Aaah, Kingston – the heartbeat of the island. Kingston is the capital city of Jamaica, and is also the largest English-speaking city south of the United States in the western hemisphere, with over a million residents. When we say “Kingston”, we’re actually technically talking about two parishes: Kingston and St. Andrew. The two parishes together make up the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation or “the corporate area”, which is a term you’ll also hear a lot. Kingston often gets a bad reputation in the international media and in the tourism industry as being rife with crime, but the bad reputation is very undeserved and those who are scared away are really missing out! Kingston is a vibrant, culturally rich, energetic city with activities, events, restaurants, historical sites, an active business community, and on and on. Now, like any city (well, more so than some cities to be honest), you have to have your wits about you and make sure you find out where is safe to go and where is not. But we absolutely love Kingston and all that is has to offer.
Recommended Stays
We have yet another Island Outpost recommendation here (so it’s Jamaican-owned) – this time it’s Strawberry Hill. It’s certainly a drive from the heart of Kingston, and a very vertical drive at that, as it’s located up in the Blue Mountains, but the view is more than worth it, and as such, coming up to Strawberry Hill for brunch is a regular activity for some Kingstonians. This hotel probably has the most beautiful grounds and views of all the ones we’ve stayed at in Jamaica, with very charming lodgings.
Recommended Activities
That’s the beauty of Kingston – there are so many! Just a few activities that we can recommend include:
- Devon House for ice cream (make sure to get the Devon Stout flavour!) and shopping
- Emancipation Park for a walk, a jog, or a sit
- The Jamaican-owned Courtleigh Hotel for brunch (ask to be seated outside poolside)
- Marketplace for a variety of restaurants to try for dinner, all in one location
- Sunrise Breakfast Party for an upscale, food-inclusive, drinks-inclusive, morning party if you’re in Kingston for New Year’s Day
- Downtown Kingston to check out the Kingston Creative murals
- The Bob Marley Museum if you’re a fan of the musical legend
- Maiden Cay if you want to visit a breathtaking island that’s a beach and a breathtaking beach that’s an island
- The Jamaican-owned ROK Hotel downtown for a nice dinner
- Hope Gardens for the experience of a beautiful botanical gardens and small zoo
The famous statue in Emancipation Park 
Emancipation Park 
Popcaan and Cham performing at a New Year’s Day Sunrise Breakfast Party 
Mural in downtown Kingston 
Mural in downtown Kingston 
Mural in downtown Kingston 
Doors to the Bob Marley Museum 
At the Bob Marley Museum 
At the Bob Marley Museum 
Maiden Cay 
Heading back to Kingston from Maiden Cay
We also want to give special attention to Port Royal, which was where many enslaved Africans first entered Jamaica in centuries past. This historic site, also previously known as a haven for pirates, was nearly destroyed not once, but twice, by earthquakes – first in 1692 and then in 1907. There’s a lot of history here, including the Giddy House at Fort Charles, which was built in 1888. It’s tilted as a result of the 1907 earthquake, and from a distance, seems pretty unexciting. But it’s called the Giddy House for a reason and despite our best efforts, we simply could not stand up straight while we were inside! You also have to go to Gloria’s for fish while at Port Royal – it’s basically mandatory. You WILL wait…and wait..and wait for your fish (we think they send a fisher out only once you order) but it’s worth it! Most importantly though, the government is apparently working on plans to create a museum here at Port Royal that will illuminate the painful history of slavery and colonialism, and ultimately resistance.
However, our single most recommended activity in Kingston, and in fact in all of Jamaica, is Jamaica Carnival. And yes, we are well aware that we are saying that as middle-aged parents. But that’s the beauty of carnival, it really is for everyone, from 18 to 80. We even debated giving Carnival its own page, but there are other much more knowledgeable people (for example, Lehwego) who can give you much more detailed information. Just know that if you’re in Kingston the week after Easter, you should at least go spectate and ideally participate. Bands like GenXS and Xodus offer beautiful costumes and great all-inclusive experiences that will make you feel stunning and special. (Get your makeup done by Carnival Glam Hub and stockings by Kandi to feel particularly beautiful). These bands offer full breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus all the alcohol you could want – so make sure to be disciplined and don’t overdo it! It’s an all-day blissful experience, that still allows older folks like us to be in bed at a very reasonable hour; what more could you ask for?
The actual day of carnival is one thing, but there are many other events that happen just before and after carnival day that are just as good or arguably even better, like SunNation’s breakfast party (we also recommended their New Year’s Day party above), GenXS J’Ouvert which starts in the early hours of the morning and goes until the sun is up, and SunKissed which is a yacht party that takes you to Maiden Cay. All three of these have given us 10/10 experiences.
Our Kingston Bucket List
Despite how many times we have been to Kingston, we still have some bucket list items here. Although we have been downtown to see the murals, we would love to check out Kingston Creative‘s Art Walk Festival in downtown Kingston which occurs every other last Sunday of the month. Not only is it a chance to see the beautiful street murals by talented local artists, it’s also an opportunity to check out live music and DJs, support local food and art vendors, and just generally support the revitalization of downtown Kingston, which has long been neglected. It’s wonderful to hear downtown being talked about as an emerging art district instead of as somewhere you should avoid.
Jamaica has a global reputation due to its music, beauty, food – and success in track. Yet we still haven’t experienced a track meet in Jamaica. By all accounts, there’s simply no place better in the world to watch track live. We’d love to be there one year for Champs which is the national high school track and field championships. It sounds strange to be excited at the thought of watching high school athletes, but Champs is a BIG deal (tens of thousands of very enthusiastic people attend each year) and is where virtually all Jamaican Olympians come from. Hopefully international track events will also start to take place in Kingston; it only makes sense.
Jamaica travels 
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