Known to its legions of perennial devotees as “Mo’Bay,” Jamaica’s second city and the location of the island’s busiest airport and cruise ship port is a full-on resort town catering to a plethora of needs. Those who merely want to kick back in their version of Margaritaville will find one of Jimmy Buffet’s signature restaurants on the main strip and innumerable beach bars serving feet-in-the-sand sundowners. Not to be overlooked, though, is Montego Bay’s strategic location as a point from which to explore inland or along the coast. For many, the real Jamaica starts where the hills begin.

Championship Golf

The Montego Bay area includes no fewer than five championship golf courses that are consistently ranked among the best courses in the Caribbean. The Robert Trent Jones, Senior-designed Half Moon Course hosts the Jamaican Open, while the Tryall Club’s PGA-approved shoreline course is the venue of the Jamaica Classic and Johnny Walker Classic. All courses offer golf carts and usually require players to hire a caddy for the round. While some courses are tied to resorts, non-guests can pay the reasonable green fees to enjoy a round or even sign up for a golfing workshop.

Beach Life

Above all, Montego Bay is a party town popular with both spring breakers and hedonists for its all-inclusive resorts where the fun never stops. Gloucester Avenue, in the center of town, has been dubbed the “hip strip,” according to the Lonely Planet website, and is an area running parallel to the beaches where you can catch some local jerk chicken and Red Stripe beer. With 15 miles of coastline lined with resorts, Montego Bay is a beach-lovers’ Mecca. While many of the resorts have bagged the best spots, the public Doctor’s Cave strip is raucous, busy and fun. For peace and quiet, on the other hand, head to the coves, ample shade and shallow waters of Walter Fletcher Beach.

Great Houses

Jamaica’s rich history is clearly visible in the Montego Bay area. Visitors can tour the 200-year-old Greenwood Great House, former home of English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, of “How do I love thee …” fame, which the Visit Jamaica site notes is one of the best preserved great houses on the island. Bellefield Great House captures both the decadence and hardship of plantation life, with antique furnished rooms in the 300-year-old house and lush tropical gardens on the 3,000-acre estate, where guests can sample freshly-pressed cane juice and aged rum. Lonely Planet calls the hilltop Rose Hall, built in the 1750s and restored in the 1960s, the most famous great house in Jamaica, not least because of its legendary ghosts.

Organized Tours

Jamaica’s rivers and waterfalls are a delightful consequence of its rugged, mountainous landscape. Numerous tours visit the Martha Brae River, 25 miles from Montego Bay, where lazy raft excursions glide downstream, poled by licensed guides who maneuver the 30-foot bamboo craft along a three-mile stretch of river. Rather more energetic are the open-air Jeep and ATV tours that head inland from Montego Bay along trails leading into the hills of the Jamaican back country, stopping off so you can hike through tropical forest and swim beneath hidden waterfalls.

About the Author

Nick Marshall is a UK-based writer specializing in trends and best-practice in the B2B sector.

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