Why a family holiday in this Caribbean paradise is everyone's dream

Family holiday memories last a lifetime, so when choosing your next destination, it's important to pick a place that will appeal to your whole brood.
Do you want to laze on sand as soft as silk while your little ones splash about in azure waters? Are you after an activity-packed experience? Or would you prefer immersion in local life?Whatever you want from a family holiday, the sun-kissed island of Jamaica delivers.
From climbing Dunn's River Falls to taking a boat trip around the spookily bioluminescent waters of Luminous Lagoon or watching the ​​divers at Rick's Cafe, the island nation offers an array of family-friendly experiences.
Throw in age-appropriate restaurants and hotels with plenty of family appeal and it becomes clear that Jamaica is an adventure for children of all ages.
And if you can travel outside of peak season – which runs from December to April, when the northern hemisphere is under the dark blanket of winter – you'll find fewer crowds and much lower price tags too.
It goes without saying that you should take lots of photos – Jamaica is a holiday destination you won't want to forget in a hurry.
Beach bliss
Every Caribbean island has sandy beaches, but none can rival those of Jamaica, which has a stretch of sand for every occasion and character.
At Negril's Seven Mile Beach – actually only four miles long – you can enjoy a gentle stroll on sand the colour of icing sugar, stopping only to take a dip in shallow waters that feel positively bath-like, before joining the crowds at the ever-popular Rick's Cafe.
Here you can watch plucky locals dive off 10m rocks into the impossibly turquoise sea as the sun sets – a spectacular display of reds, oranges and pinks spreading across the sky – with an ice-cold drink in hand.
In Montego Bay, you'll find Doctor's Cave Bathing Club – so called for the water's apparent healing properties. The small admission fee covers the presence of lifeguards while simultaneously ensuring privacy.
East of Montego Bay lies Puerto Seco Beach Club, whose calm, clear waters are ideal for family activities such as snorkelling and paddle-boarding.
Beyond the beach
Jamaica is often written off as a pure beach destination, albeit a brilliant one, but the island offers so much more for visitors.
There are rivers and waterfalls, including Dunn's River Falls near Ocho Rios, where your family can spend an enjoyable day clambering to the top, passing an attractive series of rock pools and cascades en route.
Ocho Rios is also home to Blue Hole, another (less-crowded option) with a similarly picturesque setting, while in St Elizabeth parish on the south coast there's YS Falls – a spectacular series of cascades set against acres of lush vegetation, dotted with shimmering butterflies and limestone cliffs.
There are other magnificent natural wonders too, including the Luminous Lagoon, east of Falmouth, where the water glows as a result of bioluminescence (microscopic organisms that emit light when disturbed).
Every night, tour boats will take you on a ride around the lagoon, pausing to allow you to jump in and swim through the mystical waters.
Jamaica is also the perfect place to quench your family's thirst for adventure. At Mystic Mountain, an amusement park in the hills above Ocho Rios, thrill seekers can fly through the treetops on the Rainforest Zip-Line or embark on a bobsleigh ride – giving you the chance to recreate Cool Runnings, the 1993 film inspired by the team that competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
A feast for the senses
As you explore Jamaica, you'll find restaurants and roadside stalls (all vendors have to be certified, so you can rest assured about the quality of the street food) keen to serve you local delicacies such as ackee and saltfish, spicy patties, sweet plantain and jerk chicken. And, of course, adults will have the chance to sample some of the local rum – the national drink.
For a true taste of the island, make your way to Miss T's Kitchen, an Ocho Rios institution run by Anna-Kay Tomlinson, where dishes like oxtail stew and escovitch – fish cooked with vinegar and allspice – are served on rainbow-coloured tables to a soundtrack of (what else?) reggae. Chances are you'll feel as if you've come home, even if it's your first visit.
Or seek out Scotchies Jerk Centre, a much-loved, no-frills, al fresco restaurant with branches in Montego Bay, Kingston and Ocho Rios that specialises in jerk (of every variety) cooked over pimento wood, plus rum ribs and grilled catch of the day.
If fine dining is more your family's speed, Jamaica has some seriously smart restaurants, including the Houseboat Grill, which, as the name suggests, is a literal houseboat located in the Montego Bay Marine Park Fish Sanctuary.
To reach the restaurant you'll need to take a short ferry ride, but it's worth it for the chance to try chef Rich Nurse's Caribbean fusion menu: think tiger shrimp carbonara with a Scotch bonnet–spiked tomato concassé.
All told, with a family holiday to Jamaica, you're sure to build priceless memories that will last a lifetime.

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