Montego Bay Jamaica Introduction- Nightlife- Attractions
On the northwest coast of the island of Jamaica. This flat coastal area along Montego Bay has lush mountain areas to the south. Mo Bay,' is the most popular tourist spot in Jamaica. Despite its reputation for crime, tourists flock here for its beautiful beaches, top-rate golf courses, and bustling town near the main airport. The ‘hip strip,' along Gloucester Avenue, is constantly abuzz with restaurants, nightclubs and shops, and it's a huge port for American cruise ships. It may be noisy and untidy in some places, but Montego Bay is also lively and colorful. The town is divided into three sections: the hotel area, the city itself, and then the outlying beach and hillside areas.
Beach
Low mountains and the sparkling clear aqua sea make the bustling Doctor's Cave Beach the nicest place to relax in the sand with a cold drink or check out open-air restaurants, stores and water sports. The water is calmer at Walter Fletcher Beach, where there are water sports ranging from water trampolines to jet-skis. Scuba divers seek out the wall in Airport Reef, in the Montego Bay Marine Park, known for its coral caves, tunnels and steep canyons.
Beyond the beach
Montego Bay has several championship-level golf courses, including Ironshore SuperClubs (Breezes), Tryall (North Coast Highway, Sandy Bay) called ‘one of the meanest golf courses in the world,' and the White Witch (Ritz-Carlton). Blue Mountain Bicycle Tours (121 Main St., Ocho Rios) offer exercise, spectacular scenery and ends with a swim in a waterfall. The island's sole casino, Coral Cliff, is located on the hip strip. Ever hour, in the Half Moon Shopping Village (Half Moon Resort, North Coast Highway, 11km/7 miles east of Montego Bay), a video documentary on reggae pioneer Bob Marley is shown. For a little spook, visit Rose Hall (North Coast Highway), the plantation that was once home to the voodoo-using murderess Annie Palmer.
Exploring further afield
Just west of Montego Bay is Lucea, a coastal town with a 17th-century fort. Just east of there is Falmouth, a town filled with old churches and interesting architecture. At night, take a boat ride through its Luminous Lagoon and see glow-in-the-dark fish. If you're a fan of Jamaica's jerk spice, you can tour the King Pepper factory that produces much of the jerk seasonings.
Montego Bay Jamaica Hotels / Resorts
Most of the Montego Bay area's first-rate sights, such as the great houses, lie outside the city. But the downtown area does at least merit a morning of your time for a look around. Everyone at some point seems to stroll Gloucester Avenue, home to hotels, restaurants, shops, street vendors, taxi drivers, and hair braiders. From there, it's possible to make a brief tour of the town. If you can tear yourself away from the beach to take some excursions, here's the pick of the litter. Tours & Cruises--Croydon Plantation, P.O. Box 1348, Catadupa, St. James (tel. 876/979-8267), is a 38km (24-mile) ride from Montego Bay. It can be visited on a half-day tour from Montego Bay (or Negril) on Tuesday and Friday. Cruise-ship passengers can visit on Wednesday. Included in the $50 price are round-trip transportation from your hotel, a tour of the plantation, a taste of tropical fruits in season, and a barbecued-chicken lunch. Most hotel desks can arrange this tour, which is rather touristy and not worth a half-day for most visitors. A Hilton High Day Tour, booked through Beach View Plaza (tel. 876/952-3343), includes round-trip transportation on a scenic drive through historic plantation areas. Your day starts with continental breakfast at an old plantation house. You can roam the 40 hectares (100 acres) of the plantation and visit the German village of Seaford Town or St. Leonards village nearby. Calypso music is played throughout the day, and a Jamaican lunch is served at 1pm. The cost is $55 per person for the plantation tour, breakfast, lunch, and transportation. Tour days are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Day and evening cruises are offered aboard the Calico, a 17m (55-ft.) gaff-rigged wooden ketch that sails from Margaritaville on the Montego Bay waterfront. An additional vessel, Calico B, also carries another 40 passengers. You can be transported to and from your hotel for either cruise. The daily voyage departs at 10am and returns at 1pm offering sailing, sunning, and snorkeling (with equipment). The cruise costs $35. On the Calico's evening voyage, which goes for $25 and is offered daily from 5 to 7pm, cocktails and wine are served as you sail through the sunset. For information and reservations, call North Coast Cruises (tel. 876/952-5860) a few days in advance. Montego Bay Tours - Provides details of various Montego Bay and cross-island tour packages on offer. |
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Nightlife
is not guaranteed at Montego Bay's top hotels. In winter the restaurants and bars of the Ritz-Carlton or Half Moon have the most diverse amusements. After dark it's sleepy at Round Hill and Tryall.
The following clubs attract mainly a crowd of 20- to 40-somethings.
The number-one nightspot in Mo Bay is a two-in-one restaurant, Marguerite's Seafood by the Sea and Margueritaville Sports Bar & Grill, Gloucester Avenue (tel. 876/952-4777), across from the Coral Cliff Hotel. It specializes in moderately priced seafood and margaritas served on a breezy terrace overlooking the sea. The sports bar and grill features a 33m (110-ft.) Hydroslide, live music, satellite TV, a sun deck, a CD jukebox, and a straightforward menu of seafood, sandwiches, pasta, pizza, salads, and snacks-nothing fussy.
Cricket Club, at Wyndham Rose Hall (tel. 876/953-2650), is more than just a sports bar; it's where people go to meet and mingle with an international crowd. Televised sports, karaoke singalongs, tournament darts, and backgammon are all part of the fun. It's open daily from 8pm to 2am; there's no cover.
We've enjoyed the atmosphere at Sun Daze, 39 Gloucester Ave. (tel. 876/952-9391), which has an authentic Jamaican laid-back feel-complete with a constant flow of calypso and reggae music from as early as 10am daily (for the diehards) until 2am. This restaurant/club draws an equal mixture of locals and visitors, nearly all under age 40.
If you want to stick to the more familiar, try Witches Nightclub, Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort (tel. 876/953-2485). Nonguests of the hotel can pick up a pass at the front desk for $85, which allows them all-inclusive privileges at the nightclub. The pass includes a buffet and all the drinks and dancing you can handle. The house/disco/jazz music is as imaginative as what you'll find at a club in the United States. It's open daily from 6pm to 2am. |
Barrett Adventures - Barrett Adventures - Specializing in tours off the beaten path; offers image galleries and details of its customized guided tours. Car Hire Guide - Car Hire Guide - Jamaica car hire offers car rental in all major cities of Jamaica from 250 USD. Images of Jamaica - Images of Jamaica - Over 400 photographs from Kingston, to Montego Bay, to Negril, showcasing mountains, beaches and rivers of Jamaica. Island Car Rentals - Island Car Rentals - Offers car rental and ground transportation services in Kingston, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay; features details of services offered, company profile, fleet guide and online reservations. Realistic Journey's - Jamaica - Realistic Journey's - Jamaica - Diary of a trip to Jamaica, along with links to Jamaica tourism sites, and pictures of Jamaica, Port Antonio, Ocho Rios, and the Local Diasporiac Flavor. See Caribbean - Jamaica - See Caribbean - Jamaica - A comprehensive business directory and travel guide. Information of use to the visitor, investor or potential resident. |
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