Montego Bay
On Jamaica's northwest coast, Montego Bay is the essence of the complete resort where
flowering trees, velvety meadows and palm-covered hills edge a turquoise sea and
bleached white beaches.
Home to the annual Reggae Sumfest festival in August, Montego Bay is the heart of the
"Jamaican Riviera", with more guest rooms than any other part of the island, from five-star
hotels and sprawling all-inclusive resorts to charming inns some of the most luxurious private
villas in the Caribbean.
Some of the world's best golf can be enjoyed at the area's four 18-hole championship golf
courses. Scuba-diving can be enjoyed in the protected waters of the Montego Bay Marine Park,
with 10 square miles of spectacular coral reefs just off the coast from
Sangster International Airport.
Shopping may be the most popular sport of all and can be indulged on Harbour Street, where
the Crafts Market is alive with vendors selling straw, batik and woodcarving. Nearby, duty-free
shops overflow with everything from Scottish cashmere, perfume and cigars to liquor,
china and crystal. So, from music festivals, a golf tournament or a river ride on a bamboo raft,
you'll find it all in Montego Bay, Jamaica's complete resort.
Ocho Rios/Runaway Bay/Dunns River Falls
Ocho Rios and Runaway Bay are the heart of a north coast region scattered with fern-clad cliffs
and breathtaking waterfalls, not far from where Columbus first landed more than 500 years ago.
Amazed by the island's beauty, the explorer declared: "It is the fairest island ever eyes
beheld...mountainous, and the land seems to touch the sky." Jamaicans say that Ocho Rios is
the place where heaven spills into the seas.
Today, visitors come from all over the world to make their own discoveries in this stimulating
yet tranquil resort area, which combines the attractions of one of the Caribbean's most popular
ports-of-call with the splendid scenery of the surrounding "garden parish" of St. Ann.
One of Jamaica's most famous sons is celebrated in the tiny village of Nine Miles during the first
week of February, when official birthday celebrations for reggae legend Bob Marley, who was
born and is buried there, attract hundreds of visitors.
One of the island's best-known natural attractions is Dunn's River Falls, a dramatic 600-foot
drop of cascading water that's considered the Niagara of the Caribbean. A highlight of any trip to
Ocho Rios is a careful climb up its limestone tiers, followed by a swim at the beach below.
Abundant crops of sugarcane, coffee and bananas have been harvested since the
18th century at Prospect Plantation, which offers tours and horseback riding. Further east,
Harmony Hall is a restored Victorian mansion with an art gallery that sells some of the finest
art and crafts on the island.
Negril
A stunning white sand beach hugs the Caribbean for almost seven miles in Negril, the capital of
casual at Jamaica's western edge. Negril is best known for their beautiful sunsets and their long
stretch of which sandy beach. Only an hour and a half's drive from Montego Bay, laid-back is a
way of life in this sunny resort town, which retains the sleepy tropical charm that first attracted
seekers of sun and solitude three decades ago.
Peaceful strolls on powdery white sand, swimming and snorkeling in limpid aqua-blue water,
and clothing-optional sunbathing are only part of your "do-as-you-please" Negril honeymoon.
Craft markets and duty-free shopping opportunities abound. Golf and tennis are available at the
Negril Hills Golf Club, just south of town. Horseback-riding treks to the romantic ruins of
Whitehall Great House and boat rides to Booby Cay, where the rare, blue-footed
booby bird breeds (and portions of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" were filmed)
are other popular pastimes.
With its remarkable coral reefs and calm, clear waters, Negril is a diver's version of paradise.
The Negril Scuba Center is one of the oldest dive operations in Jamaica and offers PADI
certification. There are several excellent local companies offering numerous other water sports,
including leisurely catamaran cruises. None of Negril's hotels is taller than the average palm tree,
the result of local efforts to limit development and protect natural resources, including the area's
spectacular offshore reefs.
Today the lighthearted ritual is celebrated by sunset cruises and at several popular viewing spots:
the Pickled Parrot, for instance, with its rope swings and slide; and Rick's Cafe, where pre-sunset
entertainment includes fire-eaters, jugglers and daring cliff divers. Come and take pleasure here
in the capital of casual.
If you want to learn more about Jamaica please see the Official web site of the
Jamaica Tourist Board at http://www.jamaicatravel.com.
Jamaica
