Rick's Cafe

Rick's Cafe (noon-10 p.m daily, US$18-28) is a moneymaker that has other business owners in Negril envious. It's worth stopping by for a look at the immense crowd that is bussed in each evening, making it one of Negril's most successful commercial ventures. The property was renovated in the recent past after a large chunk of cliff fell into the sea during a hurricane. A huge boom was erected for a rope swing, and there are plenty of platforms to jump off for all levels of adrenaline junkies. A diver in a Speedo climbs to the top of a tree for the highest dive of all, waiting for enough tips to be collected by his cohort before tucking into a cannonball for the 25-meter drop. Meanwhile, a live band belts out reggae classics throughout the evening, some of them coming across more true to the originals than others. Food and beer at Rick's is mediocre and outrageously expensive, but nobody seems to mind. Choices include chicken, shrimp, fish, and lobster with rice and peas, french fries, or sweet potato sides; a beer costs US$5. If you don't want to pay the cover (US$5) to get in at Rick's but still want to partake in the action, you can enjoy the same scene with a more local perspective from the outcropping next door behind an artist's shack, Jah Creation, where kids beg US$2 from the tourists to jump off the cliffs. There are plenty of better, more tranquil, and less hyped spots for cliff-jumping, including Pushcart Restaurant and The Sands, both of which are recommended.