Special-Interest Vacations

For the traveler who likes to spice up a holiday with some more vigorous activity, Jamaica offers a number of quality options to entice you away from the beach.

Biking

Some of the best bike tours in Jamaica are offered in Negril at Rusty's X-cellent Adventures (tel. 876/957-0155; http://rusty.nyws.com).

Note that bike repair shops are almost nonexistent. Take along a repair kit if you plan to do some solo cycling.

Golf

Jamaica has the best golf courses in the West Indies, with Montego Bay sporting the best championship links.

The Cinnamon Hill course at Rose Hall Resort & Country Club (tel. 876/953-2650; www.rosehallresort.com) is ranked among the top-five golf courses in the world by some; it's an unusual and challenging seaside and mountain course.

Golf at Half Moon (tel. 876/953-2211; www.halfmoongolf.com) at the Half Moon Resort features a championship course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Ironshore Golf & Country Club (tel. 876/953-2800) is another good course in Montego Bay.

On the North Shore are SuperClubs' Runaway Golf Club (tel. 876/973-7319; www.superclubs.com) at Runaway Bay and Sandals Golf & Country Club (tel. 876/975-0119; www.sandals.com) at Ocho Rios.

In Mandeville, the Manchester Country Club, Brumalia Road (tel. 876/962-2403), is Jamaica's oldest golf course, recently expanded from 9 to 18 holes. Beautiful vistas unfold 660m (2,200 ft.) above sea level.

Hiking

Because of possible dangers involved, it's often best to go on an organized tour, the best of which are offered by Sun Venture Tours, 30 Balmoral Ave., Kingston, Jamaica W.I. (tel. 876/960-6685; www.sunventuretours.com).

Besides the high Blue Mountains, where Sun Venture goes, another great place for hiking is from Port Antonio. You can hike various trails through the Rio Grande Valley; highlights include the 7-hour White River Falls jaunt along the banks of the White River and an easier walk to the Scatter Waterfalls, floating on a bamboo raft across the Rio Grande. The 11km (7-mile) Guava River Trail goes along the Guava River into the heart of the Blue Mountains.

The Maroon Country, near Montego Bay, is also a place of challenging hikes -- though it's best to hire a guide here.

Horseback Riding

The best riding is on the North Shore. Jamaica's most complete equestrian center is Chukka Caribbean Adventures (tel. 876/972-2506; www.chukkacaribbean.com), at Richmond Landovery, less than 6km (4 miles) east of Runaway Bay.

Another good program is offered at Rocky Point Riding Stables (tel. 876/953-2286), Half Moon Club, Rose Hall, Montego Bay, housed in the most beautiful barn and stables in Jamaica.

Scuba Diving

Diving is sometimes offered as part of all-inclusive packages by the island's major hotels. There are also well-maintained facilities independent of the hotels.

Near Montego Bay, Seaworld Resorts (tel. 876/953-2180), at the Cariblue Hotel on Rose Hall Main Road, offers scuba-diving excursions to offshore coral reefs that are among the most spectacular in the Caribbean. There are also PADI-certified dive guides, one dive boat, and all necessary equipment for either inexperienced or certified divers.

Negril is a hotbed of diving. Negril Scuba Centre (tel. 800/818-2963 or 876/957-9641; www.negrilscuba.com), in the Mariner's Negril Beach Club, Norman Manley Boulevard, is the area's most modern, best-equipped scuba facility.

Snorkeling

The offshore reefs bordering the coast at Negril are excellent for snorkeling, many shallow enough to lure the beginner. The shoreline east of Ocho Rios to Galina Point is fringed by a coral reef of rainbow-hued marine life. Most resorts provide snorkeling equipment, but the activity isn't very well organized.

Tennis

All-Jamaica Hardcourt Championships are played in August at the Manchester Country Club, Brumalia Road, P.O. Box 17, Mandeville (tel. 876/962-2403). The courts are open for general play during the rest of the year.

Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Beach & Villa Resort, Main Street, Ocho Rios (tel. 876/974-5691; www.sandals.com), focuses more on tennis than does any other resort in the area. It offers three clay-surface and three hard-surface courts, all lit for nighttime play. Nonresidents must call and make advance arrangements with the manager.

In Montego Bay you'll find excellent tennis facilities at Rose Hall Resort & Country Club, at Rose Hall (tel. 876/953-2650; www.rosehallresort.com); at the Half Moon Resort (tel. 876/953-2211; www.halfmoon.com); and at Tryall Club Jamaica, St. James (tel. 876/956-5660; www.tryallclub.com).