Discover the Dreamy Beauty of Jamaica’s Beaches, Mountains and Plant Life in These Captivating Pictures

A photographer’s trip to the island yields images that showcase its stunning terrain and vibrant culture

A portion of the Caribbean Sea washes ashore in Kingston
A portion of the Caribbean Sea washes ashore in Kingston, Jamaica Leah L. Jones

Jamaica has over 600 miles of coastline. It has mountains, streams, woods, valleys, waterfalls and cliffs, and stunning views of deep water. Last month, I visited the island, and at night, I saw the Big Dipper. I hadn’t seen it in years, and it was so clear and vibrant that it felt almost within reach.

On my trip, I captured images of Jamaica using expired 35-millimeter film. Some of the film was cross-processed, which gave the photos a blue cast. With expired film, you never know what you will get. Sometimes it gives photos a dreamlike mood that I love. That dreamy atmosphere is what I hope is present in these pictures from Jamaica, just as it was in reality.

My first trip to Jamaica, in 2004, was one of wonder. I couldn’t remember ever breathing in air so fresh before then; it wrapped around me like an embrace. As an outsider going to other people’s homes, I think about the times when beauty is mentioned in relation to those places, especially to those born and raised there. Jamaica is a tourist destination, yes, but it has its own world-famous and iconic culture, from its food to its music, and its people have their own ideas about where the beauty resides in their country. So, on this latest trip, I wanted insights on the island’s beauty from a hometown perspective. 

“It’s a freedom of living that can’t be explained,” says Loxley O’Connor, a reverend born in Jamaica who now lives in the United States. “It’s just a vibe.” He says that in Jamaica, beauty is found in the simplest things, like picking and eating fruit from a tree. 

I found beauty in the cities and in the countryside. I found beauty in the taste of ackee and saltfish and in the lyrics of the song “Smile Jamaica” by Chronixx as it played around me. Two young nail technicians I met on the island told me that beauty is in the people, too, from the clothes they wear to how they style their hair.

When Bryan Miller, a Jamaican-born researcher in New York City, considers the beauty of Jamaica, what comes to mind for him is the land and its nature. He recalls it “being untouched, being naturally created,” he says. He thinks of Dunn’s River Falls, Green Grotto Caves full of limestone and the Blue Mountains. The town of Oracabessa especially stands out to him. “Oracabessa is the prettiest area of Jamaica,” Miller says. The town’s name comes from the Spanish words for “golden head,” he says, because when the Spanish colonized Jamaica and went into the hills and viewed the sunsets there, “it looked like gold.”

Lifeguard tower overlooking Mahee Bay beach
A view of the beach while the lifeguard tower sits empty overlooking Mahee Bay in Montego Bay, Jamaica Leah L. Jones
A bougainvillea vine, Montego Bay
A bougainvillea vine in Montego Bay Leah L. Jones
Bob Marley statue in Jamaica
A statue depicts music legend Bob Marley pointing toward the sky at the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston Leah L. Jones
Sign that reads “Please be Careful of Falling Mangoes”
A sign in the yard of the Bob Marley Museum reads: “Please be careful of falling mangoes”  Leah L. Jones
A mural with the lyrics to one Bob Marley's hit songs, "Three Little Birds"
A mural with the lyrics to one Bob Marley's hit songs, "Three Little Birds," on the exterior of the Bob Marley Museum Leah L. Jones
A man rides his bike down along the T3 road
A cyclist travels along the T3 road near Jamaica's Moneague area Leah L. Jones
A cactus grows near Jamaica's Norman Manley Highway
A cactus grows near Jamaica's Norman Manley Highway  Leah L. Jones
Two beef patties in Montego Bay Jamaica
Two beef patties from Juici Patties in Montego Bay Leah L. Jones
Chicken cooking on an open grill
Chicken cooks on an open grill at Scotchies restaurant in Montego Bay Leah L. Jones
A seafood curry dish in Montego Bay Jamaica
A dish from Tracks & Records, a restaurant in Montego Bay co-founded by the iconic Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt Leah L. Jones
The road along Edward Seaga Highway
The road along Jamaica's Edward Seaga Highway Leah L. Jones
Clouds and hills surround Harbor Head in Kingston
The mountains near the harbor in Kingston Leah L. Jones
A stretch of Jamaica's Palisadoes Road
A stretch of Jamaica's Palisadoes Road Leah L. Jones
A canal looking out to Mahee Bay
A canal leading to Mahee Bay Leah L. Jones
My aunt looking over merchandise
My aunt looking over merchandise in Montego Bay before purchasing trinkets to take home to loved ones Leah L. Jones
The view of hills covered with trees
A view of hills as the sun goes down near Edward Seaga Highway Leah L. Jones
The skies over a stretch of land along Edward Seaga Highway
The skies over a stretch of land along Edward Seaga Highway Leah L. Jones

Leah L. Jones is lead photographer at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

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