What do you do when you’ve already visited many of the top tourist locations and destinations in Jamaica? You spend the day exploring off the beaten path; visiting those non-touristy areas in Jamaica where visitors rarely go. The places where you can truly get to experience life in Jamaica and meet local Jamaican people.

 

Planning our off the beaten path day in Jamaica

Our visit to Jamaica last Spring was our third visit in recent years, fourth if you consider a trip many years ago when Caiden was just a baby. Because of this, we had already experienced the ‘must do’ tourist spots like Dunn’s River Falls.

While we tried to find new and exciting spots over the years, and we loved most of the places we explored, this year it was time to truly explore Jamaica off the beaten path.

Initially we had planned to do a day trip to the east coast of the island, around Portland Parish. We planned to visit a few beautiful non-touristy areas of Jamaica including Winnifred Beach, Reach Falls and Port Antonio.  While planning though, we realized that with Lucas’ car sickness issues, a three-hour drive each way was probably not a good idea. Instead, we opted to stay more local and visit a few off the beaten path non-touristy areas closer to Ocho Rios.

Our ultimate itinerary is a great full day option for any one staying in Ocho Rios, Runaway Bay or even Montego Bay, although the latter would have an extra hour or more of driving each way. If you follow this itinerary for your day, you’ll get to experience at least three wonderful non-touristy activities that will give you a chance to see a different side of Jamaica; a side tourists rarely get an opportunity to see.

 

How to get around Jamaica when exploring non-touristy areas

As we had no intention of driving in Jamaica (absolutely not for the faint of heart), we hired a guide for the day. Many initially think that the cost would be astronomical but in reality, that’s far from the truth. (check out our post, Why You Should Hire a Private Guide)

After lots of research and many emails, we decided to book with Riley Tours and we’re so glad we did. For less than $300, we met two amazing people and spent 9 hours exploring areas of Jamaica that most tourists never get to see. That worked out to less than $60 per person for the FULL day and we had full control of our itinerary.

Kemrod Riley, owner of Riley Tours, is super sweet and has the patience of a saint. I reached out to him many months in advance with our plan to visit Portland Parish. He checked into the status of all sights we wanted to visit and kept in regular contact with me during our planning. A few weeks before we left for Jamaica I did a complete turnaround. He handled our changes with grace and a smile. I guess that’s the reason many call him Smiley Riley!

 

One day itinerary for exploring off the beaten path on the north coast of Jamaica

Our day was great! We planned an early start at 7:30am and Kemrod arrived even earlier at our hotel. Our itinerary for the day included Brown’s Town Market, rafting on the White River and lunch with Keith’s Bamboo Crew, and a visit to Sun Valley Plantation. Kemrod made additional stops along the way showing us time and time again many things tourists don’t get a chance to see.

 

1. A Local Market

Once settled into our minivan, we went directly to visit the market in Brown’s Town.

 

Brown's Town non-touristy Jamaica market

 

Kemrod’s lovely fiancée Peeta joined us and brought us around the market, introducing us to new fruits and vegetables along the way. The vendors were incredibly welcoming!

 

image of man in orange tshirt chopping pineapple at non-touristy Jamaica market

Peeta helping while one of the vendor peels and slices fresh pineapple for us

We tasted several new fruits including naseberries.  Delish!

 

Sydney eating watermelon with Peeta at off the beaten path market in Jamaica

Sydney tasting some fresh watermelon

I loved the explanation on the wall as to when ackee is safe to eat. If it isn’t fully ripe, it is poisonous.

 

poster of ackee off beaten path Jamaica

Ackee – Is it ripe enough to eat??

I also purchased freshly ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and wonderful chocolate balls. These chocolate balls are made with fresh cocoa seeds, nutmeg and cinnamon. They pounded with a mortar and pestle, rolled into a ball and dried until they are solid enough to be grated.

We were told that they’re grated into water and boiled along with cinnamon sticks or leaves. It’s sweetened with condensed milk and sugar and strained into a cup. A very special hot cocoa for Sundays, Christmas and other special occasions.

We’re saving them for Christmas!

 

2. A Small Family-Based Coffee Plantation

Once we finished at the market, we headed towards our next planned stop, but we had a little time so Kemrod and Peeta made a few surprise stops along the way. We also stopped along the roadside to enjoy the fantastic rural Jamaican views.

green archway with small house and plants on other side in rural jamaica

How pretty is this?!

 

Jamaica hills with house in distance in off beaten path jamaica

 

Our first stop was a wonderful coffee plantation. Unfortunately, the coffee plantation owner wasn’t there but Kemrod and Peeta parked and told us all about the medicinal and edible plants we could see near the entrance.

 

red and green berries off beaten path jamaica

Coffee beans!!

 

plant with yellow fruit nontouristy jamaica

I think these are scotch bonnet peppers … I wish I took notes!

I really wish we had planned this stop in advance as I would have loved to have met the owner and heard all about how their coffee is grown. One of the places we had originally wanted to visit around Portland Parish was a Blue Mountain coffee plantation so this would have been nice.

 

3. The Home of Jamaican National Hero

En route, Kemrod made sure to point out the place where Marcus Garvey was born. Marcus Garvey is one of Jamaica’s national heroes.

 

small rustic house non touristy jamaica

 

4. An Old Plantation House

 

Our next stop was Liberty Hill Great House. It’s an old plantation house that looks over the Caribbean Sea.

 

railing with trees and sea in distance non-touristy jamaica

Such a gorgeous view! Can you see the Caribbean Sea in the distance?

 

We didn’t visit the interior as the owner was not at home but the grounds keeper brought us around the outside and explained some of the history of this beautiful house.

The gardens were filled with beautiful flowers and for our first time, we were able to see cocoa pods or, in other words, chocolate!

 

large light green oval pod off the beaten path jamaica

Cocoa pods!

The grounds also had a few friends to meet

 

brown goat in field

A goat!

green lizard on branch off beaten path jamaica

Look at the size of that lizard!

 

5. River Rafting with Lunch Cooked on the Shore

Our next stop was the White River for bamboo rafting with Keith’s Bamboo Crew.  

I first read about Keith on a Facebook page. He’s a local Jamaican that used to work the beach and offer raft rides down the beach from one of the all-inclusive resorts near the White River.

He recently started his own Facebook page to offer raft rides and lunch to others and called his venture Keith’s Bamboo Crew. Very few people know about him or his new business. I called the phone number on his website. Our plan was a fire cooked meal by Keith on the shore of the river.

I mentioned it to Kemrod. While he had never brought people there before, he reached out to Keith long before our day trip. On arrival at the White River, Kemrod ensured we were going with the right people and met us an hour or so later at our lunch spot.

The river raft was a bit narrow for our family of five so John, Caiden and Lucas rode with Noel while Sydney and I rode with another great guy.

My three boys on a raft with Noel using long stick to raft off beaten path Jamaica

Rafting down the river with Noel

It took no time at all for us to arrive at the bend in the river where Keith had set up his cookery location. Keith welcomed us with open arms as if we were old friends.

keith on shores of river with campsite cooking area

 

We were sat at a large picnic table and immediately served an incredible array of food. Jerk fish, lobster, and jerk chicken had all been cooked on site over an open fire along with fried plantains and festival. The food was simply amazing!

 

The boys sitting at picnic table with foil trays of plantain, fish and lobster

 

After lunch, we splashed in the water for awhile until our rafters returned.

 

family in river non-touristy jamaica

 

We then travelled down the White River to the beach and the kids were thrilled to all have a chance at ‘driving’ the raft.

 

my two boys steering the rafts with large bamboo poles off the beaten path Jamaica

 

We weren’t ready for the adventure to end but it was time to head back to our drop off point where Kemrod awaited.

 

6. A Real Family Owned Plantation

 

Before we knew it, we were off to St. Mary’s Parish for a visit to Sun Valley Plantation.

Sun Valley Plantation is operated by Brian and his mom Lorna. Brian was waiting for us when we arrived at the plantation. Today, Sun Valley is a family owned plantation that gives educational tours mostly to school children. On this particular day, we were the only ones there.

Brian provides the tours of the plantation while Lorna cooks lunch (we passed as we had already eaten) and explains the history of the plantation.

Lorna started by explaining the different fruit that are grown on the plantation and their importance to the Jamaican people.

tray of local fruits at plantation Jamaica

 

Brian then brought us around the plantation, explaining the fruit and trees as we explored.

 

Brian showing family parts of banana tree

 

What an incredible wealth of knowledge Brian and his mom have! We were running short on energy but we could have easily spent an extra hour there to learn more about the history of the plantation.

 

7. A Local Grocery Store

One of our planned stops for the day was to visit a local grocery store in Ocho Rios. We also planned to buy some Jamaican patties on our way back to the resort.

Despite the fact that it was already 5:30p.m., Kemrod was more than willing to bring us. The children, however, were tired and were ready to head back to our resort so we didn’t make the stop.

We did visit a local grocery store the year before and it was wonderful. We were able to buy many local treats such as spices and plantain chips for a fraction of the cost that tourists are usually charged. It’s definitely a doable off the beaten path thing to do that can be added on to any day trip that you’ve planned.

 

Overall, our off the beaten path non-touristy day was a long but incredible day.

You can reach out to Kemrod Riley for a tour like this or another at Riley Tours.

If you’re looking for other ideas for things to do and places to see on Jamaica’s north shore, check out our blog post for 10 Unique and Fun Things to Do in Jamaica.

And please, don’t forget, Kemrod or any other guide or driver can bring you to visit a local school.

 

Pin this post for future planning!

Are you looking to avoid the tourist crowds in Jamaica? Imagine being able to enjoy Jamaica's beautiful water, gorgeous hills and incredible culture without crowds. This itinerary will help you do exactly that! You'll experience a wonderful day, off the beaten path and explore areas that most tourists will never see.

 


Avatar for Joanne

Joanne

Hi! I'm Joanne. I'm a Canadian mom of three wonderful kids who love hockey, swimming, cheerleading and, of course, travel.

24 Comments

Avatar for Adventures from Elle

Adventures from Elle · November 22, 2019 at 1:29 am

It’s lovely seeing people explore my country outside of the all-inclusives which don’t give a true sense of Jamaica. Seems like you had a great time. 🙂

Avatar for Crystal

Crystal · December 17, 2018 at 7:36 pm

Wow! What an adventure. I absolutely love going to local markets and supporting the coffee farm and the plantation looked like such a great idea to help out the local economy. Loved these Jamaica travel suggestions!

    Avatar for Joanne

    Joanne · December 28, 2018 at 9:36 am

    Thanks Crystal! It really was an amazing day.

    Avatar for Rhod

    Rhod · January 25, 2020 at 3:24 am

    We went to Browns Town a few years back and it was awesome! Can you recommend some other market towns worth visiting?

Avatar for Mel Butler

Mel Butler · December 8, 2018 at 12:31 pm

Let me just say that I would love to go to Jamaica so much. River Rafting with Lunch Cooked on the Shore looks like my type of thing especially because you can also go swimming. Also, I am all for booking private tours as I think you get so much more out of them and recommendation like Riley Tours.

    Avatar for Joanne

    Joanne · December 28, 2018 at 9:36 am

    Hi Mel. The lunch on the shore was so unique. Definitely worth the risk to try something new!

Avatar for Carmen Edelson

Carmen Edelson · December 8, 2018 at 6:37 am

Wow, less than $300 for 9 hours?! That is an incredible price! I’d definitely consider hiring a private tour guide in Jamaica now.

    Avatar for Joanne

    Joanne · December 28, 2018 at 9:37 am

    Most of the guides charge around the same price for a full day. It’s so much easier than trying to find your own way around.

Avatar for Kelly

Kelly · December 6, 2018 at 11:21 pm

Wow, you fit so many adventures into one day! It’s great that you’re working to support local businesses too, like Keith’s rafting business, and now are advertising it all over the world! Hopefully more travelers take your advice and experience local activities as well as touristy ones on their vacations.

    Avatar for Joanne

    Joanne · December 28, 2018 at 9:38 am

    Hi Kelly. I totally agree about supporting local businesses. Locals work so hard. It’s nice to help them out any way we can.

Avatar for Mei and Kerstin

Mei and Kerstin · December 6, 2018 at 4:03 pm

We’ve never been to Jamaica but would love to visit someday, especially the coffee plantation and also to try out rafting! It’s good to know about Riley Tours, we’d definitely also consider booking a tour with them.

Avatar for Candy

Candy · December 6, 2018 at 3:03 pm

This definitely isn’t touristy. Everything sounds like fun and I especially like how you found the River Rafting through Facebook. It looks like such a great experience and I hope his business grows. Great tip on hiring a driver. I agree the cost is not that bad at all.

Avatar for Nisha

Nisha · December 6, 2018 at 12:51 pm

This looks like so much fun. I would much rather see local spots when I travel, but I know it can be dangerous. Looks like you had fun.

    Avatar for Joanne

    Joanne · December 28, 2018 at 9:39 am

    We had so much fun. Travelling with a guide is so much safer. It keeps you out of sketchy areas and also allows someone familiar with the roads to drive.

Avatar for yukti

yukti · December 6, 2018 at 10:07 am

I love some offbeat stuff for travel and therefore I loved how you enjoyed your offbeat vacation in Jamaica. It is great that you visited the local market and home-based coffee plantation. Thanks for sharing your lovely experiences.

Avatar for Punita Malhotra

Punita Malhotra · December 6, 2018 at 8:28 am

This is a very different view of Jamaica, which I had not considered. The coffee and cocoa angle is certainly very attractive for me. Lovely ideas for a refreshing offbeat trip.

Avatar for Helena

Helena · December 5, 2018 at 11:05 pm

I love posts like this! I much rather explore things that aren’t super touristy.
I also didn’t realise they had a plantation there. Give me a good market any day! Good post!

Avatar for Karie

Karie · December 4, 2018 at 3:17 pm

I always prefer going to places that are on the off beaten path as they are less crowded and more peaceful. This is a perfect itinerary for me. I love that you visited a local market, plantations and the grocery store. Also the grave of the national hero. But my favorite would be the river rafting and enjoying lunch in the shore. Thanks for sharing.

Avatar for Michael

Michael · December 2, 2018 at 1:05 pm

Wow, what a day! I think I would be as tired as your kids. But also thanks for showing us a great alternative to the “same old, same old” tourist activities.

Avatar for Heather

Heather · December 2, 2018 at 1:26 am

There are definitely times I like to book private guides and sounds like your trip was the perfect opportunity! That is a great price for what Riley Tours provided for you. Smiley Riley, cute! I would love to try the chocolate balls-perfect for right now at Christmas! That is a big lizard, but he blended in and I didn’t see him at first. When I finally found him, he popped out at me! LOL!

Avatar for Laura G

Laura G · December 1, 2018 at 10:35 pm

I love everything about this! Seriously…! The raft, the coffee plantation, ,everything!! Makes me want to go back to Jamaica very soon!!

    Avatar for Joanne

    Joanne · December 1, 2018 at 10:54 pm

    Thanks Laura! I’m glad you enjoyed it! You should return soon 🙂

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