Things to do in Montego Bay

Montego Bay is a resort city on Jamaica's north-west coast. Columbus named the bay the Gulf of Good Weather. Things to do in Montego Bay split between the old town, a beach strip and long day trips.

The old town and the Hip Strip

The old town is small. Sam Sharpe Square is its centre, and the beach road known as the Hip Strip lies to the north.

• Sam Sharpe Square. Named for Samuel Sharpe, who led the Christmas Rebellion of 1831 and was hanged in Montego Bay the next year. The Cage, a lockup dating from 1806, stands on it.
• Jimmy Cliff Boulevard. The Hip Strip's official name, replacing Gloucester Avenue. Hotels, shops and restaurants line it.
• Doctor's Cave. A bathing club since 1906, with calm water. Day visitors pay an entrance fee.

Short trips from the city

• Rose Hall. A Georgian great house of the 1770s, east of the city. The White Witch story, about a planter's wife named Annie Palmer, is folklore, and historians doubt it. Night visits lean on it anyway.
• Luminous Lagoon. At Falmouth, where the Martha Brae River meets the sea, micro-organisms glow when the water is disturbed. Boats go out after dark.
• Rocklands. A bird sanctuary in the hills at Anchovy, where hummingbirds such as the Doctor Bird, Jamaica's national bird, drink from feeders held in the hand.

Where the long days go

Most tours in Montego Bay are day trips by minibus, collected at hotels. Some start at the cruise piers in Montego Bay and Falmouth, or from the Grand Palladium resort in Lucea. Check which pick-up your booking uses.

• East. Dunn's River Falls, the Blue Hole and Secret Falls, and Ocho Rios shopping. Falls days run eight to ten hours.
• Inland. Marley's village of Nine Mile, by group minibus or on a private day that adds Kingston.
• South. A boat safari on the Black River and the pools at YS Falls.
• West. Negril, for Seven Mile Beach and sunset at Rick's Cafe.

Practical

• Weather. Afternoons average 30C in January and 33C from June to September. Nights stay at 22C to 25C. October is the wettest month, with about 160 mm, and February the driest, with about 40 mm. Hurricanes are possible from June to November.
• Pick-ups. Many operators ask you to reconfirm the pick-up place and time a day ahead.
• Getting around. The airport lies inside the city, a short drive from the Hip Strip. Licensed taxis carry PPV or JUTA plates. Agree a price with the driver first.
• Tipping. Check the bill for a service charge. Without one, 10 to 15 percent is usual.