Negril, Jamaica

The camera stands in the middle of a wooden footbridge slung across a narrow inlet, with the sea running in underneath it and breaking on the rock at both ends. This is the cliff side of Negril rather than the beach: the ground here is grey pitted limestone dropping straight into deep water, and the buildings sit right on the edge of it - thatched roofs, timber balconies, stone-clad terraces cantilevered out over the drop, with loungers and a palapa set up on the flat parts. Iron ladders are bolted to the rock at intervals, going down into the water, because that is how you get in. The sun is low and dead ahead over open sea, and there is no land at all in that direction; turn round and the coast runs away in a line of low cliffs.

Negril, a laid-back and charming seaside town, lies on the western tip of Jamaica, just over an hour from the cruise ship paradise of Montego Bay. Negril is many things at once, a picture of Jamaica itself; it's modern with a long history, packed with things to do while feeling remote, and home to several resorts without feeling crowded. With its all-inclusive hideaways, long stretches of golden-sand beaches and longlist of natural wonders, Negril is a delight to visit in any season. Its visitors are also treated to beautiful sunsets, the azure waters of the Caribbean and black cliffs rising over the seas.

This island scenery has long captured the attention of its visitors, first with Christopher Columbus and later with vacationers looking for an all-inclusive getaway. Author Ian Fleming spent 20 years vacationing in Jamaica, writing many of the James Bond novels while on holiday to this delightful slice of paradise. Today's visitors also discover the charms of Negril no matter what time of year they arrive on the west coast of Jamaica.