Region

Surrey County

Base in Kingston or Port Antonio; treat the Blue Mountains and Morant Bay as day-trips, not hotel changes.

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Key facts · Jamaica

Best months: Dec–Mar
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Jamaican dollar
Language: English (official)
Plugs: A · B · 110 V
Time zone: UTC−5 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 7Several islands (Turks and Caicos above all, also the Bah…

Caribbean ↗Several islands (Turks and Caicos above all, also the Bahamas and Jamaica) jail visitors for a single stray bullet or cartridge in their luggage; empty every bag and pocket before you pack.
Caribbean ↗From August to October keep a free last day before your flight home and check the national hurricane centre daily; airports close when a named storm approaches.
Caribbean ↗Wearing camouflage clothing is illegal for civilians in several islands, including Barbados, Antigua, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Grenada, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica; leave it at home, children's clothes included.
Jamaica ↗Check entry rules for your passport on Jamaica's Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) site before you fly.
Jamaica ↗Cannabis rules are limited and specific: possession above small amounts is illegal, and taking any cannabis out of Jamaica is a serious offence.
Jamaica ↗Use licensed taxis (red PPV number plates) or pre-booked transfers, not unmarked cars.
Jamaica ↗After Hurricane Melissa, confirm directly with hotels, tour operators and attractions in Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Hanover, St James and Trelawny that they are open before you pay; some reopen only in late 2026.

Surrey County is Jamaica's eastern third: the Blue Mountains, the Kingston plain, the Portland coast and the rural south-east. Roads are slow and mountain drives take longer than the map suggests, so pick one base and day-trip the rest. Kingston covers city, music and mountain access; Port Antonio covers rafting, bays and Reach Falls.

Sleep

Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it

Where to sleep

4 places in this region

Sleep base

KingstonTrip line
Museums, music, food, and the gateway to the Blue Mountains.
Best Dec–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Kingston →
Port AntonioPlanned
Rafting on the Rio Grande, Frenchman's Cove, Reach Falls access.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.

Day trip

Blue MountainsPlanned
Coffee farms and hiking; sleep up there only if you want a sunrise start.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Morant BayPlanned
South-east coast history and market town; half a day.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.

Night sequences

4 nights: Kingston 3 + Port Antonio 1 (or reverse)
6 nights: Kingston 3 + Blue Mountains 1 + Port Antonio 2

Kingston + Blue Mountains + Port Antonio + Morant Bay in 3 days is mostly driving.
Hurricane season runs Jun–Nov; check hotel reopening status in 2026 after Hurricane Melissa.
Some rural roads flood or wash out in heavy rain — ask locally before setting out.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Blue Mountains	Kingston	90 min	unknown	Start early; cloud builds by midday and the road is slow.
Morant Bay	Kingston	75 min	unknown	Half-day trip; check road conditions after heavy rain.
Reach Falls	Port Antonio	75 min	unknown	Guided entry only; go in the morning and bring water shoes.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding; pack for the mountain stay and leave the rest at your Kingston or Port Antonio hotel.

When and how

Months, arrival and passes

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Kingston	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	×	×	×	ok	go
Jamaica (country-wide)	go	go	go	go	ok	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Kingston and the south coastKingston plain, Morant Bay	best	best	best	ok	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	best
Portland and the Blue MountainsPort Antonio, mountain slopes	best	best	best	ok	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	best

best: dry, mildok: workablewet: daily rain

Kingston and the south coast: Hot year-round; May–Oct is the wet season and also hurricane season. Kingston sits in a rain shadow, so it is drier than the north coast.
Portland and the Blue Mountains: The wettest part of Jamaica; the mountains catch the trade winds. Cooler at altitude — bring a layer for early starts.

Best months are Dec–Apr: drier roads, cooler hiking and the clearest mountain views. Crowds and prices peak around Christmas and Easter.

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Norman Manley International (KIN), Kingston	Kingston	Taxi or hotel transfer	~30–45 min	The main airport for Surrey County; no rail. Agree the fare before you get in.
Ian Fleming International (OCJ)	Port Antonio	Taxi or pre-booked transfer	~90 min	Small airport near Ocho Rios; limited flights — check schedules.
Montego Bay (MBJ)	Kingston	Domestic flight or road transfer	~30 min flight / 4–5 h road	Road transfers cross the island; the flight is the faster option if it fits.
Kingston	Port Antonio	Road via the A4	~2 h 30	Slow, winding in places; allow more in rain.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Rental car

check

Useful for Portland and the south-east; not needed in Kingston. Left-hand driving and potholes — check insurance terms.

Route taxis and minibuses

buy

Cheap and frequent on main routes; crowded and slow. Not practical for the Blue Mountains.

Hired driver for the day

buy

The sensible option for Blue Mountains coffee farms and Reach Falls; agree the price and hours up front.

Eat and move on

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Jerk chicken and jerk pork	Boston Bay and Portland roadside pits	Boston Bay is the island's jerk heartland; eat early, stalls sell out. Ask for the heat level.
Ackee and saltfish	Kingston and Morant Bay	The national breakfast; ackee is a fruit cooked as a vegetable.
Curry goat	Kingston	Often served with rice and peas; lunch portions are the value play.
Blue Mountain coffee	Blue Mountains farms	Buy from a farm or licensed seller; roadside 'Blue Mountain' bags are often blends.
Fish and bammy	Port Antonio and the south-east coast	Fried or steamed snapper with cassava flatbread.

Go next

Kingston and the Blue Mountains

From Kingston

City, music and mountain hiking in one base.

Kingston

From KIN airport

The main city base for Surrey County.

Cornwall County

planned

Road west via Montego Bay

Negril and the western coast.

Middlesex County

planned

Road west via Ocho Rios

Ocho Rios, St Ann and the centre of the island.

Open Jamaica Up to Jamaica

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Sources

officialJamaica Tourist Board
officialJamaica Information Service
officialNorman Manley International Airport
secondaryOpenStreetMap
secondaryWikivoyage: Surrey County, revision 3696997 (CC BY-SA 4.0)