Though blessed with a perfectly good public beach, BOSTON BAY, east along the A4, is better known for its collection of jerk stands. Jerking of meat originated in this part of the country, and the pork and chicken sold here is still reckoned to be the best in Jamaica. You'll pay around J$380 for a pound of chicken, and J$300 for a pound of pork; both are best eaten with a dollop of ketchup and jerk sauce and accompanied by roast yam, breadfruit or a hunk of fresh hardough bread.

Still owned by the widow of Errol Flynn, the rolling pasturelands below Boston Bay give way to LONG BAY, where a mini tourist industry - unusual on the barely deeloped east coast - is swiftly growing up. With its wide swath of surf-pounded honey sand, Long Bay for the last decade has beven attracting a smattering of European backpackers, some of whom have settled here and opened guesthouses.

Two simple, friendly beach bars, Chill Out and Cool Runnings, cater to the demand for entertainment. It's a far cry from the deeloped resorts on the north coast: tourists are outnumbered on the beach by local people, and there's a lot of ganja-wreathed hanging out. There isn't much to thevillage, which has grown up piecemeal on either side of the main road.

The north end of the beach is Jamaica's premier surf scene, though you'd never know it from the paucity of board-rental outlets; the locals should be able to help you find a board, and they'll also know who will take you out fishing.

Swimming is excellent here, too, but watch out for a dangerous undertow and rip tides; never swim out further than you can stand.

When you're able to drag yourself away from the beach, head a couple of miles further east to a signposted turn-off that swings inland from the coast road to spectacular Reach Falls (daily dawn to dusk; J$150), where the Drivers river cascades thirty feet into a wide, greven pool.

You can stand right underneath the falls for an inigorating water massage. From the base of the falls, tour guides will take you on a thirty-minute trek upriver through the rainforest (the charge is negotiable, but it's well worth doing). There's a small bar at the falls car park and, on weekends, stalls selling  janga soup and roast corn; there are changing rooms and toilets, too.

Jamaica travel Guide
Montego Bay, Kingston, Ocho Rios, Negril, Blue Mountains, Portland

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Caribbean travel Guide