Montego Bay |
Christopher Columbus was the first European tourist to step ashore at Montego Bay in 1494. Now the Spanish settlement that was founded in 1510 has grown into Jamaica's second city, but it is first choice for holidaymakers. The beaches in the area are picture-postcard perfect and visitors can choose from a variety of recreations, from bird watching to music festivals; golfing to riding a river on a bamboo raft.
The MoBay area also has some fascinating historical perspectives, not all of them pleasant, that live on in the legends and stories surrounding the few remaining great plantation houses belonging to dynastic families that grew rich from slave labour in past centuries. Several of these are open to the public.
Attractions
Bob Marley Experience
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 theatre and memorabilia store complex at the Half Moon Shopping Village in MoBay. Every hour on the hour, between 9am and 6pm daily, a free screening of a special documentary on Marley's life and music takes place in the 68-seat wide screen theatre.
Address: Half Moon Shopping Centre; Telephone: 953 3946; Opening time: Daily 9am to 6pm; Admission: Free
Doctor’s Cave Beach
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.
Telephone: 952 2566; Website: www.doctorscavebathingclub.com; Opening time: Open daily; Admission: J$350
Montego Bay Marine Park
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 centre 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 Centre and Headquarters, Pier One, Howard Cooke Blvd; Telephone: 952 5619; Website: www.mbmp.org
Rose Hall
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; Telephone: 953 2323; Opening time: Guided tours run throughout the day, between 9am and 5.15pm daily; Admission: US$15 (adults), US$10 (children under 12)
Excursions