Jamaica

At a Glance

Jamaica is a Caribbean island of volcanic mountains, waterfalls, white-sand beaches, and a cultural output that has influenced the world far beyond its size, from reggae and rastafari philosophy to rum and jerk cuisine. The people have a directness and expressiveness that is part of the island's character, and the music is everywhere, not as a performance for tourists but as a way of life. Those who want more than a beach will find layers of culture and landscape well worth exploring.

• Produces world-record sprinters at a per-capita rate that dwarfs far larger nations.
• Birthplace of reggae, ska, dancehall, and Rastafarianism — outsized cultural reach for a small island.
• Blue Mountain coffee grows only in a tiny mountain region — among the world's most geographically limited.
• Jamaican Patois is the native tongue — English is official, but locals speaking to each other are often unintelligible to outsiders.