Pelican Bar

A ramshackle wooden bar built on stilts in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, roughly a mile offshore from Parottee on Jamaica's south coast - Pelican Bar is one of the most improbable drinking establishments in the world. Constructed by local fisherman Floyd Forbes from driftwood, scrap lumber, and palm thatch on a shallow sandbar, the bar serves cold Red Stripe, rum punch, and fresh-caught fried fish to anyone willing to make the 15-minute boat ride from shore. The structure sways slightly in the current, and the floor planks gap enough to see water below your feet. A hand-scrawled sign reading 'Forbes Floyd's Pelican Bar' marks the entrance to what is essentially a fishing shack converted into a bucket-list attraction. Swimming from the bar reveals the sandbar that supports it - waist-deep warm water over white sand with excellent visibility. Boats depart from Parottee or Treasure Beach and typically negotiate round-trip fares of $20-30 USD per person. No electricity, no WiFi, no pretence - just cold beer, hot fish, and open ocean. Aurum Transfers delivers you from MBJ Airport to the south coast departure point in about 3 hours 30 minutes for $465 for up to four guests.