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Neil Curtis is revolutionizing how Jamaica farms. Born to Jamaican parents in the United States, Curtis has always had a deep connection to the island his parents called home, and, as a person of the Jamaican diaspora, he’s wanted to give back to his ancestral homeland in a meaningful way. In 2013, he traveled to […]
Last year, we shared the sad truth that Jamaica’s coral reefs—due to overfishing, coastal pollution and climate change—may disappear within the next 20 years, and the story of one organization working to prevent that outcome. The Oracabessa Fish Sanctuary partnered with a local fishing cooperative to create a no-fishing zone and replenish the coral reefs […]
Photo via Ashley Hyde Travel has a way of changing your life in an impactful way. That’s what happened to Ashley Hyde, who runs one of Jamaica’s most promising new travel companies, Touch the Road Jamaica. In 2011, Connecticut-raised Hyde visited Cape Verde with her college for a program on migrant workers who’d been deported […]
Here in Jamaica we pride ourselves on leading a healthy, natural lifestyle. But Princess—she doesn’t give her last name—takes that mindset to the next level. For nearly 20 years, she’s run a small herbal shop at the Crossroads Market in downtown Kingston, selling natural remedies to maladies from the common cold to stress, anxiety and, […]
“I want to leave behind a legacy,” says Luis Rojas, Pantrepant Farm manager. Rojas came to the farm as an exchange student from Costa Rica’s Earth University, and has spent the last four years helping Island Outpost founder Chris Blackwell manage his farm in Jamaica’s Cockpit Country. Rojas has backed Blackwell’s mission to sustainably grow […]
Mel Tennant came to Jamaica in 2003, purchasing a home overlooking Oracabessa’s Gibraltar Beach, and expecting to enjoy his retirement in tropical quiet. The following year, Tennant observed turtle tracks on Gibraltar Beach for the first time. Further investigation led him to find that most of the adult turtles were either killed and their nests […]
The one dreadful part in every vacation is the moment you realize it’s time to head home. This is especially true when your holiday consists of beaches, dazzling sunsets and practically living in paradise (aka Jamaica). But worry not—we’ve rounded up a list of the best ways to experience Jamaica if you live in North […]
London is one of the most diverse cities in the world. It’s home to global citizens from all over the world—making it a truly international city. It’s also home to more than 800,000 British Jamaicans, those who were born in Jamaica or who are of Jamaican descent. Brixton, a multiethnic community in south London, has […]
It’s the night before your flight, and you’re deciding what you can ditch so your suitcase isn’t overweight. There are some items that you could never leave behind; maybe it’s your sunglasses, or fancy hair products. For Rebecca Rothney, it’s pencils. Rothney was in Kenya and visited a health clinic that did not have a […]
Island Outpost wants you to experience the real Jamaica, the one most tourists don’t see. Beyond the beaches and main roads exists the island’s hidden gems. Venture out, and you might find yourself having a roadside chat with a Rasta, or exchanging a friendly smile from a vendor at Coronation Market. These are the moments […]
It’s 3 am and Emprezz Golding receives a telephone call. It’s her mentee, a young teenage boy she recently took under her wing. He’s in trouble, and doesn’t know who else to call. He doesn’t have a place to stay and needs help. This call isn’t out of the norm for Emprezz. It doesn’t throw […]
When Paint Jamaica founder Marianna Farag, a native of France, first visited Fleet Street in Kingston in 2014, she found herself at a gigantic abandoned warehouse bordering the fence of a local schoolyard. The neighborhood, Parade Gardens, is known to some as an impoverished inner city, and to others it is hardly known at all. […]
Huntington Beach, California. Bondi Beach, Sydney. Hanalei Bay, Kauai. If you’re a surfer, you know these beaches well. But did you know there are killer waves right here in Kingston? Jamaica’s beaches along the north and south coast have perfect surfing conditions for eight months out of the year, largely due to wind swells from […]
You may not have heard of The Alpha Boys’ School in Kingston, but you’ve probably heard music that wouldn’t exist without it. Many great Reggae and Ska artists (such as reggae deejay Yellowman and legendary Ska group, the Skatalites) went to the esteemed music school. Another name you need to know? Sister Mary Ignatius Davis—the […]
Homes and buildings all over Kingston are brightly painted and adorned with pictures of Jamaican icons and smiling children. These murals, often political messages of unity and peace, have turned Kingston into one big, beautiful art project. Outpostings took to the streets to capture the powerful art on the homes, stores, walls and benches of […]
