10 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Jamaica
Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Negril, and Port Antonio are the main tourist hubs. Visitors will find a variety of lodgings here ranging from large resorts, luxury villas, and boutique hotels to rustic guesthouses. Lively Montego Bay is one of the most popular resort towns with golf courses, restaurants, shops, galleries, and of course, hotels and resorts lining the beaches. Ocho Rios is the island's major port of call for cruise ships, while Negril is famous for its long and lazy beach lined with clear waters and coconut palms. Ecotourists love peaceful Port Antonio thanks to its proximity to the spectacular Blue Mountains.
1 Negril Beach
Also known as Seven Mile Beach, Negril Beach is one of Jamaica's most beautiful stretches of white sand and aqua sea. The beach extends from Bloody Bay to Long Bay and the Negril Cliffs south of town. Tucked within groves of coconut palms, many resorts and restaurants fringe the shore here. Water sports abound, and snorkelers will find schools of fish swimming in the clear waters. Be prepared for persistent hawkers prowling the beach.
2 Doctor's Cave Beach, Montego Bay
One of the best beaches in Montego Bay, Doctor's Cave Beach is an alluring strip of white sand fringed by clear waters that helped shape the fate of Montego Bay. In the early 1920s a famous British osteopath declared that the water had curative powers after swimming here, a claim which began to lure visitors from around the world. Hotels sprouted and the area became a popular tourist destination. The cave for which the beach is named was destroyed by a hurricane in 1932, but the beach is as popular as ever and is often crowded with cruise ship passengers.
3 Rose Hall Great House, Montego Bay
Built in 1770, Rose Hall is a restored plantation house with beautiful ocean views. Legendary Annie Palmer ruled here with cruelty and met a violent death. Today her home is adorned with period furniture and visitors can choose between a day tour or a spooky candlelit evening tour topped off with tales of ghost sightings.
4 Falmouth
Surrounded by sugar estates and cattle land, Falmouth is one of the Caribbean's best-preserved Georgian towns. Once a leading port, the town offers excellent examples of 19th-century Georgian architecture including a faithful restoration of the courthouse. Greenwood Great House is a major tourist attraction in the area. Built in 1790 by Richard Barrett, a relative of poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the Great House is now a museum with period furniture and a rare collection of musical instruments and Wedgwood china.
5 Martha Brae River
Rafting the Martha Brae is one of Jamaica's most popular tourist attractions. At Martha Brae Rafter's Village guests can glide down a picturesque stretch of the river on bamboo rafts poled by local guides. This relaxing trip is a great way to soak up some of the tropical scenery and many guides will share information about the flora and fauna.
6 Kingston
At the foot of the Blue Mountains, Jamaica's busy capital city offers a cosmopolitan contrast to the island's relaxed pace. Kingston can be intimidating, but visitors can view some of the town's attractions on organized tours. The Bob Marley Museum, at the reggae superstar's former home, is Kingston's most-visited attraction and the site of the Tuff Gong recording studio. Highlights are Marley's bedroom with his star-shaped guitar by the bed. Look for the bullet holes in the rear wall, evidence of an assassination attempt.
7 Blue Mountains and John Crow Mountains National Park
Blue Mountains and John Crow Mountains National Park is an unspoiled preserve offering breathtaking mountain vistas, waterfalls, lush rainforests, and exotic plants and animals. Encompassing 200,000 acres of tropical rainforest, the park is divided into three sections: Portland Gap, which includes Stony Hill and the Hills of St. Andrew; Hollywell and Annotto Bay; and Portland and Millbank which include the John Crow Mountains.
8 Port Antonio
Set between mountains and a double harbor, Port Antonio exudes the relaxed charm of a sleepy fishing village. Once a center for banana export, the area is distinctly less commercial than the other resort towns. Visitors can explore the many art galleries, hike jungle trails, and snorkel and scuba dive the coral reefs. A popular swimming spot is the beautiful 60-meter-deep Blue Lagoon, fed by freshwater springs, and site of the namesake movie starring Brooke Shields. Navy Island, set between Port Antonio's two harbors and reached by ferry, was once owned by movie swashbuckler Errol Flynn and was renowned for wild parties.
9 Rio Grande River
Expert guides pole bamboo rafts through an impressive stretch of tropical rainforest along the Rio Grande River during a two-and-a-half-hour tour. Rafting here dates back to around 1911, when banana farmers in the Rio Grande Valley used to transport their bananas along the river. The Rio Grande tends to be less crowded than the Martha Brae River and offers beautiful scenery and gentle rapids.
10 Black River Safari Boat Tour and YS Falls
Crocodiles and more than 100 species of birds, including herons and snowy egrets, are among the critters that make their home along the mangrove-fringed Black River - the longest in Jamaica. Visitors tour the river on guided boats and enjoy a running commentary on the area's ecology and history. At YS Falls, Jamaica's largest and least commercial cascades, visitors can play Tarzan on the rope swing and plunge into the wading pool below fed by natural springs. Canopy rides and river tubing are also available.
