Wrapped around a small bay with postcard-worthy snugness, Ocho Rios is a former fishing village that the Jamaica Tourist Board developed for tourism in the mid-1980s. While the constant docking of cruise ships make the area feel like a little of a tourit package, it has also endowed the town with an international eating scene and two distinct kinds of nightlife: rough-and-ready dance hall clubs and beach sound-systems versus karaoke nights and all-you-can-drink swimwear parties. The town makes an excellent base for active, solvent travelers who wish to explore the north coasts and partake in slick, well-managed ‘adventures’ such as zip-line tours, horseback riding and waterfall climbing.
You can keep yourself entertained in Ocho Rios for more than one day, but if you only have the one day let me steer you toward some of the sites you don’t want to miss.
Rio Nuevo
In 1658 it was the site of a clash between Spanish and British troops over who would possess the island. As we now know, the British won the fray.
You should visit Port Maria. Located on Pagee Beach, it has a number of well-preserved buildings of the colonial period.
This is the must-do destination within Ocho Rios — Dunn’s River Falls. he Dunn’s River cascades over a number of rock terraces on its way to the sea and a beautiful beach. The stepping stones of the falls allow easy access up and down their 600 feet, under a stimulating shower. There is a Dunn’s River feast every week with dancing, music and swimming.
Discovery Bay was established by the Spanish after Christopher Columbus’ arrival in 1494. The three-acre Columbus Park nearby has buildings from the Spanish colonial period.
Fern Gully
Fern Gully is a former river bed, it is now possible to walk three miles through the valley in the shadows of magnificent ferns (600 types) and hardwood trees.
There are still many working plantations at Prospect Estates and Brimmer Hall, model agricultural centers which the produce some of the island’s major exports, coconuts, bananas and citrus fruits. Tours of the estates include lessons on the life cycle of the banana plant and the proper way to carry a bunch of coconuts in a head basket.
Don’t forget to walk through the towns and visit some of the wonderful restaurants the island is known for.
