When you're on vacation, sometimes the sense of adventure becomes compelling, sometimes to the point of doing things that ordinarily would seem life threatening. Say, jumping off a cliff 30-feet above the ocean while hundreds of onlookers cheer you on.
Luckily, I'd be one of the onlookers -- not a jumper. But that didn't stop three in our group that was taking part in Island Routes' Island Vibes Catamaran Cruise from taking the plunge, and they had the time of their lives, leaping and screaming from high above.
There are two Island Vibes cruises in Jamaica, one to Margaritaville in Ocho Rios, and the one we were on, which sails by, and up to, Rick's Cafe in Negril, arguably the best spot in Jamaica to catch a stunning sunset. Indeed, this day, hours before the sun set, our catamaran anchored just off Rick's, which was already jammed with hundreds of people at the bar and adjacent cliffs enjoying the weather -- and the sight of people leaping off the rocks to the water below.
Local boys abound here, eager to do backflips and somersaults into the water, calling out for you to give them five bucks to do it, swimming to your boat to get your cash. But it's also open to anyone willing -- that is to say, brave enough -- to swim over to the cliffs, scamper up the steps and take a leap of faith.
Three of my travel companions went for it -- all in their 20s and 30s, which seems to be the optimal age for acts of adventure like this. They jumped into the water, with mandatory lifevests, scampered up the cliffs, and one by one, stood 30 feet above the water, listening to locals advise them on technique (staying straight up and down helps, you do NOT want to belly flop from three stories up), and screaming your lungs out if you so choose. Most do.
One by one, our intrepid friends leaped into the water lapping the cliffs below, and each came up smiling, triumphant and, they said, feeling more alive. So what's not to love, how dangerous can it be? Well, off to the side, a local man, buff, young and brave, climbed up a tree putting himself a good 60 feet above the water, hanging from a branch, twisting and strutting his stuff, before doing a Greg Louganis-worthy series of twists and turns to knife seamlessly into the surf very far below.
Leaving Rick's, we also nosed incredibly close into one of several caves dotting the cliffside landscape. The cruise itself is remarkable. Setting off from the Sandals all-inclusive resort in Negril, we puttered by various resorts and sights on Jamaica's northwestern shores, music playing and all manner of food and drink served (included in the price), the latter of which noticeably inducing many among our party to dance on the deck, the warm breeze cooling us on one very humid afternoon.
Island Routes offers a variety of cruising options, including ATV tours, a trip to Dunn's River Falls, a bamboo-raft adventure and dolphin encounter -- all of them fun for sure, but for sheer adventure, you might want to give a leap off the cliffs at Rick's Cafe a try. Or just watch. Vicarious adventure is still adventure.
Island Routes Caribbean Adventure Tours
Negril, Jamaica
Phone: 877-768-8370
Website: http://www.islandroutes.com
Cost of Island Vibes cruise: $72 for adults.