Carribean Jamaica Beaches

Montego Bay , or Mo Bay as it is usually referred to, is the center of Jamaican tourism and market town for a large part of western Jamaica. Montego Bay on Jamaica's northwest coast is the classic Jamaica resort centre and second largest city on the island.

Montego Bay is old, it dates back to 1492, yet Montego Bay is one of the most modern cities in the Caribbean. There is a superb view onto the clear Caribbean waters - the main tourist attraction - and the long reef protecting the bay. Most of the Jamaica resorts are found on a strip of coastline about a mile and a half long.

There are three main beaches in Montego Bay : Doctor's Cave Beach which has beautiful white sand, and where the exceptionally clear water is believed to be fed by mineral springs; Walter Fletcher Beach, nearest the centre and a short walk from the Upper Deck Hotel; and Cornwall Beach, which is a few yards from the local Tourist Board Office.

A short way inland from the Bay is Rose Hall , Jamaica's most famous Great House, fully restored on a sugar plantation. South of Montego Bay, in Anchovy, is Rocklands Feeding Station is home to some of the most exotic birds in the world, such as the mango hummingbird, orange quit and the national bird of Jamaica, the Doctor Bird. Visitors are able to feed the birds

Negril: On the western tip of Jamaica you'll find laid-back Negril, with its dramatic black coral cliffs and world famous Seven Mile Beach. The perfect spot to take in some of the best sunsets in the world!
Negril is 50 miles west of Montego Bay and has a stunning beach which offers sailing, water-skiing, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, parasailing and windsurfing. Negril has become a popular family beach resort in Jamaica which seems likely to preserve much of its original character - indeed, the law requires all buildings to be of modest proportions. Along the street, entrepreneurial Jamaicans sell a variety of craft goods from the many shanty-like shops in Negril.

There is also a hectic nightlife in the many clubs that have, over the years, proliferated along the beach. Rick's Café is a favourite haunt both for Jamaicans and visitors; located at West Point, which is as far west as Jamaica goes, it is famous as the place to the sun go down. If you're adventurous, take the 30 ft. plunge from the cliff!

Ocho Rios said to have come from the old Spanish word for roaring river or, in modern Spanish, eight rivers, is roughly 67 miles east of Montego Bay. The bustling town of Ocho Rios has been a favorite of cruise ships.

At one time is was a quite fishing village, and although there are now many Jamaica resorts and restaurants offering a variety of cuisines, but the town has kept something of the laid back atmosphere of small-town Jamaica.

One of the most stunning sights in Jamaica is Dunn's River Falls , a crystal water stairway which leads to the nearby botanical gardens. Ocho Rios is known as the garden-lover's paradise, and the Shaw Park Botanical Gardens exhibit the fascinating variety of the area's exotic flora, for which the town is celebrated.

Port Antonio , one of the Caribbean's most beautiful bays, is surrounded by the Blue Mountains. The town dates back to the 16th century, and sights include Mitchell's Folly, a 2-storey mansion built by the American millionaire Dan Mitchell in 1905, and the ruins of a 60-room Great House.

The surrounding sea is rich in game fish, with blue marlin as the great prize (there is an annual Blue Marlin Tournament run alongside the Jamaican International Fishing Tournament in Port Antonio every autumn); there are also kingfish, yellowtail, bonito and wahoo.

The island's most lavish homes are dotted along in the foothills.. The scenic Somerset Falls nearby are a popular picnic spot. Beaches in the Port Antonio area include San San and Boston (where the Jamaican 'jerk pork' is found), while the Blue Lagoon is a salt-water cove offering fishing, swimming and water-skiing and is considered one of the finest coves in the Caribbean.