Floyd’s Pelican Bar, Treasure Beach, Jamaica

At the western most point of the island country of Jamaica are the sandy beaches of Negril, complete with its most famous landmark — Floyd’s Pelican Bar. Floyd’s is unlike nearly any other bar in the world in that it’s located in the middle of the ocean.

For a minor fee, locals from nearby Treasure Beach or Black River will ferry visitors out to the remote sandbar, about 10 to 15 minutes out to sea. The bar itself is constructed from hundreds of slabs of driftwood, and roofed with layers of palm branches. Floyd, architect and owner, is known to call the structure the “bar on stilts.” Inside the circular structure is the bar, located in the center of the hut, which is adorned with bohemian decorations of all sorts — from t-shirts to license plates to beach gear.

Spinning some Dub © Dubdem South System | Flickr

Although Hurricane Ivan destroyed the original bar in 2004, nearby hotels executives and other local business owners around Treasure Beach funded the reconstruction.

While there, visitors can eat lobster or fish with their cold beer, watch the dolphins swim by or carve their name into the wooden floorboards. Floyd’s is also a venue for local artists to showcase their work.

© Dubdem South System | Flickr