Anchorage· Negril· Other Caribbean
Negril Harbour Anchorage (Bloody Bay)
18° 20.9′ N · 78° 20.3′ W · approximate
White sand, clear water and a protected anchorage tucked under North Negril Point; the bay where the pirate Calico Jack Rackham, with Anne Bonny and Mary Read aboard, was captured in 1720.
Practical
Coordinate approximate (inside the bay under North Negril Point); Virgintino's entrance waypoint is 18 20.75N, 078 20.604W. Anchor in about 10 ft, sand, good holding (Virgintino 2015). Fine in normal trade winds; all west-coast anchorages need normal trades. Land the dinghy on a hotel beach and ask a guard to watch it; some hotels welcome cruisers, some do not. Do not pass inside Booby Cay heading south unless you draw very little (6 ft or less in spots) - take the outside passage. Negril is not a port of entry: arrive with a transire from Montego Bay. Hurricane Melissa (Category 5, landfall October 28, 2025 near New Hope, Westmoreland) caused severe damage in western Jamaica; Noonsite (2026) says ports of entry have reopened but not all areas have recovered, so confirm that shore businesses are operating.
Best for
The prettiest anchorage in Jamaica, with legendary sunsets
Season
Trade-wind season; untenable in westerlies