Negril Cliff Diving

If you’ve ever known anyone who’s gone to Jamaica, particularly Negril, then you’ve no doubt heard of Ricks Cafe. It’s a world famous attraction and is visited by hundreds of tourists every day. Even I’ll admit on one of my 7-day trips I went to Ricks five of those days. (Okay yes, my son had a lot to do with that!)

Ricks Cafe is located on West End Road in the cliffs of Negril, and its claim to fame is the cliff diving in the daytime, spectacular sunsets at dusk, and live reggae music after dark. It’s also a full restaurant and bar. But by far, the most entertaining thing at Rick’s is the local cliff divers who work there. They aren?t employed by Rick’s so they earn their living on tips from the tourists who want to see them do their tricks.

The divers who work there spend every day pulling off every dive imaginable, from perfectly executed athletic dives, to cannonball style jumps. The divers perform a LOT better than the tourists who attempt the jumps! Everyone is welcome to jump at Ricks. My son who was eleven his first time was addicted to it. I lost count of how many times he jumped.

The highest diving point is about 40 feet, with several lower points to jump from as well. A few of the locals jump from a tree that’s about 25 feet higher than the highest platform! It’s a lot of fun to watch and the more you tip the better the show.

On September 11, 2004 hurricane Ivan ripped through Jamaica and destroyed Ricks Cafe as I knew it. I liked the way it was before the hurricane. It took some time to rebuild after it was destroyed and they brought it back bigger and better. I personally like smaller, more quaint entertainment but tourism is the name of the game in Jamaica and it can now accommodate more people with better attractions. The new swimming pool is a nice touch though, you can cool off without having to jump off a cliff.

There’s something for everyone at Ricks Cafe. You can dine and drink, dive, swim, shower, watch the sun set, take phenomenal pictures, dance or relax. You can get there by taxi to the west end or by booze cruise in the ocean. If you go to Negril you will definitely go to Ricks. Bring your swimsuit!!

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