Bahía Montego
Una de las mejores playas naturales de la isla, Doctor´s Cave, invita
a recorrer la zona norte: ondulantes paisajes de campos de golf, piscinas
de todas las formas y tamaños, estrechas calles sinuosas, un mar
transparente y tranquilo que une parches de azul y verde al despegarse
de la blanca arena.
Montego Bay - o Mo Bay, como la llaman los lugareños- es el paraíso
de los turistas que quieren ser consentidos. Aquí seguro se adquiere
un envidiable bronceado y la siempre presente coquetería de las
trenzas de pelo al estilo del Mobay´ss Harbour Street.
El recorrido se puede hacer en el Tren Appleton Express, utilizado anteriormente
para transportes oficiales del gobierno, y que ahora se ha acondicionado
para un viaje que dura un día entero ingresando al interior por
más de 60 kilómetros. Algunas paradas son casi obligatorias:
la visita a la Destilería de Ron Appleton, las Cuevas de Ipswich
y dos paradas para que los pasajeros puedan comprar ropa hecha a la medida
- una, de ida, para seleccionar las telas y el diseño y la otra,
de regreso, para recoger el producto terminado.
En el centro de la ciudad se puede visitar The Cage, una prisión
del siglo XVIII para esclavos y marineros fugitivos; la bella Parroquia
St. James y la Great House.
Hacia el interior, algo imprescindible, un viaje en el Hilton High Day
Tour que incluye una vista a la vida en el campo, un viaje en globo y
la revelación de una Jamaica diferente en el misterioso Cockpit
Country.
Montego Bay is more than just a tourist hub,
however; it’s also a real city with a long-standing history. Columbus
visited in May 1494 and named Montego Bay “El Golfo de Buen Tiempo,” or
Bay of Good Weather. In 1510 the Spanish started to settle here. Using
the bay as a shipping point for hogs, they began to call this site “Bahia
de Mantega,” a name derived from the Spanish word for lard, which was
one of the top products.
Montego Bay: Where to Stay
PRICE CHART
Note that prices, unless otherwise noted, are in US dollars.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Prices are per room, based on double occupancy. In the case of all-inclusive
properties, prices are per person.
$ = up to $50 per day
$$ = $51 to $100 per day
$$$ = $101 to $175 per day
$$$$ = over $175 per day
Montego Bay: Where to Eat
After a day of watersports or beach fun, many travelers look forward to
enjoying the island’s fine dining as the evening’s entertainment. In the
restaurant department, Mo Bay has definitely got something for everyone,
whether your tastes run toward fresh island seafood or cuisines from around
the world. Some of Jamaica’s restaurants have received many accolades
over the last few years and gained quite a following. Others are new on
the scene. Certain places are especially well suited to couples looking
for a romantic evening, while others welcome families with dishes that
please even the pickiest eater in the group.
Montego Bay: Transportation
Rental cars are pricey, and are available from most major rental companies.
Renters must possess a valid driver’s license. A security deposit will
need to be posted with either a credit card or cash. Service stations
are open daily but accept only cash. The speed limit is 30 mph in town
and 50 mph on the highways. Insurance costs $12 per day ($15 for jeeps)
and is well worth the investment
Montego Bay: Things to do and see
This region of Jamaica has much history, and opportunities to visit historic
sites abound. You can explore great houses and plantations (some working,
others in various states of disrepair). In addition, reggae fans can worship
the king of reggae, Bob Marley, at the Marley Experience theater.
Rum Distillery
APPLETON EXPRESS
Book with your hotel tour desk or 876-952-3692
Hours: 8:30 am-4 pm, Tuesday through Thursday
Admission charged
The Appleton Express is an air-conditioned bus that travels from Mo Bay
to the Appleton Rum Distillery on the south side of the island. (If you
traveled to Jamaica a decade ago, you may remember that the Appleton Express
was formerly a train that took day-trippers across the island. Sadly,
the train no longer runs. Ahh... the good old days.)
There’s a tour of the distillery, and every visitor gets a complimentary
bottle; children get soft drinks. The tour also makes a stop at Ipswich
Caves.
Plantations & Great Houses
BARNETT ESTATE
Granville Main Road
876-952-2382, fax 876-952-6342
Open daily
Admission charged
After a short time here, you’ll soon notice how often you hear the name
“Barnett” and “Jarrett” on the island. Still among Jamaica’s most powerful
families, the Barnetts and Jarretts were plantation owners and have owned
land for many generations. Today, a visit to the Barnett Estate offers
you a look back at the past to the days when this land grew everything
from sugarcane to coconuts. You can take a one-hour horseback tour of
the estate or a guided tour by a costumed docent. This plantation tour
is one of the island’s best.
BELFIELD GREAT HOUSE
876-952-1709
Hours: daily, 10-5
Admission charged
This restored historic house is open to visitors, with guided tours available
before or after dinner. Located on the 3,000-acre Barnett Estate near
Montego Bay, the site is also home to the Belfield 1797 restaurant, operated
by Elegant Resorts International.
BELVEDERE ESTATE
Chester Castle
876-956-7310 in Montego Bay
876-957-4171 in Negril
Hours: 10-4, Monday-Saturday
Admission charged
Take a peek back at the plantation days with this heritage tour. Belvedere
was one of the first estates to be burned during the 1831 Christmas Rebellion,
so today most of the sites on the plantation are ruins or reconstructed.
The uprising brought about the end of slavery in 1838.
Tours include a look at the ruins of the great house, dating back to the
early 1800s, the ruins of a sugar factory, a horse-drawn sugar mill and
herb garden. Belvedere is staffed by many craftspeople in period costume.
Visitors can watch a blacksmith at work, see a bakery using a clay oven,
talk with an herbalist in a wattle and daub house and see a canoe-maker
carving the trunk of a cottonwood tree. Also on site is the Trash House
Restaurant and Bar (where the sugarcane trash was once stored). Lunch
is served daily and visitors can picnic on the grounds.
INACCESSIBLE CINAMMON HILL
You can’t visit Cinammon Hill on the North Coast Highway, but ask your
guide to point out the sprawling mansion. This is presently the home of
country singer Johnny Cash, who spends quite a bit of time on the island
and has done a good deal of charitable work in Jamaica. Cinammon Hill,
located near Greenwood Great House (below), was the birthplace of Edward
Moulton Barrett, Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s father.
CROYDON IN THE MOUNTAINS
Located 20 miles into the interior near the town of Catadupa
in St. James (take B6 out of town)
Hours: 8:30-5:30 daily; tours from 10:30-3:30
876-979-8267
Admission charged
This 132-acre working pineapple and coffee plantation offers half-day
estate tours. The property was the birthplace of Samuel Sharpe, a national
hero on this island. Sharpe led a slave rebellion in 1831 that helped
bring about the abolition of slavery. You can learn about the preparation
of coffee, honey, pineapples and more.
GREENWOOD GREAT HOUSE
North Coast Hwy., 15 miles east of Montego Bay
876-953-1077
Hours: 9-6 daily
Admission charged
This was once the home of the Barrett family (as in Elizabeth Barrett
Browning). Tours include a look at the finery enjoyed by the plantation
families. Like Rose Hall (below), Greenwood is a reminder of the turbulent
period in Jamaica’s history when wealthy plantation owners lived in luxury
thanks to the profits of the slave labor used to power sugar plantations.
ROSE HALL
North Coast Highway
876-953-2323
Hours: 9-6 daily
Admission charged
Rose Hall is the best-known great house in the country and is an easy
afternoon visit from Montego Bay. This was once the home of the notorious
Annie Palmer, better known as the White Witch. Guided tours take you to
the ballroom, dining room, and Annie’s bedroom and grave. The gift shop
displays photographs of what many believe are ghostly apparitions in the
bedrooms of Rose Hall.
THE WHITE WITCH
As the story goes, Annie was born in 1802 in England to an English mother
and Irish father. At the age of 10, her family moved to Haiti, and soon
her parents died of yellow fever. Annie was adopted by a Haitian voodoo
priestess and became skilled in the practice of voodoo. Annie moved to
Jamaica, married, and built Rose Hall, an enormous plantation spanning
6,600 acres with over 2,000 slaves. According to legend, Annie murdered
several of her husbands and her slave lovers. To learn more about the
tales of Rose Hall, read the novel, The White Witch of Rose Hall, which
you’ll find in gift shops around the island.
Reggae Delights
BOB MARLEY EXPERIENCE
Half Moon Shopping Village
North Coast Highway
Hours: 10-6 daily
Free
This new attraction features a 68-seat theater where you can watch a documentary
on the life and works of reggae great Bob Marley. The film runs several
times daily. The largest part of the attraction is a huge shop filled
with Marley memorabilia – CDs, books, T-shirts. The shop claims to have
the largest collection of Marley gifts in the Caribbean.
Golf
Montego Bay has the best collection of golf courses in Jamaica; most take
full advantage of the city’s location, offering gorgeous views of the
sea and hills. Fees include US $10-30 for a golf cart and $5-20 for clubs.
Caddies are mandatory and will cost an additional US $5-15.
HALF MOON GOLF CLUB
876-953-3105
This 18-hole course hosts the Red Stripe Pro Am and is considered one
of the island’s best. Rates run $95. Facilities include a clubhouse, restaurant,
bar and pro shop. Par 72.
IRONSHORE
876-953-2800
Links-style golf is the attraction of this 18-hole course. Rates run $45;
facilities include a clubhouse, restaurant, bar and pro shop. Par 72.
TRYALL
876-956-5681
This 18-hole course is one of the best in the Caribbean (some even say
the world). Built on a 19th-century sugar plantation, it is an official
PGA tour course and many tournaments are held here. Facilities include
a clubhouse, restaurant, bar and pro shop. Rates run $40-60 for guests,
$100-125 for those not registered at Tryall. Par 70.
AUTHORS’ TIP: Even if you’re not a golfer, don’t miss the waterwheel next
to the main road at Tryall. It’s a great photo spot.
WYNDHAM ROSE HALL
876-953-2650
This 18-hole course has hosted many invitational tournaments and is well
known by golfers and non-golfers alike because of its location on the
grounds of the historic Rose Hall great house. Rates run $50-60. Facilities
include a clubhouse, restaurant, bar and pro shop. Par 72.
FUTURE COURSE AT WHITE WITCH
At press time, construction was underway on the White Witch golf course,
adjacent to the Wyndham Rose Hall course and the Rose Hall great house.
It will be part of the new Ritz Carlton, and is expected to draw a lot
of attention.
Adventures on Water
AGUASOL THEME PARK
Hip Strip, downtown Mo Bay
Hours: daily
Admission charged
Most of the larger properties offer a good selection of watersports fun.
If your property isn’t beachfront, consider a day at AguaSol, a theme
park on Walter Fletcher Beach. This sand beach park has a full day’s worth
of activities aimed at travelers staying in downtown properties without
beach access. The beach (which has lifeguards and security) includes water
trampolines, jet skis, banana boat rides, Wave Runners, kayaks, pedal
boats, glass-bottom boat rides and snorkeling. There’s also tennis (a
tennis pro is on staff for lessons), a GoKart racetrack, table tennis
and an evening disco.
Beaches
Montego Bay is home to several beautiful beaches and almost any beachfront
property will have a great slice of sand. Most vacationers use the beach
at their property to avoid the numerous vendors found on public beaches
offering everything from hair braiding to jerk pork to “something special.”
Some of the most notable and best-known public beaches in the city are:
Cornwall Beach. A favorite with locals. There’s plenty to do at this action-packed
beach, including watersports. Located off Gloucester Avenue.
Doctor’s Cave Beach. This downtown beach is really the birthplace of Montego
Bay’s tourism. In 1906 Dr. Alexander James McCatty stated that the waters
off this beach had all kinds of health benefits (there are minerals in
the water). The doctor donated his property to start a bathing club. In
the early twenties, the beach was the subject of an article by Sir Herbert
Barker, a British osteopath, who claimed that the waters had curative
powers. Soon the beach became a tourist attraction and visitors sought
the healing waters. Hotels sprang up near the beach, which at that time
was accessed through a cave that was destroyed by a hurricane in 1932.
Today, this spot is still called Doctor’s Cave Beach and is a favorite
with locals as well as with travelers staying in the downtown hotels.
876-952-2566. Open daily; admission charged. Off Gloucester Avenue, near
downtown Montego Bay.
Walter Fletcher Beach. Another downtown beach, Walter Fletcher is a favorite
with local and vacationing families because of its calm waters. Off Gloucester
Avenue, near downtown Montego Bay.
Sailing
CALICO SAILING
North Coast Hwy.
876-952-5860
www.montego-bay-jamaica.com/afal/calico/calico.htm
This operator offers snorkel trips and sunset cruises. Snorkel cruises
stop in the Montego Bay Marine Park, which offers some of the island’s
best snorkeling areas. Equipment and lessons (if needed) are provided.
After the park, the vessel sails along the coast past Doctor’s Cave Beach
and the party begins. There’s unlimited beer, rum punch and soft drinks.
The sunset excursion also hugs the shoreline and drinks are provided.
RHAPSODY
204 Chatwick Plaza, Queen’s Drive
876-979-0102
Sailing cruises can be booked through most hotel tour desks and you can
also call the Rhapsody office directly. Cruises include day trips, snorkel
excursions and sunset sails, as well as private charters.
CAPTAIN’S WATERSPORTS LTD.
White Sands P.O.
Montego Bay
876-952-3624, fax 876-979-0843
E-mail: captains@n5.com.jm
This 36-foot private charter company offers excursions to many beaches
and reefs. The vessel has two double berths and is available for charter
by the hour or day. Land and sea packages.
Fishing
Montego Bay is home to several sport fishing companies that offer you
the chance to reel in marlin, sailfish, dolphin or wahoo. With most operators,
groups can charter the boat or opt to share the vessel with other travelers.
Expect to pay about $300 for a half-day cruise, and that includes just
about everything your group will need for the excursion, including equipment.
Many companies offer free hotel pick-up.
FISHING OPERATORS
Irie Lady, 876-953-9266 (phone and fax) E-mail wstephenson@cwjamaica.com
No Problem, 876-995-2912
North Coast Marine at Half Moon 876-953-9266
Rhapsody, 876-979-0104
Seaworld, 876-953-2188
Scuba Diving
The Montego Bay Marine Park (876-952-5619) was the first protective park
in Jamaica. It was established to preserve the natural resources of this
underwater wonderland. A quick look at the area and it’s easy to see the
treasures that lie beneath the surface. Several sites draw divers with
their protected conditions.
Basket Reef. Known for its basket sponges.
Airport Reef. Just offshore near the Donald Sangster International Airport,
this site includes coral caverns.
Chubb Reef. This site is near the Holiday Inn east of town.It is known
for its large schools of Bermuda chubbs.
Widowmaker’s Cave. Do you really want to dive at a site named Widowmaker’s
Cave? Well, many adventure travelers do. Many fish congregate here and
you’ll also see black coral.
DIVE OPERATORS
Fun Divers, Wyndham Rose Hall 876-953-2650
North Coast Marine Sports, Half Moon 876-953-2211
Resort Divers, 876-973-5750
Sandals Inn, 876-952-4140
Sandals Montego Bay, 876-979-9130
Sandals Royal Caribbean, 876-953-2231
Seaworld, Holiday Inn/Wyndham Rose Hall 876-953-2180
Snorkeling
Most Mo Bay resorts offer opportunities to take a boat just offshore and
snorkel or dive among the reefs. Even first-time snorkelers can appreciate
a look at colorful corals, graceful fans and fish that include friendly
sergeant majors, butterfly fish and shy damselfish.
Underwater Exploration
MOBAY UNDERSEA TOURS
Gloucester Avenue, downtown Montego Bay
876-971-1049 or 952-2347 or 940-4465
Open daily
Admission charged
We especially enjoyed our tour aboard this semi-sub. If you aren’t a diver
or don’t have the opportunity to snorkel at the Montego Bay Marine Park
during your stay, a trip with MoBay is a good option, enabling you to
catch a peek at the best-preserved reefs in Jamaica. During our tour,
we spotted a sea turtle as well as countless tropical fish and some very
healthy sea fans and sponges. Highly recommended for families.
River Rafting & Cruises
EVENING ON THE GREAT RIVER
876-952-3732
Hours: Sunday and Thursday evenings
Admission charged
This quiet, romantic raft ride on the Great River includes dinner and
a show. Price includes transportation from Montego Bay hotels as well
as dinner and bar.
LETHE MOUNTAIN VALLEY RAFTING
20 minutes west of Montego Bay, North Coast Highway
876-956-4920/3/4/5/6
Hours: 9 am-5 pm daily
Admission charged
This is the epitome of relaxation. Climb aboard a bamboo raft and take
a one-hour float down the tranquil Great River. The ride is quiet and
hassle-free (no vendors here, in contrast to the Rio Grande rafting excursion)
and you’re welcome to take a dip in the river if you like. The ride isn’t
cheap, but it is very relaxing.
MARTHA BRAE RIVER RAFTING
876-954-5168 or book through your hotel tour desk
Hours: Opens daily at 9 am; closes at sunset
Admission charged
Like the mountain rafting at Lethe and the Rio Grande near Port Antonio,
this attraction features rafting down a tranquil river, the Martha Brae.
The ride lasts about one hour.
“MARTHA BRAE”
According to legend, the river is named for an Arawak who killed herself
rather than tell the Spanish the location of a local gold mine. The Indian
maiden took the Spanish upriver then used her magic to change the course
of the waterway, drowning herself and the Spaniards in the process. Today
her “duppy” or ghost is said to haunt the entrance to the mine.
Adventures on Horseback
Riding a horse through the surf is a favorite Mo Bay activity. There are
also many beautiful trail rides.
AUTHORS’ TIP: We suggest morning rides. By midday, temperatures away from
the beach trade winds can get high. Be sure to wear long pants and sneakers
or boots for a ride.
ROCKY POINT STABLES
North Coast Highway,
next to Half Moon Golf, Tennis and Beach Club
876-953-2286
fax 876-953-9489
Rocky Point is a full-service horseback riding facility near Half Moon
Golf, Beach & Tennis Club on the North Coast Highway. You can ride
on your own mount or participate in organized trail rides with a group.
These range from the 45-minute Jungle Jaunt to the two-hour Trail and
Treat option. Instruction is available in dressage, riding technique,
show-jumping and even polo. Transportation can be arranged to and from
Montego Bay area hotels.
Eco-Travel
Birding
ROCKLANDS FEEDING STATION
Anchovy
876-952-2009
Feeding times: 3:30 pm and 5 pm daily
Admission charged
Founded by Lisa Salmon, Jamaica’s best-known ornithologist, this bird
sanctuary is surrounded by clouds of grassquits, saffron finches and,
most especially, hummingbirds.
Salmon moved to this verdant hillside in April 1952 and found the site,
located a short drive from the beaches of Montego Bay, filled with feathered
friends. “I went out every morning and gave them water to bathe in,” recalled
Salmon. The practice continued for six years and gradually she moved the
bath up to her porch, put out sugar water for the hummingbirds, and slowly
trained the tiny visitors to eat from her hands.
Through the years, Salmon worked as a bird advocate, achieving a limit
on Jamaica’s bird hunting season. In 1959 she opened the bird sanctuary
and since that time travelers from around the world have hand-fed the
regular guests of this bird diner. Tiny finches flutter around outstretched
palms filled with birdseed, while fast-as-lightning hummingbirds drink
from a hand-held bottle of sugar water.
Cultural Excursions
Interesting Communities
FALMOUTH
East of Montego Bay
The capital of Trelawny parish, Falmouth is almost untouched by tourism.
It was once a bustling center of commerce and had many fine buildings;
today the community is well worth a look for its Georgian homes, many,
alas, in poor repair. One building exterior you should make an effort
to see is the Falmouth Parish Church, built in 1795. Today craftsmen have
an open-air market near the church.
AUTHORS’ TIP: The best market days in Falmouth are Wednesday, when clothing
and crafts are sold, and Friday and Saturdays, when fruits and vegetables
fill the stalls.
Beyond Falmouth lies Glistening Waters and the Luminous Lagoon (some people
call it Oyster Bay). This bioluminescent lagoon shimmers with microscopic
organisms in the moonlight. When fish swim through the luminescent waters,
they leave a streak of light. Night boat rides on these sparkling waters
are offered by Rose’s by the Sea (876-954-3427).
SEAFORD TOWN
South of Montego Bay on B8 to B6, which leads to Marchmont.
Turn west at Marchmont and continue to Seaford Town.
Seaford Town is one of Jamaica’s most unusual communities. It was founded
by German settlers in the 1830s. Today descendents of those early residents
populate the community. While here, stop by the Seaford Town Historical
Museum, 876-995-9399, 9-5 daily, filled with artifacts from the town’s
early days.
Shopping
Montego Bay offers the best shopping on the island. If it glitters, glimmers,
shines and sparkles, you’ll find it here – gold jewelry, precious gems,
watches, and less expensive goods such as coffees, liquors and crafts.
Shopping Districts
Top shopping areas in town are the Half Moon Shopping Village for very
upscale items and the Holiday Village Shopping Centre for a little bit
of everything. In the Half Moon Resort, the Shopping Village is one of
the island’s best, both for its high-end goods such as designer watches
and fine jewelry, as well as for its clothing. The open-air village sits
adjacent to the resort’s conference center and is also home to several
restaurants and the Bob Marley Experience.
The Holiday Village Shopping Centre is across the road from the Holiday
Inn and has a collection of inexpensive shops offering everything from
Bob Marley T-shirts to rasta tams, woodcarvings to straw baskets. Liquor
stores offer local rums, liqueurs and coffees.
Galleries
If you’re looking for Jamaican artwork, an excellent stop is the Gallery
of West Indian Art. The shop has an outlet in Montego Bay at 11 Fairfield
Road, Catherine Hall (876-952-4547, fax 979-5156) and another at the Round
Hill Hotel.
Craft Market
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the craft market, an adventure in
itself. Many travelers avoid the market because of the high-pressure sales
people, but we have found it delightful. A friendly good morning, abstaining
from photos until a purchase (no matter how small) is made, and general
good manners will go far with the salespeople. Some smaller items available
at the market include straw baskets ($3), tiny straw purses ($4), friendship
bracelets in rasta colors ($1), coffee bean necklaces ($2) and bamboo
bangles ($4).
AUTHORS’ TIP: After shopping, take a break with a soft drink or sky juice
(like our snow cone) sold from pushcarts beneath the shade trees.
Nightlife
Your nights in Montego Bay can be as exciting or as peacefule as you wish.
Try your luck at poker. Dance the night away to the reggae rythm. Or take
in a local dance show.
Casino
CORAL CLIFF CASINO
Gloucester Avenue
876-952-4130
11 am - 3 am
You’ll find slot machines in some of the larger resorts on the island,
but the most extensive gambling site is at the Coral Cliff Casino on the
Hip Strip. You can’t miss it – just look for the flashing neon lights.
Only slot machine gambling is found here, but jackpots do get quite large.
Free draft beer, sodas and rum punch are served at the slot machines.
Discos
PLANET X
Half Moon Shopping Centre
876-953-3840
The black and white decor of the Half Moon Resort is carried out in this
disco as well. Located in the shopping village, Planet Xaymaka, or Planet
X, features all types of dance tunes and plenty of reggae. There is a
cover charge, which includes one drink. On Sunday nights, Planet X features
oldies. Nightclub action begins at about 11 pm most nights.
Shows
MONTEGO BAY LITTLE THEATRE
Fairfield Hotel
876-953-9573
This local theatrical group produces a variety of shows. Call for show
days (shows always start at 8 pm); admission is a very reasonable JA $250.