Pick the Jamaica that suits you

Baileys Tours is based in Montego Bay, and it is where nearly every visitor lands, at Sangster International Airport. "MoBay" mixes the restaurants and bars of Gloucester Avenue (the Hip Strip) with clear, calm swimming beaches and the big resorts of Rose Hall and Ironshore.

Staying here keeps your airport ride short and puts Negril, Falmouth, the Martha Brae River and even Ocho Rios within day-trip range.

Best for: First-timers, short stays and easy airport access

• Iberostar Rose Hall
• Round Hill Hotel & Villas

Negril has two personalities. Seven Mile Beach is soft sand, shallow water and beach bars as far as you can see. A few minutes away, the West End rises into limestone cliffs, sea caves and small hotels hanging over water so clear you can see the bottom.

Nobody hurries in Negril. Days drift by on the beach and end with everyone turning west to watch the sunset.

Best for: Beach lovers, couples and sunset chasers

Small, green and easy-going, the parish of Hanover lines the coast road west of Montego Bay. The old harbour town of Lucea and resorts like the Grand Palladium give you a peaceful stay that is still well under an hour from the airport.

Best for: All-inclusive stays that are quiet but central

A short drive east of Montego Bay, Falmouth is both a busy cruise port and one of the best-kept Georgian towns in the Caribbean. Around it, the parish of Trelawny offers bamboo rafting on the Martha Brae and night trips on the Luminous Lagoon, where the water lights up as you move through it.

The cluster of RIU resorts here makes it an easy all-inclusive base, and cruise guests can reach most of the north coast's highlights in a single shore day.

Best for: All-inclusive guests and history buffs

Midway along the north coast, Runaway Bay and Discovery Bay are calmer than their neighbours, with reef just offshore and beaches that rarely feel crowded. Tradition holds that Columbus first landed in Jamaica near Discovery Bay in 1494.

Best for: Families and divers who want calm water

If you want waterfalls, base yourself in Ocho Rios. Dunn's River Falls, the Blue Hole and the Mystic Mountain rainforest bobsled are all close by, and the resorts of Mammee Bay, Boscobel and Tower Isle line the coast either side of town.

St. Ann is called the garden parish for good reason: the hills behind town are full of rivers and gardens, and Bob Marley's birthplace at Nine Mile is about an hour inland.

Best for: Adventure seekers and families

• Sandals Dunn's River & Royal Plantation
• Moon Palace Jamaica
• Couples Tower Isle & Sans Souci
• Beaches Ocho Rios

Cross the island to the south coast and the pace drops right down. Whitehouse, Treasure Beach and Black River are fishing communities with dark-sand beaches, crocodile-spotting river trips and a warm welcome at every rum shop.

YS Falls and the Appleton Estate rum distillery are both nearby, so a south-coast stay comes with two great day trips built in.

Best for: Travelers who want authentic, local Jamaica

• Sandals South Coast
• Anywhere on the island

Portland, on the far eastern end of the island, is greener, wetter and far quieter than the resort coast. From Port Antonio's twin harbours it is a short drive to the Blue Lagoon, Frenchman's Cove and the bamboo rafts of the Rio Grande.

Above it all rise the Blue Mountains, home to the island's highest peak and its famous coffee. It is a long way from Montego Bay, so we suggest an overnight stay or a very early start.

Best for: Nature lovers and multi-day explorers