Jamaica Tours, Guides and Vacations

Finding vacation beach rentals or just simply a room in Negril is easy enough but finding a cool spot to chill by the beach at an affordable rate year round is a trick unless of course you know Joseph at Westport Cottages right on Norman Manley Blvd. If you know about his international hostel and affordable beach accommodations just across the street from Negril Beach then you know where to go for one of the best values in an inexpensive room in Negril.

Budget travelers from around the world call Westport home during their stay in Jamaica and many have returned annually for many years. Some are simple backpackers looking for a cheap room near the beach for the night but many others are long term guests visiting Jamaica and the Negril area for a month or more. Still others are simply budget conscious vacationers looking for quick easy access the the world famous 7 Mile Negril Beach with it’s pristine white sand , crystal blue seas and year round sunshine.

No matter where they are from I have met some of the most interesting people while staying at Westport Cottages and it seems something about the place attracts an eclectic if not fun crowd of guests to get to know. The place is quiet and clean with daily room preps from none other than “Sista” the head of housekeeping and grounds care. She’s a kind honest woman who makes sure you sleep on clean sheets and a well kept room.

The rooms are rather basic and just what you need if you plan on spending most of your time actually visiting Negril and the beach. If you looking for a plush air conditioned place with tv and lots of other stuff then look elsewhere. If you are looking for an inexpensive beach rental nearby Negril Beach with a laid back and super cool atmosphere then call Joseph at Westport Cottages or use the Contact Us page for more details on where to stay in Negril Beach.

Rooms for rent in Negril Beach at Westport Cottages

Shared kitchen area at Westport Cottages

It’s worth mentioning that we’re staying at the Heartbeat Resort here in Negril Jamaica for long term. We were able to negotiate a very fair monthly rate and we’ll most likely stay right here at least until December anyway and most likely well into next year also. I’m hopeful that we’ll find our own place sometime next year but for now it’s nice to have a stable place and Heartbeat seems like a great choice to us. It’s great having a place to call home and being able to actually unpack and live in a place is better for us as a family I’m certain. The kids are very comfortable here and they have a nice group of local children to play with. It’s been a lot of fun for the kids and parents as well as we have enjoyed having them over to share and play with.

We’re located at the beginning of the cliffs basically and have the advantage of not only the cliffs to enjoy but easy sea access from the small nearby beach. Finding long term apartment rentals in Jamaica is actually fairly easy. All I had to do was ask around and I found that places like TheLTU and Westport Cottages offer great monthly rates for not only summer but even during season as well. You’ll need to contact a few places to determine what you like or you can Contact Us and we’ll be glad to ask around or take a look at any place in the area for you. Need some pics of a place? Hey why not? I’ll be glad to drop in and shoot some shots of any resort or vacation accommodation in Negril. Either way finding an affordable long term rental unit in Negril or Jamaica in general is very easy if you have time to hunt them down and do the research.

This is our view from the front porch on the first morning in Jamaica. We’ve been in Negril for just over ten days now and it’s time I got some new photos and stuff up. These would be some of our first pictures here in Negril. It’s summer time of course and although the sun is hot the city life is pretty quiet. Not many tourists in town for the heat of summer so things are extra slow right now. Often times we find ourselves the only patrons of an establishment and some times they open up just for us. There is a good and a bad to that in that we are met by friendly faces but times are tough and everyone wants to make something from us.

We’ve gotten used to it quickly and a firm “No Thank You” covers almost everything. We got beat over a few meals because we didn’t think to ask about the price before we ordered some places. They’ll hit you hard at the end if they can and don’t be embarrassed to negotiate any check handed you. Times are tough all over and my money is best kept in my pocket. Jamaicans actually appreciate a good barter but have no love for a cheap person. If you can’t settle a deal they will probably curse you for wasting their time as if it were more valuable then yours.

Negril Beach in the summer is a beautiful thing and the sun shines down on us all day long here. The beach and water are our favorite spots so far and it’s been a lot of relaxing and chilling in the sun for us since our arrival. We’re slowly moving out and about and I have loads of more stuff to post about but a big part of our stay was the water fun for the kids. Our room at Heartbeat in Negril has an awesome view and the easy access to the beach and seas makes snorkel trips and frolicking in the water an easy activity for us all.

Our room does not have direct beach access and we are not on the famous Negril Beach. We’re currently at the base of the Cliffs of Negril and about a 2 minute cab ride at $150JA for the four of us. We do have a beach we can use that suits us just fine and it’s been a lot of fun for the kids to spend hours playing with some of the local boys on the beach. It’s behind a restaurant that seems more a late night bar but the day time crew at “On The Rocks” has been great. The beach here at Heartbeat is great but we much prefer the Negril Beach for a nicer cleaner beach with more activity and things to see. This beach is not maintained and some odd things are washed up on shore.

A Picture Perfect Day at Heartbeat in Negril Jamaica

One of the best things about Jamaica is all the natural beauty around us. On our 3rd morning in I got up a it earlier than usual and was able to catch a great Sunrise from the rocks outside our room. I was able to get a decent shot of the sun rising over the Negril Beach with the Mountains in the background that was just an awe inspiring thing to witness live. No camera can do the colors any justice and my amateur photography is not up to the task yet. I’m still learning the new camera and whats best to use in conditions like this but man it was worth waking up early thats for sure. It turned out to be a picture perfect day. I caught the sunrise, a trip to the beach for some fun in the sun with the kids, some beautiful snorkeling along the coast of Negril after a fabulous lunch of local cuisine and ended the day with a perfect Sunset from the vantage point of our room and the porch out front.

After the sunrise and a likkle brekfast we ran down to Negril Beach so the family could finally see the famous beach. It was pretty hot and we had things to do like hit the Hi Lo so we we’re not there very long. After the trip to Hi Lo we decided to have lunch at Jennys Restaurant just up the road from us as no one wanted to cook or wait for something to be cooked. We took the Brown Stew Chicken because it was ready and we wanted to try it. It’s become a favorite meal especially for the low price of $200JA per plate. A full meal consists of healthy portion of chicken served with rice and peas, cabbage and vegetables. My review of Jennys comes soon.

Later in the day the kids hit the beach and dad did a little snorkeling off up the coast and around the rocks near the hotel. The water s great and the kids are taking to the sun and sea better than expected. They both have a few extra bite marks from the bugs but we’re controlling it. The beach is close by and easy for them to swim and me to explore while still watching them. This is nearly the same spot as the sunrise pictures but looking back towards the beach.

The sea life around Negril is awesome and the short dive I took on our third day was great. The biodiversity near shore is still strong although I was disappointed in the number of game fish to be found. There are tons of tropical fish of all flavors and the pictures above are a small sample of the underwater photos I have been able to take. I’ve see a lot of things on snorkel trips around the cliffs here in Negril and I’m looking forward to taking the camera on some bigger dive trips as we go further off coast and into some deeper waters on a glass bottom boat soon. Their seem to be loads of juvenile tropical fish in the area with lots of small butterfly and other damsels. I was surprised to see a few Rock Beauty Angels and a Juvenile Queen Angel but my shots on those are shoddy. I need a weight belt for better motion control and shot consistency.

Juvenile French Angel off the coast of Negril Jamaica

Juvenile Banded Butterfly Fish

Pair of Banded Coral Shrimp

Large Snail off Negril Jamaica

I took a little nap during the afternoon showers which are very common here in Negril. It was nice to wake up to a cool refreshing breeze whipping through our room as it raced in from the ocean in front of us. The ocean breeze is really nice when we have it. Right now it’s hotter then heck in my room tonight as I type this blog post. It’s 11PM and about 85 C and I’m sweating like a pig in my bed. Theres a decent breeze tonight so I bust open the windows and hope for no mosquitoes. The afternoon showers make for some great cloud formations and leads into a perfect sunset and an end to a perfect day.

It looks like we’re falling in love with Negril Jamaica and I thinks Heartbeat has someting to do wit dat mon. A far I concerned we cyan stay here f’ever.