The Water In Negril Beach
While I will talk about Negril beach ocean water everywhere on this website, I thought it equally important for travellers from Europe and North America to know about the other water here. The drinking water.
Two Step
Shortly after our arrival at our Negril Beach hotel (next morning in fact) we started asking fellow guests and staff about the water. Where is it that we should go to purchase gallon containers of drinking water to keep in our room, and to use for teeth brushing, drinking etc? Our experience with Caribbean Islands has always been that the local water is not suitable for visitor's inexperienced stomaches to drink right from the tap, and we've "enjoyed" the Caribbean Water Two Step a couple of times before when we weren't careful enough with the local water.I had more than a few looks of puzzlement. One guest laughed out loud. "I've been coming to Negril for almost twenty years, " he said. "I drank the water from the tap my first trip, and I've been drinking it ever since."
Just to be sure I asked a couple more people. No problem, is what the answer was every time.
So We Tried It!
Hmmmmm? So we tried it. Tentatively at first, and then regularly thereafter. No problems, mon.I can't speak to the drinking water quality at Ochi, or Montego Bay, or anywhere else on this jewel of an island.
I can only say that we started every day with a couple of glasses of cold water before we headed to the beach. During the day we interspersed a glass of water or two between rum drinks and that ubiquitous and delicious Red Strip beer, and for our multi-week stay, did not have a single problem arise from drinking the water at Negril Beach, whether in our hotel, or the many restaurants we enjoyed during our stay.
Water Tip
Like most hotels on the beach, our Negril Beach hotel had a bar near the water. Since I don't enjoy the flavor of chlorine any time, though it's presence in the drinking water was fairly slight, at least compared to the water back home, I still would prefer not to drink too much of it.Each morning I hit the bar with our covered mugs filled with ice from the ice machine (same water ~ drinkable) and asked them to fill the mugs from the tap on the soda machine. This water is filtered at the machine, and it took the chlorine out. It was much more palatable for our taste buds.
OK. Just so we know. It's water in the morning and rum drinks / Red Stripe afteroon and evening. Got it? :-)
From the water back to the home page.
