Runaway Bay holidays give you a slap-up dose of take-it-easy living, with quiet beaches, great diving and authentic Jamaican grub.

Stay, don’t runaway

Runaway Bay’s a Sixties kid. A few fancy hotels, a golf course and some private villas all popped up on the site of the former Cardiff Hall Estate. There’s a lot of debate about how it got its name. But one thing’s for sure – nowadays, no one runs away from this place.

Pick-a-beach

As with a lot of Jamaica, Runaway Bay’s coast is a mix of private and public beaches. But if you’re not checking in to a hotel with its own patch, you’ve still got loads of choice. There’s Cardiff Hall Beach and Fisherman’s Beach – both are white-sand lookers, with close by coral reefs and bars mixing up tasty rum cocktails.

Going underground

Mother Nature wasn’t just generous with the sands. She also dealt Runaway Bay another natural attraction. On the road leading out of town, you’ll find the Green Grotto Caves, which were used as an underground base for the baddie, Doctor Kananga, in James Bond film Live and Let Die. If you want something a little buzzier, you’ve got Ocho Rios to the east and Montego Bay to the west.

At a Glance

  • Go scuba diving with rays, turtles and fish
  • Grab a hardhat and head into the Green Grotto Caves
  • See where Bob Marley grew up in nearby Nine Mile