Jamaica is considered one of the richest countries in the entire Caribbean in terms of attractions. However, they are all located in different parts of the island, so you will have to ride for the impressions. See JIBIN123 for Jamaica customs regulations and visa requirements.
Architecture
Not far from Montego Bay is the 19th century Belvedere Estate. It is a kind of museum of the era when the slave system reigned in Jamaica. Here you can see a dam built by slaves, sugarcane plantations where slaves worked, and the house itself is stylized as a building of the 17th century. You can explore the estate on your own or with a guided tour, in the second case, the price includes a traditional Jamaican lunch with live music.
In Montego Bay itself, it is worth visiting the Appleton Estate rum factory. Tours are conducted around the factory, where you can learn the history of Jamaican rum, see the process of its creation and taste several varieties.
The architecture of Spanish Town is all designed in the spirit of the 17th century, even new houses are built here only in this style so that they fit into the urban landscape. The main local attraction is the Rodney Memorial. It was built in honor of Admiral George Bridges Rodney, the commander-in-chief of the British army, who defended the city and prevented the French-Spanish army from capturing it. On the sides of the memorial are guns, from which they annually fire a volley in honor of this victory. There is a legend that these guns were taken from the French in that very battle.
St. Catherine’s Cathedral in Spanish Town is one of the oldest architectural monuments in Jamaica. It was built in the 17th century, and even wooden carvings and clay moldings have been preserved on it.
Rose Hall Mansion is one of Jamaica’s most mysterious landmarks. It is located 20 minutes by car from Montego Bay and is known as the home of the legendary Anya Palmer, sometimes called the White Witch of Jamaica (white – purely because of the color of her skin). According to legend, Ani wielded voodoo magic and killed her husband in order to take possession of his estate, and then began to seduce slaves, who in the morning suffered the same fate as her husband. In 1965, the new owners of the house opened a museum here, but legends about the ghost of a woman who walks the stairs and sighs are still alive.
Adventure lovers will love the old town of Port Royal, where pirates used to live. Today it houses the Maritime Museum, the defensive Fort Charles, and a unique 45-degree stilt house.
There is a Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, it is located in the house where the musician lived since 1975. The house is very bright, painted with portraits of Marley and colorful graffiti. The layout remained intact – as during the life of the singer, however, several rooms were completed: a library, a recording studio for the musician’s children, and his daughter’s branded clothing store.
On the walls of the museum you can see not only drawings, but also bullet holes left after the assassination attempt on the reggae legend.
The rooms of the museum contain Bob Marley’s favorite star-shaped guitar, his stage costumes, gold records and CDs, awards and magazine clippings.
4 things to do in Jamaica:
- Ride ostriches in the famous Keshu Park on the south coast of the island.
- Watch the sunset from the 2220m high Blue Peak in eastern Jamaica. Then visit the coffee planter’s estates to sample some of the world’s finest freshly brewed Blue Mountains
- Rafting on the Martha Brae, Black River and in the Mountain Valley
- Hand feed a hummingbird at Montego Bay Nature Reserve.
Nature
The Dunn’s River Falls are one of the most beautiful places on the entire island. They are located in the middle of a real jungle, their height is 55 m. Near the waterfalls there is a beach where you can swim. The most desperate can climb to the top on foot – the stones are very slippery, so it is recommended to be as careful as possible and not go there alone.
All tourists at the waterfalls are met by the donkey Bunny, with whom you can take a picture – this is a long-term tradition and a local attraction.
You can get to the waterfalls on tourist buses that leave from Ocho Rios every day at 10:00.
Another very picturesque place is the Blue Lagoon. People come here not only for spectacular views: it is believed that local water has a very beneficial effect on the skin.
Near the port city of Falmouth, there is a luminous lagoon – microorganisms live there, whose chitinous cover glows bright turquoise in the dark.
The highest point of the island – Blue Peak – is located in the Blue Mountains (Blue Mountain). Its height is 2147 m, and from this peak the most beautiful views of the entire island open up. It is believed that it is best to meet the dawn here, and in order to see the first rays of the sun, the ascent must begin at dusk. For those who wish, there are organized walking tours.
On the south coast, in Lakovia, there is an ostrich farm – Cashoo Ostrich Park, where you can feed ostriches and ride them.
Leisure
Rafting is popular in Jamaica – a trip along the river on a bamboo raft, during which you can admire plants of rare beauty on the banks, as well as catamaran rides and snorkeling in coral bays. The most popular places for this are the Great River near Montego Bay, the Black River near Ocho Rios and the Rio Grande near Port Antonio.
The best waves for surfing and windsurfing can be found on the northeast and southeast coasts, where there are equipment rentals and instructors on popular beaches. For diving, the usual choice is the coral reef and the surroundings of the sunken Port Royal.