Jamaica Map (National Geographic Adventure Map, 3116)

I have done a lot of driving in Jamaica for more than four decades now. And I love it; there are so many beautiful and charming places to explore. But it requires some caution. You shouldn’t go off on your own if you don’t know the country. And even if you do, a map is necessary because intersections and roads are generally not well marked if at all. I have compared four current maps of the island. The Riese came out in 2003 and again in 2012. The scale is 1:150,000. West Jamaica is on one side and east on the other. There are no maps of towns or areas, which you will need if you are driving. I found four errors in the location or title of attractions listed on the 2003 edition; only one was corrected on the 2012. The Nat Geo map (2015) is based on the Riese, except it is slightly (about 10%) smaller and the relief is more defined. I prefer it to the Riese. One big advantage of these maps is that they are waterproof and tear-resistant and will hold up to repeated use. A major omission is that none of the above has the Highway 2000 toll road from Sandy Bay to Central Village, which you would take into Kingston from Mandeville. The Globetrotter (5th edition, 2013) has the toll road. It seems to be more reliable and up-to-date in general. The scale is 1:300,000. The island is on one side, not two, and the opposite side has extensive maps of areas and towns that are very helpful if not essential if you are driving. It doesn’t have as many places of interest marked as the Riese or the Nat Geo though. And it is paper, so it won’t hold up for long (unless you are just hanging it on a wall). The best map I have found is that produced by the National Land Agency and is entitled simply Jamaica Road Map. It is a scale of 1:250,000 and is copyright 2008. Look for it in bookstores or perhaps a Fontana Drug Store in Montego Bay, Mandeville, or Kingston. It is quite similar to the Globetrotter only more attractive. In comparing the maps, I have found that some have villages listed that others do not, but none of them is “complete” in that regard. You might also consider GPS for Jamaica. This is an option with some rental car agencies (Hertz, Avis, and Budget but I exclusively use Island), and you can also purchase the JAMNAV software from Mona Geoinformatics.

Not very detailed. I was looking for a map to cut out and make a wall piece. Unfortunately they split the map in the exact spot I want. There are no close ups so the map only shows the main roads, which there aren't many. Basically, this is more of a travel brochure than a map for navigation.

Historical reference and guide for a visitor to the island of Jamaica WI

Map came with a big ass crease in the corner due to bad packaging, but the map is great, provided you ever need to actually use it(highly unlikely).

nice map but i expected more. no problem mon, but truth of advertising helps.

I am very pleased with it. It is exactly what I wanted.

came as advertised

good map

This review has already been sent to National Geographic’. National Geographic say in their promotion on their website, ‘Adventure Maps' are the most authoritative maps for touring international destinations’. Last week, I purchased North America map 3116; Jamaica in the hope that I would get an up-to-date and accurate map to replace an old map I received free back in the 1980’s. As a fairly regular visitor (last in late 2014) to Jamaica who likes to steer away from the tourist traps, I hoped that my purchase (from Amazon) would provide just what I needed when I revisit in a couple of weeks or so.On receiving Adventure map 3116, I was pleasantly surprised by its durable feel and the fact that it was most unlikely to fall apart in the first downpour. However, on opening the map, I quickly discovered some clear errors in the map (published 2015) reflecting serious errors in collating the base data that was supposedly ‘copyright 2012’. There are numerous spelling mistakes of many places such as ‘Friendschip’ and ‘Angels’ near Spanish Town. These are shown prominently in capital letters. The former does not exist and may be a possible confusion with Friendship Road and Friendship Primary School located in the suburbs of Spanish Town. There is a place called ‘Friendship’. It is situated in Hanover, Jamaica, its geographical coordinates are 18° 26' 0" North, 78° 2' 0" West. This is NOT shown. There are also various other hamlets that bear that name, some are shown. ‘Angels’ near Spanish Town is simply a Shopping Plaza, not a community which is located next to the bypass road.The above may seem to be nit-picking but there are far more serious errors. Motorway T1 is a toll road that stretches from Bushy Park to Sandy Bay, Jamaica (13 km) - completed February 2004; Kingston to Bushy Park (21 km) - completed December 2004; Portmore-Kingston Causeway (5 km) - completed July 2006. There is also the T3, Linstead By-Pass to Moneague opened in 5 August 2014, 19.1 km. The Northern Coastal Highway Improvement from Negril to Montego Bay (71km), Montego Bay to Ocho Rios (97km) and Ocho Rios to Fair Prospect in the east (119 km) has made considerable progress – it is not shown on the map. See [...]I could go on much, more. In conclusion, I thought that this map would be helpful. It turns out to be so out of date that it could be worse than useless. In my view, given the shoddiness of this map, National Geographic have seriously tarnished their reputation.

Ok & waterproof - but not up to date or detailed enough. Many smaller places are not included on the map. The new toll roads are missing. Some of the coastal and other details are inaccurate.

Helpful information for my trip to Jamaica later in the year

good

great detail