Ever since Errol cavorted here with his Hollywood pals in the 1930s and’ 40s, travelers have regarded Jamaica as one of the most alluring of the Caribbean islands. lts beaches, mountains and carnal red sunsets regularly appear in tourist brochures promising paradise. Jamaica has a diversity that few other Caribbean islands can claim. Stray from the north coast resorts, and you’ll discover radically different environments and terrain. Or throw yourself into the thick of the island’s life and experience the three Rs: reggae, reefers and rum.

May to November, drink the off-season

Spending the day in Alligator Pond, a deep blue bay backed by dunes Clambering up tiers of limestone to get to Dunn’s River Falls, which tumble down to the beach in a series of cascades and pools Hiking in the Blue Mountains Taking a helicopter excursion over the dramatic sculpted limestone plateau of Cockpit Country Surfing at Long Bay in the northeast-a northeast-a crescent-shaped bay with rose-coloured sand and deep turquoise waters

Read Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea, a sultry tale post-emancipation Jamaica

Listen to undisputed king of reggae Bob Marley and early pioneer of ska Tommy McCook

Watch Bob Marley: Time Will Tell, a documentary about bob Marley- the Wailers

Eat jerk (meat smothered in tongue-searing marinade, and barbecued slowly in an outdoor pit over a fire of pimento wood, which gives the meat its distinctive flavour)

Drink the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee or try a skyjuice, a cool drink made from shaved ice flavoured with syrup

Evert’ing cool, mon? (a common greeting much like ‘how are you?’)

Reggae, reefers and rum; Bob marley; Rastafarianism; Kingston; palm-fringed beaches

The national motto of Jamaica is ‘Out of Many, One People’; once the major celebration on the slave calendar, Jonkanoo is a Christmas selebration in which revelers parade through the streets dressed in masquerade

Jamaicans’ sarcastic and sardonic wit is legendary. The deprecating humour has evolved as an escape valve that hides true feelings… Often Jamaican wit is laced with sexual undertones. Jamaicans like to make fun of others, often in the most subtle yet no-punches-pulled way, but they accept being the source of similar humour in good grace. Lndividual faults and physical abnormalities inspire many a knee-slapping jibe.