Joseph's Cave

[Wahoo]

First I've heard about this. I spent a memorable couple of hours at Pirates Cave during my second visit to Jamaica, but didn't know till now that across the street from Pirates Cave is Joseph's Cave. There's a staircase at Pirates Cave that goes from the waterline of the cave up into the restaurant. Apparently the cave extends under the road and there's also a staircase from the cave up to Joseph's Cave across the street--though the proprietor, Miss Mae, reportedly goes off when swimmers exit the cave into her restaurant and vamoose without buying anything. I'll have to check out Joseph's Cave on my next trip to Negril's West End.

[ECO]

Sounds interesting, I'll add it to my lists of places to visit in Negril!

I'll make sure to buy a beer from Miss Mae before she gives me a verbal beating.

What is Pirates Cave next to? Is it before or after the lighthouse?

[Wahoo]

Pirate's Cave is approx. 800 yards before Rick's Cafe and the lighthouse, next to Rockhouse. Used to be next to the Pickled Parrot, which became part of Rockhouse when PP's lease wasn't renewed and was given to Rockhouse. The Negril day trip we took would've included the de rigueur stop at Rick's Cafe, but Rick's was still closed (it was closed for a couple of years for renovations after being wholloped by one of the major hurricanes), so we stopped at Pirate's Cave instead to watch the cliff divers.

[JAigo]

Do they have lights in the caves or should I bring a flashlight?

[Wahoo]

Good question. I briefly descended the stairs into the cave under the Pirates Cave bar/restaurant and don't recall any lights, but it was in the daytime. Hopefully, somebody who knows will pipe up.

PS. It might be fun to take your flashlight anyway, then you could make a barking dog and other animal-figure shadows with your fingers on the cave walls for kicks and to amuse the other tourists.

[Wahoo]

The barking dog is the only animal shadow I can do...but I do a great one!

[ECO]

Wahoo, I just found this somewhere else:

Pirate's Cove hasn't existed for a while now. Rockhouse opened Pushcart in its place.

Pretty much all of the reviews about the place I have seen have been positive, but they did close off the sea access - which stinks.

[Wahoo]

Holy moly! As I understood it, the Pickled Parrot was a hugely popular watering hole/restaurant adjacent to Pirates Cave and when the Pickled Parrot's lease wasn't renewed and was given to Rockhouse, it became the Pushcart Restaurant, now part of Rockhouse. As far as I know, Pirates Cave is still there and open for business, but then it's been 5 years since I was there. I'd be more than happy to check it out myself if I could finagle another trip to Negril in the near future.

Oh, got e-mail today from Grand Pineapple advertising 60% off if I book before March 11. It's tempting...

[ECO]

Lol, people are bitching about that e-mail.....they raised their rates to offer 60% off I guess last year they ran a special for under $100 a night AI and that brought them a bunch of business....now those people are seeing the "new special" If you are fixed on the AI thingy check out the Samsara on the cliffs by the Xtabi, they now offer it. Plus ++ they have cheap AI day passes if you meet Mrs Wahoo in JA.....hopefully GG does not see this.

I'll try to dig for more info on the caves, if not I'll drive up there in April to check it out first hand.

[Wahoo]

Now I'm really cornfused! This link (http://www.jamaicatourist.net/dining_ou ... push_cart/) puts Pushcart at Pirates Cave. Whatever! Rockhouse, Pushcart, Pirates Cave--the way I see it, they're all on more or less the same breathtakingly scenic spot on the cliffs, and I wish I were there mellowing out with a cold Red Stripe at this very moment!

[ECO]

I dunno, most of the sites with Jamaica related info are out dated. Lol, some still say that the exchange rate is $50 J = $1 US, some say it's legal to smoke on the Marley tours. Plus, I don't think anyone can keep on who owns what in the cliff area. Speaking of which, if you have an extra $550,000.00 sitting around there in a little 9 room place for sale out there......it would only take 3 years to pay back the 1/2 mil assuming you rented every room every night......didn't have to pay for water, electrical, employees, interest, improvements.....oh hell, it would just take 40 years when you factor in that stuff.

[Wahoo]

This link (http://www.collegemarketplace.com/INsider/jamaica.html) appears to confirm, once and for all, that the current Pirates Cave (or Pushcart if that's what it's now called) and the former Pickled Parrot are one and the same. The cave in that grainy B/W pic of Pickled Parrot is unmistakeably Pirates Cave. I'd always felt kind of cheated that I hadn't been to Negril and visited the Pickled Parrot in its heyday--I feel satisfied now knowing that I've been there after all.

[GhettoGurl]

I can't help but wonder everytime this gets bumped why it ain't called Maria's cave

[Wahoo]

I hate to beat a dead horse, but the map of Negril's West End in my personal copy of the Lonely Planet travel guide to Jamaica (3rd edition, published in 2003, which I frugally purchased for $1.00 at a book sale of my local public library) distinctly shows the Pickled Parrot sandwiched between Pirates Cave (called Pirates Cove in this edition) and Rockhouse. So we're back to square one. Possibly, the Lonely Planet guy who reported on Negril's West End in this edition had first sampled the extra-strength tea at Tedd's One Stop and was disoriented as to time and place and the map is in error. What really ticks me off is that 3 Dives isn't listed and shown on the map, though I take it on good authority that 3 Dives is right nextdoor to Xtabi. Maybe I should stop being such a penny-pincher and spring for a current travel guide to Jamaica (though there's some really cool pics in the 3rd ed).

[Wahoo]

I also note that prices are way off in the 3rd edition of Lonely Planet. Apparently the costs of most everything went up a lot since 2003...

[trvellover]

First I've heard about this. I spent a memorable couple of hours at Pirates Cave during my second visit to Jamaica, but didn't know till now that across the street from Pirates Cave is Joseph's Cave. There's a staircase at Pirates Cave that goes from the waterline of the cave up into the restaurant. Apparently the cave extends under the road and there's also a staircase from the cave up to Joseph's Cave across the street--though the proprietor, Miss Mae, reportedly goes off when swimmers exit the cave into her restaurant and vamoose without buying anything. I'll have to check out Joseph's Cave on my next trip to Negril's West End.

Hi Wahoo,

Thanks for sharing useful information.

I didn’t visit there before so I was wondering about inexpensive restaurants or resorts which are close to this place, where you ever have a comfortable stay and dine?

Sep or Dec which is the good time to visit?

Best Regards,