Rick´s Café

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Theresa had been to Jamaica once before back in 1991 and one of the things she remembers is Ricks Café, but was in for a great surprise when she saw it again.

The hotel where we are staying is across the road from here and we can hear the very loud music until about 1.00am most nights. Think the locals ignore the music as it brings other business into the area. It did not keep us awake at all. Reggae rules okay.



Rick's Cafe was opened in April 1974. At that time, Negril was a sleepy fishing village with little development. It lacked many modern amenities such as electricity, telephone and hot running water.

Ricks Cafe was the first public bar and restaurant of its type on the West End Cliffs, offering an alternative to Negril's majestic seven mile beach. From the beginning, Rick's Cafe boasted an unrivalled view of the sunset from its naturally formed cliffs. Over the years, visitors and locals alike have designated Rick's Cafe as Negril's premier gathering spot and their sunsets have become a Jamaican tradition. They have a really massive Jamaican flag blowing in the wind on a flagpole overlooking the Caribbean.

In addition to the beautiful views, Rick's Cafe is fortunate to have one of the most incredible coves along the West End Cliffs. From their cliffs, countless visitors and locals have jumped or dived into the crystalline water below. The very highest platform jump is 35 feet and ensures the thrill of a lifetime. It is not for us as age marches on. We normally do have an interest in trying out things like this but George’s various back problems have been slightly prominent just recently and we would not want to aggravate them in any way.

For more than thirty years, Rick's Cafe has maintained as much of its original ambiance as possible, despite some setbacks. In September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert completely destroyed Rick's Cafe. Waves in excess of 25 feet crashed over the cliffs and treetops. After rebuilding, Rick's Cafe came back more spectacular than ever. Sixteen years later, Hurricane Ivan again destroyed Rick's on 11^th September 2004. More destructive than Gilbert, waves in excess of 60 to 80 feet crashed over the cliffs and treetops. When the winds finally passed, Rick’s Cafe had been blown across the road in bits and pieces. After the tremendous damage from Ivan, Rick’s came back once again, bigger and better than before.

If you are ever in Jamaica this is a must on the list of places to see.

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