Thinking about gift ideas to take home from Jamaica?

You're not alone.

Visitors to the island usually feel some sense of anxiety during the last few days of their Jamaica vacation as they scramble for the perfect gift ideas to take for family and friends.

But you don't have to scramble if you’re smart.

Ease your anxiety by purchasing favorites you spot while on excursions across the island.

There are enough authentic, Jamaican souvenirs and novelty shops splashed across the island for you to choose from. 

Still can't decide what to buy? Here's a curated list of the 5 best gift ideas to take home from Jamaica.

Blue Mountain Coffee

With its full-bodied taste and aroma, world-famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee takes the prize as the most valuable and generous gift you can bring home from the island.

Reaped way up high in the cool, lush, and vast Blue Mountains that tower over Jamaica’s eastern parishes, the beans are handpicked at the source, dried, processed, and carefully roasted to perfection on small, largely family-owned farms – many of which have been in the business for generations.

Expect to spend between USD$20 to $50 a bag depending on size, brand, blend, and roast.

Usain Bolt t-shirt

He may have retired from athletics, but Usain St. Leo Bolt O.J. hasn’t retired from the hearts and minds of fans both here and abroad.

His legendary status as a world record-breaking champion who dominated the 100 and 200m events, in three consecutive Olympics in which he won over 8 gold medals, remains a feat to be conquered by athletes across the world.

Charming, funny, and a real ambassador for Jamaica, his signature line of apparel (featuring his trademark “To The Worl’” pose) is available at most clothing stores island-wide.

For a wider range of items, visit his restaurant Tracks and Records in Kingston or Montego Bay. 

Jamaican candy

A best-kept culinary secret of the island, if you’ve found out about Jamaican candy or traditional sweet treats, congratulations - you have experienced Jamaica like a local!

Largely coconut or ginger-based, both savory and sweet, rolled in sugar or wrapped in banana leaf, all seeped in our local history, Jamaican sweet treats make great gifts.

They are ideal for those interested in learning a little more about the island one delicious bite after the other.

Look for sampler boxes that offer a little bit of everything.

Rum

Nothing says you’re on holiday in the Caribbean like sipping a rum cocktail by the beach.

Take the flavor of your holiday back with you with a bottle of rum: golden brown and smooth, clear and 100% over-proof, coconut flavored or blended with cream, there is a rum out there for every kind of cocktail and connoisseur.

All you need is the chaser, a sunny day, and a reggae beat and you’ll feel like your back on the beach … or almost!

Jerk seasoning

While it’s near impossible to recreate the exact flavor of Jamaican jerk chicken/pork/fish/lobster back home – the secret is in the slow grilling over smoking pimento sticks. So having a bottle of Jamaican jerk seasoning can go a long way to help you with your best effort.

Salty, spicy, and loaded with local seasonings such as allspice, thyme, scallion, and hot peppers, Jamaican jerk seasoning will elevate any protein you are cooking, and perhaps your spirits too.

And it'll remind you of that great roadside treat you had on holiday.

Now you know how to extend the good times in Jamaica just a little longer, with the taste, touch, and smell of these authentic, Jamaica souvenirs.