Things To Do in Runaway Bay

Visit this family-run snack stop to taste some of the best fried chicken in town – served, of course, with lashings of local allspice sauce. If you can resist the chicken, the dish of oxtail and dumplings is also well worth tucking into. You can eat in among the brightly-tiled walls and Formica tables, or order your food to go and have it picnic-style on the beach.

This third-floor rooftop bar comes with six flat-screen TVs and a swimming pool. It’s the sort of place where locals and visitors hang out, swaying to the sound of live reggae bands and repeat ordering the secretly-concocted house cocktails. Apparently, you shouldn’t leave without trying the infamous Eruption.

Edged by shade-giving palms on one side and gentle Caribbean waves on the other, Cardiff Hall Beach is a broad strip of soft, clean, uncluttered white sand. You’ll never hear the droning of jet-skis here – just the odd splash of a snorkeller nosing round the coral reefs metres from the shore. And there’s a beach bar here that serves up Jamaican snacks by day and live reggae music after sunset.

It’d be a shame to leave the island without stocking up on Jamaica’s finest exports – rum and Blue Mountain coffee. The cheapest place to buy them is in the local grocery stores, where you’ll pay even less than you would in duty-free. And if you’re loving the reggae music here, you can pick up cheap CDs from the pop-up stalls dotted about town.

With its clear waters and close-to-shore coral reefs, it’s no surprise that Runaway Bay is a scuba diving hotspot. You can hire equipment and instructors from the bigger hotels in town, even if you’re not staying there. If you’re a beginner diver, Shallow Reef is a good place to start – lobsters, octopuses and starfish all call its nooks and crannies home.

If you’re looking for a chilled night out, it’s hard to beat sipping a rum cocktail over a chat with the locals in one of Runaway Bay’s open-fronted beach bars. Wherever you go, you’re sure to have a whole rack of Jamaican rums to choose from. For a local cocktail, try a Northside Special – Myer’s Rum served long with orange juice, fresh lemon and sugar.

The seafront is Runaway Bay’s main eating-out hub. You’ll get international favourites like burger and fries, but you’d be missing a treat if you didn’t try some of the Jamaican specialities that you’ll find on most menus. Curried goat is a classic, often served with a generous helping of rice and peas. For dessert, try the sweet potato pudding – a bit like pumpkin pie, but, well, sweeter.