Treasure Beach is the quiet side of Jamaica. It sits on the south coast in Saint Elizabeth, across the island from the resorts of Montego Bay, Negril and Ocho Rios, and it feels like a different country.
What it looks like
Four fishing coves – Billy’s Bay, Frenchman’s Bay, Calabash Bay and Great Pedro Bay – strung along about six miles of coastline. Fishing boats pulled up on the sand. Cattle in the fields behind. The Santa Cruz Mountains rising inland.
The sand here is darker and coarser than the powder-white of the north coast, and the sea has more movement. It is a working coastline rather than a manicured one, and that is most of its appeal.
What it feels like
Slow. There are no resorts, no cruise passengers, and no one selling braids or boat trips along the sand. Most businesses are family-run and a great many visitors are returning ones.
People greet each other on the road, and they will greet you, without wanting anything. That is simply how it works here.
What there is to do
Not a great deal, deliberately. Swimming, walking, reading, eating well, and day trips to Pelican Bar, Black River, YS Falls and Lovers Leap.
The village centre has a handful of bars and restaurants. Jack Sprat in Calabash Bay is the best known. Nightlife beyond that is sitting outside with a Red Stripe.
Every other year Treasure Beach hosts the Calabash International Literary Festival, which fills every bed in the area.
Who it suits
You will like it if you want quiet, authenticity, good food and a beach you do not have to share.
You will not if you want nightlife, shopping, white sand or a short transfer from the airport. Those things exist in Jamaica, on the other coast.
Read our full guide to Treasure Beach.