We traveled to the Blue Hole in Jamaica in June and despite the occasional tropical rainstorm, it was one of the best trips my husband and I have ever gone on together. The people are incredible, the scenery is magic and the Blue Hole is an excursion you can’t skip on your next Jamaican adventure.
5 Things that surprised me about the Blue Hole In Jamaica
1. The Travel time and Cost from Montego Bay
We traveled to the Blue Hole as part of a day-long excursion to Ochos Rios Jamaica. Our Resort was in Montego Bay Jamaica, and luckily for us, the car ride was just over an hour. We hired a private driver and the cost for the day for four people was about $100 and we went on several excursions during our week-long trip including the Dunn’s River, Blue Lagoon , bamboo river raft tour, and parasailing. But we did the Dunn’s River, Blue Lagoon, and Blue Hole all in one day! I couldn’t believe we could negotiate a private driver for an entire day for just $100.
I would encourage you to look at my Travel series in my blog to see several of the destinations we visited while in Ochos Rios, Jamaica.
Although we went on several excursions.. the Blue Hole “Jamaika” was my favorite. (No that wasn’t a typo… that was me doing my best to show you how the locals really emphasized that last “ka” in Jamaika. I promise I will only write it like that once or twice more hehe!)
2. The Weather
We were so surprised that the Blue Hole is open rain OR shine… literally. The rain was pouring down on our drive up! In fact, it rained so hard that I strongly reconsider skipping this leg of the trip. I thought, “there is no way we will be jumping off these rocks in this weather.” But we did! And the rain made it feel like a scene from a movie.
I would highly recommend a visit to the Blue Hole in Jamaica rain or shine. Check out our YouTube review below to see our raining wet adventure at the Blue Hole Jamiaka Mon! (<- That will be the last time LOL!)
3. The Accessibility
The photos of the Blue Hole are just spectacular! But there was a little tiny bit of me that was terrified. How in the world would I ever have the guts to jump from the top of a waterfall into an unknown depth of water?
The answer is simple, you don’t’ have to! There are several different heights and depths throughout the Blue Hole in Jamaica. In fact, the tour began with a baby jump where you could literally just step into about a six-foot-wide and about 7 feet deep “puddle.” (Check out the YouTube video to see what I mean.) This first jump was the perfect toe-dip into what would later be an epic adventure. But if you decided after jumping into the puddle that you had enough adventure for a day, there were ropes and walkways that would safely guide you down.
And if you are looking for a middle ground somewhere between jumping from the top of the cliff and a few steps up from the puddle, there were options to jump off a man-made platform (the option I chose) and it gave me just the endorphin rush I needed. But if you are open to jumping from the top of the world into the water… well that, of course, is available to you too.
4. The Patience of the Guide
One could only imagine that the Blue Hole tour guides literally go up and down the rocks of the Blue Whole hundreds of times a day. Our guide Jullian had the confidence of someone who went down a million times, the passion of someone who only goes down once a lifetime, but the patience of someone who literally only had one tour the entire day.
I was so humbled and thrilled as he patiently offered his hand in between rocks, and detoured away from more treacherous jumps based on our body language and his willingness to circle back to the steeper jumps as we gained more confidence. If you are someone is lives life on the side of caution then I think you will also be pleasantly surprised.
5. The FUN!
We traveled to the Blue Hole in Jamaica with a honeymooning couple and they were so much fun! But the scenery and magic of the blue hole are really what took our breath away. If you are only going to one excursion during your trip to Jamaica you absolutely can not skip the Blue Hole!
7 Things you will need for your trip to the Blue Hole in Jamaica
Camera Gear
- Go Pro– The new go pros have a viewfinder on them which makes them the perfect camera to take with you on a trip the Blue Hole. They are waterproof by default so it was fun to take these inside the water caves and down the falls as we jumped down the cliffs. A GoPro is less expensive yet more durable than a cell phone so it makes it a great companion on this Jamaican water excursion.
- Floating selfie stick: Although the GoPro is a must-have camera for this trip. If you don’t’ also buy a floating selfie stick then you will absolutely regret it! These are priced under $20 and such a great investment. Not only do they extend your reach for nailing the perfect shot, but they also prevent your GoPro from sinking down to the bottom of the lake, which would be such a buzz kill. You can test the buoyancy in your sink or a tub if you don’t believe me, but trust me this is a must-have accessory and we take it on every trip!
Clothing & Wardrobe Essentials
- Water Shoes: You can certainly go down the waterfalls without shoes, but I would not recommend it. Having a strong grip on the ground allows for greater confidence as you explore. I linked a few options (both male and female) below. My husband prefers the sportier look and I actually prefer the tan strapped ones. The velcro and design allow for them to stay put even with strong water pressure. And the tan color makes them virtually disappear in photos.
- Towel: We almost forget to pack a towel for this trip. So you may want to start by packing that first. There are no towels at the Blue Hole at although the temperature in Jamaica is relatively tropical no one wants to hop in a car soaking wet.
- Change of Clothes: We did not pack a change of clothes but afterward I do wish we would have. It doesn’t take much effort to put a change of shorts and shirt in a backpack so trust me, just do it!
Bonus Items
- Snacks: I underestimated the appetite that jumping off a cliff several times would create. This is another lesson that I am sharing that I gained from retrospect. I would strongly advise that you pack a granola bar at the least because I was ready to EAT after this trip!
- Bonus- Don’t forget to ask your guide to take videos from his vantage point if possible. Most are super willing and the video footage is a priceless and FREE souvenir.
I would love to hear your questions about the Blue Hole in the comments. And if you go and share your pictures on Instagram please tag me so I can go again via your adventure!
Thanks for reading this blog and see you on our next adventure!
xo- Chantea
