Long popular with American's as a vacation destination, in the recent years Jamaica has burst upon the real estate scene offering American's great options for elegant 2nd homes. The north and west coast have the most options with the south coast more barren and the east coast defined by the capital of Kingston. Our MCE Vacations take place in one of 2 locations, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay or Negril. You get a close up look at that destination and an overview of the other two.
Montego Bay, on the northwest coast, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean. It is Jamaica's second-largest city and a thriving port.
The heart of Montego Bay is Sam Sharpe Square. It is named in honor of the slave who led the bloody "Christmas Rebellion" of 1831, which helped to expedite emancipation on Jamaica. The square is a popular gathering spot, where vendors offer refreshments, snacks and T-shirts.
Montego Bay has some excellent examples of Georgian architecture, a style emphasizing classic proportions. A favorite is the Town House, built in 1765 for a wealthy sugar planter. It now houses a restaurant. The crafts market, where "higglers" (street merchants) hawk their wares and bargain with customers, is an exciting place to observe and even participate in what many people consider a game.
Outside Montego Bay lie several splendid plantations and great houses that may be toured. They are reminiscent of a time when sugar, the Caribbean's boom crop, generated great fortunes for Jamaica's large landholders. Rose Hall may well be the most renowned estate on the island. The opulent edifice was built between 1770 and 1780 by John Palmer, a custos, or "custodian," of the parish. Annie Palmer, the estate's second mistress, brought great notoriety to the estate, becoming known as "the white witch of Rose Hall." Her deeds ranged from cruelty toward slaves to the murder of her three husbands. At Croydon in the Mountains, a working plantation located outside Montego Bay in the interior of the island, tour guides explain how coffee, pineapples and other crops are cultivated and offer insight into Jamaican landforms, plantation life and history.
Though Ocho Rios is surrounded by natural beauty—waterfalls, tropical gardens and jungled mountains—the town itself, with all of 5,800 residents, is little more than a hodgepodge of modern strip malls and shopping centers catering to tourists. You can easily tour the town on foot in an hour or so, and if shopping is what you’re after, everything is conveniently side by side on Main Street. (Note that the main north coast highway is shown on some maps as “Main Road,” but it’s actually DaCosta Drive and not to be confused with Main Street.)
You’ll find the Jamaica Tourist Board Office on Main Street (upstairs in the Ocean Village Shopping Centre), along with banks, restaurants, the post office, the Ocho Rios Craft Market and the Vegetable Market. The markets are lively fun, but be prepared to deal with aggressive vendors and lots of noise.
Along the waterfront and within walking distance are high-rise resorts where you can swim, catch some rays and partake in your favorite water sport. The only historic site of interest is Ocho Rios Fort (near Reynolds Pier). The 17th-century structure has recently been renovated and contains two original cannons.
One of the most popular attractions in Jamaica is Dunn’s River Falls, a 15-minute drive west of Ocho Rios. You can climb the natural steps to the top of the 600-ft/180-m tiered waterfall or just gaze at the falls from a viewing platform. The falls can be slippery—wear a swimsuit and tennis shoes or swim socks.
Shopping for island-made products requires determination, shrewdness and a good eye. You’ll encounter many aggressive vendors along the way. This can be very intimidating if you’re not familiar with Jamaica. If you aren’t interested, a firm “No thank you” should suffice. Keep walking. If you do see something you like, expect to bargain: It is a time-honored tradition, always conducted with humor and mutual respect. Never pay a vendor the first asking price.
