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Bob Marley MuseumCity/Region: Kingston
Jamaica's world famous son, singer-songwriter Bob Marley, was responsible for making reggae music a global phenomenon. The popular Rastafarian became a cult figure even before his death caused by cancer in 1981 when he was 36 years old. The museum devoted to his memory is the most-visited sight in Kingston. The simple clapboard house was where Marley lived and recorded his music until he died, and is now packed with Marley memorabilia. There are also screenings of a movie about the singer's
life.
Address: 56 Hope Road
Phone Number: 927 9152
Website: www.bobmarley-foundation.com/museum.html
Hours: Monday to Saturday from 9.30am until 4pm (tours run every hour)
Admission: J$500 (adults), J$400 (students and children 13-18), J$200 (children 4-12)
National GalleryCity/Region: Kingston
Jamaica's important art collection is often overlooked by tourists, but is well worth visiting. The gallery displays the works of Jamaica's talented artists, particularly that of Edna Manley, 19th century sculptor and wife of a former prime minister of Jamaica. Manley's acclaimed Ghetto Mother stands in the main lobby of the national gallery, along with a bronze statue by Christopher Gonzalez of reggae singer Bob Marley. Other highlights of the collection are the religious works of Mallica Reynolds, who has been hailed by art critics as a modern genius.
Address: Roy West Building, Kingston Mall, 12 Ocean Boulevard
Phone Number: 922 1561
Website: www.galleryjamaica.com
Hours: Tuesday to Thursday 10am to 4.30pm, Friday 10am to 4pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm. Guided tours are available
Admission: J$100 (adults), concessions available
Devon HouseCity/Region: Kingston
Devon House is one of numerous preserved historic mansions in Jamaica that depict the glory of days gone by. This house was built in 1881 by George Stiebel, a wealthy Jamaican who became one of the first black millionaires in the Caribbean on the strength of his mining interests in South America. In the grounds are craft shops, restaurants, a bakery and pastry shop. The venue is also famous for its delicious ice cream.
Address: 26 Hope Road
Phone Number: 929 6602
Email Address: devonhouse@cwjamaica.com
Website: www.devonhousejamaica.com
Hours: Tours are from Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 5pm. The shops are open Mondays to Saturdays from 10am to 6pm, the restaurants close at 10pm. Public garden and park is open daily 9.30am to 10pm
Admission: J$300, (adults), J$100 (children under 12); including guided tour
Hope Botanical GardensCity/Region: Kingston
This 20-hectare (50-acre) oasis of beauty in the middle of downtown Kingston features pleasant paths that meander past manicured lawns and tranquil gardens, including a cactus garden, orchid house, a forest garden and an ornamental pond. The gardens are situated next to the campus of the University of the West Indies, and also contain a small zoo and interesting aviary.
Address: Old Hope Road
Phone Number: 927 1257
Hours: Gardens: daily 6am to 6pm. Zoo daily 10.30am to 5pm
Admission: Gardens: free. Zoo: J$20 (adults), J$10 (children 4-12)
Spanish TownCity/Region: Kingston
The neighborhood known as Spanish Town is on the western outskirts of Kingston and was capital of the island under Spanish rule between 1662 and 1872. Today the architecture is an interesting mix of Spanish and British Georgian, and there are some historic attractions to explore. St James Cathedral is the oldest Anglican church outside England, having been built in 1523. The Jamaican People's Museum of Crafts and Technology showcases some vintage farm implements, musical instruments and pottery, and the Town Square is overlooked by the Old King's House, former residence of Jamaica's British governors that once hosted Admiral Lord Nelson and Captain Bligh of HMS Bounty fame. Spanish Town also has a very busy, colorful local market in the Town Square.
Port RoyalCity/Region: Kingston
Port Royal was once a 17th century haven for a variety of hedonistic pirates and malcontents dedicated to looting Spanish vessels throughout the Caribbean. One morning in 1692, however, an earthquake and tidal wave destroyed most of the town along with a couple of thousand residents. Today the former haunt of notorious pirates like Henry Morgan, Blackbeard and Calico Jack is just a fishing village, sited at the tip of a narrow peninsula stretching across the entrance to Kingston's harbor. The village can be reached by ferry from West Beach Dock, Kingston, in about 20 minutes. Plans are underway at the site to transform the village into a living history museum. Relics of the town's wicked past can be seen at the Museum of Historical Archaeology, the Maritime Museum and Giddy House (a building that tilts at an angle). Fort Charles is the last remaining of six forts originally built to protect the port.
Blue MountainsCity/Region: Kingston
Jamaica's Blue Mountains offer an experience not usually expected in a Caribbean vacation: the chance to set off on a steep hike through a national park mountain range across streams and beside waterfalls, through a botanical wonderland. Hikers also pass by coffee plantations, because it is in these mountains that the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is cultivated and blended, so sought after that it has become one of the island's chief exports. Climbing from sea level, on the outskirts of Kingston, along trails up to the foggy peaks, hikers discover a complex series of ecosystems. En route to the mountains is the Blue Mountain Inn, one of Jamaica's most famous restaurants. Further on at Irish Town the Strawberry Hill resort is the premier place for food and lodging, having been frequented by the rich and famous. Those not planning to hike, but wishing to enjoy a vista of the mountains can picnic at Holywell National Recreation Park in the area (open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm).
Jablum Coffee CompanyCity/Region: Kingston
At the Blue Mountain hamlet of Mavis Bank on the trail to Blue Mountain Peak is the Jablum Coffee Company. The 100-year-old company is famous for its Blue Mountain coffee, and visitors can tour the working factory to watch the production process along with sampling the brew.
Address: Mavis Bank
Phone Number: 977 8015
Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 11am, and 1pm to 3pm
Admission: J$8 for tour (by appointment)
Doctor's Cave BeachCity/Region: Montego Bay
The story of Montego Bay's most famous beach began in 1906 when a group of doctors decided to found a bathing club on a beach property donated for the purpose by Dr Alexander James McCatty. Access to the small beach at the time was through a cave - hence the name Doctor's Cave. The cave was destroyed in 1932 in a fierce hurricane, but the bathing club has lived on and the beach has become legendary. The water, fed by mineral springs, is always crystal clear and has a temperature ranging between 78°F and 84°F (22°C and 28°C). Sir Herbert Barker, well-known British osteopath, claimed back in the 1920s that the waters of the beach have curative powers, which made the bathing spot even more alluring for foreign visitors. Today access to the beach, which is located in the middle of Montego Bay's 'Hip Strip', Gloucester Avenue, is controlled through a smart entrance way and a complex of changing rooms, showers, gift shops, and the 'Groovy Grouper' Beach bar.
Phone Number: 952 2566
Website: www.doctorscavebathingclub.com
Hours: Open daily
Admission: US$5
Rose HallCity/Region: Montego Bay
The Rose Hall Great House is one of Jamaica's most popular tourist attractions, particularly because of the Gothic horror legend surrounding the monstrous reign of the last mistress to live in the house. Stunningly beautiful Annie Palmer, known latterly as the 'White Witch of Rose Hall', was murdered in 1831, but not before she had rid herself of three husbands allegedly using voodoo magic. Annie herself was killed during a slave uprising on the estate, brought about by her battle with a slave girl for the love of the estate supervisor. The house, originally built in 1780, was abandoned after her death, but has now been restored. A gift shop and pub are in operation in the dungeon where the white witch is said to have imprisoned and tortured slave victims.
Address: Rose Hall Highway
Phone Number: 953 2323
Hours: Guided tours run throughout the day, between 9am and 6pm daily
Admission: US$15 (adults), US$10 (children under 12)
Montego Bay Marine ParkCity/Region: Montego Bay
The Montego Bay Marine Park is a large area of sea and shore located adjacent to the city of Montego Bay, proclaimed to protect some of Jamaica's best coral reefs and marine resources. The park is open to all, but has been divided into zones where different activities (for example various watersports and fishing) are allowed or restricted, to conserve the resources. The park's resource center is to be found at Pier One Marina on the waterfront in downtown Montego Bay, and provides information about park use and tours, as well as ecological presentations and use of a comprehensive reference library. Private operators also run undersea submersible tours of the reefs.
Address: Marine Park Resource Center and Headquarters, Pier One, Howard Cooke Blvd
Phone Number: 952 5619
Website: www.mbmp.org
Admission: Free
Bob Marley ExperienceCity/Region: Montego Bay
Although Jamaica's legendary reggae superstar, Bob Marley, lived in Kingston, his fame could not be ignored in Montego Bay. Devotees of the singer can satisfy their curiosity by visiting the Bob Marley Experience, a theater and memorabilia store complex at the Half Moon Shopping Village in MoBay. Every hour on the hour, between 10am and 6pm daily, a free screening of a special documentary on Marley's life and music takes place in the 68-seat wide screen theater.
Address: Half Moon Shopping Center
Phone Number: 953 3946
Hours: Daily 10am to 6pm
Admission: Free
FalmouthCity/Region: Montego Bay
The rather derelict Georgian port town of Falmouth is about 23 miles (37km) east of Montego Bay and makes for an interesting walking tour. Center of the town is Water Square, which features the Albert George Shopping and Historical Center, a market full of little craft stalls that dates from 1895. Also of interest is the former residence of John Tharp, notorious slave owner, and the town house of rich plantation owner Edward Barrett. St Peter's Anglican Church, dating from 1795, and the William Knibb Memorial Church (a chapel built in memory of Jamaica's enthusiastic Baptist abolitionist) are also worth a look. Also in the area of Falmouth are a crocodile farm and the Greenwood Great House, once owned by the family of well-known poet, Elizabeth Barret Browning.
Croydon in the MountainsCity/Region: Montego Bay
Jamaica's national hero, Samuel Sharpe, the slave who led the bloody 'Christmas Rebellion' of 1831 and helped to expedite the emancipation on Jamaica, was born on this still working plantation in the interior, 24 miles (39km) from Montego Bay. Three hour long guided tours of the Croydon coffee and pineapple plantation, run from Montego Bay, have become a must-see for every visitor to the island. Tours give visitors some interesting insights into coffee and pineapple production, as well as the chance to savour some of Jamaica's exotic fruits.
Phone Number: 979 8267
Website: www.croydonplantation.com
Hours: Tour days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 10.30am to 3pm
Dunn's River FallsCity/Region: Ocho Rios
Just about two miles (3km) west from the center of Ocho Rios is the popular beach and waterfall attraction of Dunn's River. The waterfall cascades down 600ft (183m) forming cool pools among slippery rocks, and a favorite tourist pursuit is to climb to the top of the falls with a guide, enjoying being splashed by cold, clear mountain water en route. There is a restaurant on the beach below.
Phone Number: 974 2857
Email Address: dunnsriver@udcja.com
Website: www.dunnsriverfallsja.com
Hours: Guided climbs daily between 8.30am and 4pm
Admission: US$15 (adults) and US$12 (children 2-11 years)
Dolphin CoveCity/Region: Ocho Rios
Alongside the Dunn's river Falls in Ocho Rios is Dolphin Cove, where visitors can swim with a family of Bottle Nose dolphins. The natural cove is surrounded by four acres of lush tropical rain forest. The cove is also home to other marine species such as rays, eels and sharks as well as tropical birds, like the macaw. There is a gift shop selling souvenirs.
Phone Number: 974 5335 (information), 9795 2272 (reservations)
Email Address: info@dolphincovejamaica.com
Website: www.dolphincovejamaica.com
Hours: Daily from 8.30am to 5.30pm. Dolphin programs daily at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm
Admission: US$45 (adults), children under 6 are free. Touch Encounter Program: US$67, Encounter Swim Program: US$129, Swim With Program: US$195
Green Grotto CavesCity/Region: Ocho Rios
Jamaica's most prominent natural attraction are the caves on the island's north coast, between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, just a few kilometers from Discovery Bay and Runaway Bay. The huge labyrinthine limestone cave found here is 5,003ft (1,525m) long and characterized by stalactites, stalagmites, overhead ceiling pockets, numerous chambers, light holes, and in its depths a subterranean lake. The caves have played an important role in Jamaican history, from when the Arawak Indians used them for shelter. They have been used as a hideout for Spaniards during the British take-over, a haven for runaway slaves, and even as a den for smugglers running arms to Cuba.
Address: Runaway Bay
Phone Number: 973 2841
Website: www.greengrottocavesja.com
Hours: Daily 9am to 4pm
Admission: US$20 (adults) and US$10 (children 4-12 years). 45-minute guided tour, hard hat rental and complimentary drink included
FireflyCity/Region: Ocho Rios
The cottage on the cliff above Port Maria, 20 miles (32km) east of Ocho Rios, Firefly was the holiday retreat of famed British playwright and composer, Sir Noel Coward. The house is now a national monument and has been preserved as Coward left it, complete with two grand pianos on which he composed some famous tunes. Coward is buried in the garden under a simple marble gravestone.
Address: Port Maria
Phone Number: 960 8134
Hours: Mondays to Thursdays, and Saturdays 9am to 5pm
Admission: J$10
Bob Marley MausoleumCity/Region: Ocho Rios
Reggae music fans from the world over make the pilgrimage to the famed singer/songwriter's grave site at the village of Nine Mile, about 40 miles (65km) south of Ocho Rios. Marley lived in the Nine Mile hamlet between the age of six and 13. The two-room shack in which he lived is open to view, filled with memorabilia, and alongside it is the mausoleum in which Marley and his half-brother are buried. The site also has a vegetarian restaurant and small shop. Reggae concerts are held at Nine Mile each year on 6 February, Marley's birthday.
Address: Nine Mile
Phone Number: 995 1763
Hours: The Bob Marley Center is open daily 9.30am to 6.30pm. Tours are available every 30 minutes
Admission: J$747
Columbus Park MuseumCity/Region: Ocho Rios
At Discovery Bay this varied and fascinating open-air museum has a vast collection of exhibits to explore. Visitors can stroll around under Pimento trees among artifacts like a tally, used to count bananas on the plantations; a water wheel; a canoe made from a solid piece of wood and a host of other weird and wonderful things.
Address: Discovery Bay
Phone Number: 973 2135
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm
Admission: Free
Seven Mile BeachCity/Region: Negril
The reason for Negril's recent boom as a tourist Mecca is centered on this seven-mile stretch of beautiful shoreline around Bloody Bay (so-called because of the fierce battle here between Columbus and the Arawak Amerindians) dotted with palm trees and carpeted with pristine white sand. Development has been restricted to palm-tree height, and despite the proliferation of guesthouses and hotels along the strip the natural beauty of the beach has not been compromised. It is now a beach renowned for showing off the world's smallest bikinis; in fact clothing is optional and generally the option is little or nothing! Expect to be hounded by hundreds of vendors, offering everything from hair braiding to illegal 'ganja' (marijuana).
Negril LighthouseCity/Region: Negril
The lighthouse on West End Road, built in 1894, is open to visitors every day. The climb to the top (100ft/30m) is arduous, up steep iron steps, but worth it for the breathtaking views of the coast afforded at the summit.
Address: West End Road
Hours: Daily 9am to 6pm (times can vary and it is worth checking up before visiting)
Rhodes Hall PlantationCity/Region: Negril
Visitors who tire of the beach can head for the countryside to a small estate, Rhodes Hall Plantation, a short distance east of Negril. Here guided horseback excursions give a glimpse of the magic and mystery of the Jamaican countryside, and you don't have to be an experienced rider to participate. Guides give some basic horsemanship tips and then take tourists off through the foothills, pointing out botanical wonders and regaling riders with stories and legends about local landmarks. The tours include riding through forests of banana and coconut palms and along a beach to Crocodile River (which really has crocodiles in residence). The riding tours last from half an hour to two hours, and are inclusive in the round-trip transportation from any hotel in the Negril area.
Phone Number: 957 6883
Email Address: rhodes@cwjamaica.com
Website: riding.rhodesresort.com
Hours: Daily 8.30am to 2.30pm
Admission: Rides cost from US$50 to US60
Mayfield FallsCity/Region: Negril
The 22 mini-cascades and numerous swimming holes that make up the Mayfield Falls site in the low-lying Dolphin Head Mountains make a memorable day trip from Negril. The falls are reached through an intriguing maze of country roads, and are difficult to find independently, so an organized tour is advised. Tours offer guided walks through bamboo-shaded cool water holes and splashing falls. It is essential to wear a swimsuit and to bring mosquito repellent. Some parts of the walk through the area involve natural whirlpools; in others blasts of water hit you from the rocks. There is an underwater cave to swim through, smooth rockslide areas and mini cliffs to dive from. This natural water park is edged and overhung with bamboo, flowers, vines, trees and shrubbery. Jamaican dishes are available at the eatery at the entry point.
Phone Number: Mayfield Falls Tour Office: 971 6580
Website: www.mayfieldfalls.com
Hours: Daily 9am to 6pm
Appleton Rum EstateCity/Region: South Coast
Nestling in the sugar cane fields of St Elizabeth parish, the Appleton Rum Estate near the village of Magotty offers the chance to find out all there is to know about the production of rum. There is a small museum with equipment and artifacts from the days gone by, and a resident donkey to demonstrate how sugar cane used to be crushed by turning the teeth of a mill. The estate's vast acreage is still planted with sugar cane, and visitors are shown how it is harvested, crushed, fermented, distilled and aged in handmade oak barrels. Then blending is explained, before the bottling is demonstrated and thirsty tourists can end off their visit at the tavern to sample the estate's rums and liqueurs.
Phone Number: 963 9215
Website: www.appletonrum.com
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 3.30pm
Admission: US$12
Black RiverCity/Region: South Coast
This town in St Elizabeth parish still displays relics of the days when it was one of the most influential in Jamaica, being a major producer of black textile dye before the days of synthetic dyes. Still to be seen along the waterfront are some old wooden buildings with colonnaded verandas and gingerbread trim, and the Invercauld Hotel, built in 1889, gives a hint of what the great houses of the town in its heyday were like. Today tourists stop off here mainly to take a boat safari on the Black River itself, which at 44 miles (71km) is Jamaica's longest river. Peat moss at the river bottom makes the crystal clear water appear black. The 90-minute boat tours take in the 125-square-mile (324 sq km) area of wetland known as the Great Morass, which is home to crocodiles and diverse birdlife. There are five tours a day leaving from the dock beside the Black River bridge.
Phone Number: 965 2513
Y.S. FallsCity/Region: South Coast
The YS falls, named for the initials of the original owners of the farm on which they are sited, are among Jamaica's most spectacular, consisting of a series of ten cascades. The YS farm is about 33 miles (53km) west of Mandeville and the falls are reached by walking across meadows and through woods. The falls are unspoilt and uncommercialized, and bathing is possible in the crystal-clear greenish pools. A wooden stairway leads to a platform beside the highest waterfall, and ropes are available for brave bathers who wish to play at being Tarzan in the pools below each fall. It is advisable to take a picnic.
Address: Y.S. Estate
Email Address: ysfalls@cwjamaica.com
Website: www.ysfalls.com
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am to 3.30pm
Admission: US$13 (adults), US$7 (children)
Milk River SpaCity/Region: South Coast
The Milk River Spa and hotel, about 30 miles (48km) southeast of Mandeville, is operated by Jamaica's Ministry of Tourism. Analysis of the mineral waters that flow from the nearby hills apparently show that they are richer than the waters of any of the leading European spas, and are reputed to cure numerous ailments like rheumatism, gout, neuralgia and liver disorders. There are two springs, baths and a public mineral water swimming pool open at weekends. The hotel is built against a limestone cliff above the baths. The mineral springs were discovered during the 18th century by an escaped slave.
Phone Number: 924 9544
Hours: The baths are open 24 hours a day for hotel guests and between 7am and 9pm for day visitors
Blue LagoonCity/Region: Port Antonio
Made famous by 14-year old Brooke Shields in the film 'Blue Lagoon', the sheltered cove is one of the most scenic spots in Jamaica and Port Antonio's most celebrated attraction. It is fed by underground mineral springs, and is believed by many to be bottomless, although it is estimated to be about 185ft (56m) deep. Surrounded by steep, green hillsides, the Blue Lagoon is a wonderful place to swim if one chooses to ignore the tales of sea monsters deep below the surface that are circulated by locals.
Phone Number: 993 7791
Hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Reach FallsCity/Region: Port Antonio
Reach Falls, on the Driver's River, is a strong contender for the 'most beautiful place in Jamaica', and are the island's loveliest natural waterfalls. A series of cascades tumble into pool after pool of clear, green water and the main falls thunder into a pool deep enough to dive into.
Address: Two miles (3km) from Manchioneal town center
Website: reachfalls.com
Admission: US$10
Rio GrandeCity/Region: Port Antonio
The Rio Grande has been used since 1911 as a means of transporting goods by bamboo rafts, particularly by banana farmers in the Rio Grande Valley who floated bunches of bananas on rafts to the end of the river at St Margaret's Bay. Today bamboo rafting trips are a major tourist attraction, offering an experience that showcases the natural beauty that the Portland area has to offer. Trips last between two and three hours, and the 30ft (9m) rafts can carry two passengers and are steered by skilled raftsmen who also act as guides. Rafts can be boarded at Berrydale or Grant's Level and end at the mouth of the Rio Grande at St Margaret's Bay.
Admission: Trips cost about US$45
BeachesCity/Region: Port Antonio
Port Antonio has some of Jamaica's most beautiful beaches, from free public beaches to managed beaches with facilities and charging an entrance fee. San San Beach is a private strip of sand that has warm and shallow waters, and some offshore reefs that are ideal for snorkeling. In winter the waves make this a perfect spot to windsurf. One of the region's prettiest beaches is Frenchman's Cove with its clear waters and white sand. During the 1960s a luxurious hotel resort, visited by the likes of Prince Philip and Elizabeth Taylor, occupied the headland, but has since closed down and fallen to ruin. The secluded cove at Boston Bay is perhaps more famous for its jerk stands than its public beach, with food stalls lining the road that serve jerk in all its forms. The waves, however, have raised its status as one of the best beaches in Jamaica for windsurfing.
Hours: San San Beach: daily 10am to 4pm, Frenchman's Cove: daily 9am to 5pm (closed Tuesdays)
Admission: San San Beach: US$8, Frenchman's Cove: US$3
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