Ricks Cafe Negril Sunset Reggae Cliff jumping and much more

Fast Facts:

Recommendations:

1. If you’re not staying on the cliffs, the sunset is a must-watch from Rick’s Cafe.
2. I recommend going there at least an hour before the sunset. This way, you can have the best of both worlds.
3. Before the sun goes down, enjoy the electric atmosphere, the crowd, the cliff jumps, and, of course, the sunset.
4. After the sunset, enjoy the live reggae music and dinner.
5. Carry swimming trunks and a towel if you’re planning to try cliff jumping.
6. Right outside Ricks Cafe, you may be offered to buy marijuana by locals. Politely refuse, and they won’t trouble you.
7. If you’re planning to take a taxi to Ricks Cafe, make sure you have cash available with you because taxis in Negril don’t accept credit cards.

Getting there:

If you’re staying on cliffs in Negril, Rick’s Cafe is within walking distance from most of the resorts in the area. If you’re staying on Negril’s famous 7-mile beach, you can easily take a taxi to Rick’s Cafe at a very nominal rate. Since taxis don’t accept credit cards, make sure you have enough cash for the taxi ride.

Our time there:

Rick’s Cafe is undoubtedly one of my favorite places in Jamaica. The cheers and roars when someone jumps from the cliffs into the waters; the beautiful and mesmerizing sunset; the authentic live reggae; etc.—it’s all magical and unforgettable.

The vibrant Ricks Cafe

We arrived at Ricks Cafe on a sunny afternoon around 4 PM, and I am so glad we made this decision. Arriving a couple of hours before the sunset gave us ample time to witness the wild cliff jumps by numerous professionals and even visitors.  Arriving early even ensured that we beat the crowd that flocked to Ricks Cafe for the sunset.

With Red Stripes in our hands, we just sat there on the cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea and watched people jump off the cliffs. Since we had arrived early, we had managed to grab a good spot to witness the sunset too. The sunset from Ricks Cafe was simply beautiful. As the sun goes down, you can hear the sound of Reggae slowly picking up in the background.

Live Reggae at Ricks Cafe!

Where did we stay in Jamaica:

We visited Jamaica for 5 nights and 6 days. Before getting there, I’d planned what attractions we would cover during this trip. In a nutshell, these are the attractions we covered:

Doctor’s Cave Beach, Montego Bay

Blue Hole/Island Gully Falls, Ocho Rios

Dunn’s River Falls, Ocho Rios

Martha Brae River, Falmouth

Glistening Water Luminous Lagoon, Falmouth

Rick’s Cafe, Negril

Seven Mile Beach, Negril

From the list above, you can figure out that we’d planned to visit 4 different locations: Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Falmouth, and Negril. We were flying in and out of Montego Bay airport.

Since Ocho Rios and Falmouth is closer to Montego Bay as compared to Negril, we decided to stay in Montego Bay for the first 3 nights. Out of these 3 days, we’d reserved one day to cover attractions in Montego Bay, and the other two days to cover attractions in Ocho Rios and Falmouth.

Both Ocho Rios and Falmouth are located pretty close to Montego Bay and we used Rocky’s Taxi and Tour Services for the day trips there. On our fourth day, we left for Negril and stayed 2 nights there.

For our 3 nights in Montego Bay, we stayed at El Greco Resort. Here are the reasons why we chose El Greco Resort over any other hotel in the area:

1. We were looking for a hotel/resort with a kitchen. El Greco Resort provided just that.
2. El Greco Resort turned out to be a good bargain. We paid $366.60 for 3 nights including taxes.
3. El Greco Resort provides sumptuous breakfast which is included in the price.
4. El Greco Resort is located right opposite to Doctor’s Cave Beach which is a paid beach. However, if you’re staying at El Greco Resort you get free daily passes for the beach.

Since El Greco Resort is so reasonably priced, don’t expect luxury.

For our 2 night stay in Negril, we chose Catcha Falling Star. Here are the reasons why we chose Catcha Falling Star over any other hotel in Negril:

1. Catcha Falling Star has a perfect 5-star rating on TripAdvisor.
2. Catcha Falling Star is reasonably priced considering its location, reviews, and service. We paid $350 (tax not included) for 2 nights in Gemini room.
3. Catcha Falling Star is literally located right next to Ricks Cafe, one of the best places to visit in Negril.

Verdict:

I would definitely recommend Ricks Cafe for it’s lively atmosphere,  stunning sunset, and live Reggae. Your Jamaica visit is incomplete without visiting the Ricks Cafe. An absolute MUST DO!