Blue Cave Castle review - Negril, Jamaica

While searching for accomodations considered to be within the budget range, I came across the website for the Blue Cave Castle. It was hard to visualize what exactly was going on here. The rates were incredibly low but the appeal was rating incredibly high in my mind.

There had to be a catch I thought? Rates as low as $30 US for a single and only 5 bucks more if you are traveling as a couple.
And to make things a bit weirder was the fact that the cheapest rooms were situated almost directly over the water.

So I figured Travel Invasion should investigate this Caribbean Castle to find out if it wasn't just some make believe fantasy. We booked the first two evenings of our 4 night visit at the castle. The first night would be in the previously mentioned low priced tower room while the second night would be in the Penthouse.

Since we were arriving in Montego Bay in the evening, we knew it would be late before we made it to our final destination of Negril.
The initial culture shock always seems to be present the first few hours as you begin to become more familiar with your new surroundings.

We stopped on the way from the airport so I could celebrate my arrival with some cold Red Stripes for the drive. A few minutes after cracking open my first beer we were stopped by a political gathering that was spilling onto the road. Our cab driver told us to not worry about a thing, and that we would only be delayed a few minutes. Sure enough, a few minutes later the crowd split and we were on our way. Being nightime, we had no idea of the beautiful scenery that was rolling by. Eventually our driver told us that we were now passing along the famed 7 mile beach area, and would soon be to our final destination.

There was one more stop for a bathroom break on the 7 Mile Strip before heading onto the beat up road which leads to the west end properties lining the cliffs. Within minutes we had pulled up to the stone walls fronting the castle. A young man proceeded from the gates to assist us with our luggage. We wished our driver well and headed into the darkened adventure that awaited.

For some reason the guy at the desk, who looked like he was already past his bed time, could not seem to find our keys. I told him I was pretty sure we were booked for a tower room. Finally the keys were found and we were then escorted to our room. Two German Shepherds came by to investigate their new guests. After a few sniffs they headed off to continue keeping watch over the grounds. At the tower the wooden doors opened to a room much larger than I had expected or envisioned from photos on the website. A peaceful feeling was already starting to set in. A few minutes later the guy from the desk came by to ask if we would like to move to a room across the hall which was supposedly more rental ready. Since we had already started to unpack our luggage, we chose to remain where we were. The Tower Room looked fine to us.

We had arrived too late to get anything to eat, so we dined on a meal of Red Stripe Beer and Quaker Oat bars. Not exactly how I imagined the first Jamaican dining experience, but it would have to do. After soaking in the darkness for a few minutes we decided to call it a a night. If you arrive to a Caribbean island at night, one of the best things is the visual surprise which awaits in the morning. At about 9:00 AM the following morning I went outside and was immediately overwhelmed by the views. The castle itself is one impressive structure, but add to it beautifully landscaped grounds and decorative out buildings and you get a giant slice of paradise. Starving, we headed next door to Pee Wee's to see what was being offered for breakfast. Nobody was around when we went inside, but we were soon greeted by Donald who would be our server. The funny thing was that Donald was already smoking a large blunt about the size of a big finger. Laughing inside, I thought this isn't quite what I am used to at my local hometown Denny's.

Due to the lack of customers on this particular morning, we opted for the safe choice: Scrambled Eggs & Toast.
While waitng for breakfast a local farmer (the first of many) came by to show off some of his crop. Our server Donald came over to inform us that he also served as the taxi driver for Pee Wee's and that he would be leaving on a call for a few minutes. The pace of life is so surreal as compared to what most Americans are force fed each and every day. Finishing up breakfast, we decided to explore some of the shops and stands fronting the road of the West End.

It wasn't long before we were headed back to the Blue Cave. I think we were learning to accept the Jamaican culture in small doses at first. After having five or six people hitting me up for some cash, while Jennifer was getting her clothes sprayed with some type of muck that forms on the road every time a car drove by, we decided a smarter choice would be to explore the cave that was supposedly under the castle. Back inside the gates, it was amazing how peaceful everything became once again. The magical spell seemed to be actually working. The grounds of the Blue Cave Castle are very well kept. There seems to be an endless amount of lounging choices or observation points around the property. We enjoyed the turtle pond. Since we were traveling in October only a few others were staying with us.

This is the part of the review I am somewhat sorry about. You see the whole experience of cave discovering wasn't caught on film since I didn't have my underwater camera with me. Jennifer and I changed into our bathing suits and headed down some stairs to a rocky outcropping. There was an outdoor shower located down by the water. The was also a ladder to help getting into the water. We proceeded down the ladder and were relieved to find the temperature near perfect although the salt near annoying. We began to swim south until we reached the entrance to the cave. As we swam into the cave the adrenaline rush seemed to motor us faster as the cave sucked us farther in. At the rear of the cave is an area where you can actually get up out of the water. There is a stairway from the middle of the property which leads to this spot although the stairway was chained during our visit. Being inside the cave was really a thrilling experience for both of us. Eventually it was time to de-pirate and head back to dry ground.

Someone came and told us that the Penthouse was ready for our one night of occupancy. We took our luggage up the stairs until we reached the front door. The Penthouse Suite is actually situated above a covered patio type structure which had a full bathroom. Outside the main door to the Penthouse is a walkway which leads to a discreet lounging deck which made you feel like you were hanging over the water. Another stairway leads to roof of the Penthouse and yet another sundeck. At this point I was thinking that even if the room was haunted with the spirits of hundreds of angry drunken pirates, it was still one amazing deal. The interior is configured similar to a studio apartment. The furnishings were very comfortable and the kitchenette area allowed for a full living experience. Attention honeymooners: Give this Penthouse Suite serious consideration if you will be vacationing in Negril. Plan early though, Susan the owner said it is booked almost every day of the year.

We spent the next hour or so listening to some of my Jamaican favorites: Beenie Man, Prince Far I, Lexxus, Black Uhuru & Buju Banton while soaking up the sun on the extended deck. If you choose to go au natural' on this deck, do not fear. This deck was the ultimate Jamaican tanning bed. As expected with it being October and the rainiest month of the year, an afternoon storm was fast approaching. This was Jennifer's first Caribbean storm and she was excited. The rain lasted for a couple of hours while we headed inside to sample some of the fine Jamaican rums. Warning: Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum is not for beginners.
Once the storm was finally starting to pass we knew it was time to head out to our first real dinner at a place I had read many good things about called 3 Dives.

Dinner at 3 Dives which was just a short cab ride down the road was a hard decision. We were starved and we could select from either the Jerk chicken, lobster or fresh fish. Somehow we decided on all three. Understand, 3 Dives is a shack style restaurant where you eat outdoors. To me this is the perfect way to dine while in the Caribbean. You could either eat near the shack or down near the water. Tourism seemed to be at its lowest point the week we were there and 3 Dives was deserted. We walked down near the water and had a few beers while waitng for dinner. Finally the food arrived. The meal actually rated as average though. Maybe it was because we were the only ones there, or possibly because I had my hopes up too high. It was still a very nice and reasonably priced dining experience.

We headed back to the Blue Cave Castle to finish off the evening with some homebrewed mixed drinks. What we thought was just a weird looking banana turned out to be something quite different and seemed to be giving the blender a major workout. We listened to a local Jamaican radio station and played cards until late into the evening. Finally it was onto the deck for one last look into the darkness. Most of Jamaica seemed to be sleeping and it was time for us as well. Jennifer and I slept like a King & Queen although I think the alcohol may have played a part in it.

Thanks to Susan for letting us come in and see such a magical place.

The Blue Cave Castle proved to be what I consider one of the best bargains in all of the Caribbean.

Travel Tip: If you are staying on the
West End, try to stop by the wood carving stand next to the Blue Cave Castle and meet Elvis. A very nice guy
who won't try to pressure you into buying anything. Just fun to talk to.