magically through bioluminescent microorganisms. Dare to slip into the water for a moment and you will see trails of light flare up around your arms. This is one of those Jamaica moments you won't soon forget.

Day 3: Greenwood Great House and Martha Brae River Rafting

This morning you will dive into history. Greenwood Great House is among the best-preserved and most authentic plantation houses on the island. Built around 1800 by the Barrett family, the house breathes a different era. You'll walk among original furniture, unusual music boxes and bookshelves full of stories. The guides bring tangible and respectful plantation history to life. After lunch, you drive to the Martha Brae River. You board a bamboo raft and let yourself be gently carried along on emerald green water. Your captain propels the raft forward with a long bamboo cane and talks about herbs on the bank, legends of the river and the slow rhythms of the interior. This is Jamaica as locals like to experience it.

Insider tip: Sandals or water shoes are handy when boarding. The trip is calm and kid-friendly. Bring a drybag for your phone, so you can take pictures worry-free.

Day 4: Via Nine Mile to Ocho Rios, Bob Marley's roots

After a virtuous breakfast, it's time to check out and head for the hills. Along the way you'll stop in Nine Mile, birth and resting place of Bob Marley. You visit his childhood home, the mausoleum and small shrines that have meaning for many Jamaicans. The tour is warm and personal. Music, photos and anecdotes make the icon human again. In the afternoon, descend toward the coast and check into a boutique hotel in the Ocho Rios region, where you will stay for two nights. Time for a refreshing swim or a cocktail overlooking the sea.

Day 5: Blue Hole, also Island Gully Falls, and free afternoon in Ocho Rios

Today adventure is on the agenda. In the small community of Thatch Hill, you will find Blue Hole or Island Gully Falls. Rocks with natural steps, cobalt blue pools and streams of water form a natural playground paradise. Climb, splash and, if you want (read: dare), jump into the deep blue "sinkhole." The afternoon is free. Lay down your towel on the beach, plan a diving trip, or stroll by the local market for fruits, spices and small souvenirs. Ocho Rios is alive, you are enjoying yourself in a convivial Jamaican rhythm.

Day 6: To Portland, with Frenchman's Cove and Blue Lagoon

After checking out, drive east to Portland, the green, less crowded Jamaica. First, you'll stop at Frenchman's Cove. A photogenic cove where a fresh river flows into the sea. The water meanders among tropical greenery; the beach is soft and sheltered. Next awaits the Blue Lagoon, a natural lagoon about 55 meters deep. Its color changes with the mix of cool spring water and warm sea water. It feels intimate, almost mysterious. You watch and you are silent for a moment. In the afternoon, you check into your accommodation in Portland. Think lush gardens, the sound of birds and an evening breeze cooling everything.

Day 7: Blue Mountains and Holywell Nature Walks

Today you'll drive up into the heights to the Blue Mountains. In the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, you'll hike the Holywell Nature Walks at about 900 meters above sea level. The air is cool, the mist forests smell of ferns and wet wood. Trails wind past viewpoints where the ridges seem endless. Choose a hike that suits your pace. Picnic with a view and enjoy silence broken only by birds. This is the antithesis of beach days, and exactly why it works so refreshingly.

Insider tip: Bring layers. It can be chilly and humid. Wear closed walking shoes and put a bottle of water and a small snack in your daypack.

Day 8: To the South Coast, Appleton Estate rum experience

You'll leave the mountains and drive inland to the South Coast, in St. Elizabeth Parish. In the Nassau Valley is Appleton Estate, where rum has been made for more than 265 years. The tour shows the process from sugar cane to distillation and aging in oak barrels. You conclude with a fragrant tasting that lets the nuances of Jamaican rum speak for itself. Here you realize why rum in Jamaica is more than liquor. It is craft, terroir and tradition.

Day 9: Black River boat safari and Jamaican cooking workshop

In the morning, you board a boat for a Black River safari. You'll glide through mangroves and wetlands, spotting American crocodiles, herons and pelicans. The water is calm, the pace slow, nature close at hand. In the afternoon, you attend a cooking workshop. You'll learn to make local Jamaican dishes and discover how spices and marinades make all the difference. You'll stir, taste and jot down that one tip you'll keep using at home later.

Day 10: To Negril and check into a luxury seaside hotel

You drive on to Negril, famous for Seven Mile Beach and sunsets that turn the sky to gold and pink. You'll check into a luxury seaside hotel. Think spacious rooms, soft linens and terraces with breezes. The afternoon is for your first walk on the beach. In the evening you dine with your feet in the sand. The rhythm slows down, so do your plans. That's exactly the point.

Day 11-14: Beach extension with free interpretation.

Four full days for beach luxury and doing whatever you feel like. Lounging on Seven Mile Beach, snorkeling over clear reefs, a sunset catamaran cruise, a sunrise yoga session or simply a book and nothing else. Prefer activity? Ask at the hotel about quiet snorkeling spots, a short bike ride in the area or a cab to the cliffs in western Negril for wide views of the Caribbean Sea. You fill in the details yourself, we'll make it happen.

Insider tip: Make one day "offline." No planning, no lists. Just sea, sun and the feeling of not missing anything.

DAY 15: Rental car return and return

You return the rental car and take the return flight. Between your clothes are still grains of sand. In your mind, the light trails of the Luminous Lagoon, the green silence of Holywell and the flavors of your cooking workshop linger. Jamaica travels with you.

What's the price tag?

For this roundtrip, you can expect a guide price starting at 7000 euros per person. This price depends on your travel dates, hotel choices and any additional excursions or extensions. The price includes international flights.