Montego Bay Travel Guide
Travel guide to Montego Bay , Jamaica with comprehensive information about events, shopping, and major Montego Bay sporting events to help you enjoy your visit more.
Montego Bay Overview
The island of Jamaica lies south of Cuba, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region, a place that attracts visitors from all over the world to its well-developed resorts and beautiful beaches. Jamaica has a uniquely rich and vibrant culture, a famously laid back pace of life, beautiful scenery, and an enviable reputation for friendliness, which ensures that visitors come back year after year to recapture the pleasures that Jamaica offers.
Montego Bay is the main point of entry to the north of Jamaica, and although the town is down at heel there is a great deal of interesting architecture, and a few great markets to hunt for bargains at. MoBay - as it is known locally is mainly a place people pass through, rather than stay in, and although there are one or two really nice resorts close to the town, it is not the holiday paradise that you might expect.
If you want to find that place, then head to Negril instead, a laid back, easygoing beach bum's paradise of white sands, where you can find shade beneath palm trees and spend long days lazing in the sun with a glass or two of rum. The hotels that you find around Negril are just about the best that you can find on the island, and with it being the island's main tourism centre, there is plenty of high quality, and most importantly, safe nightlife locally.
Top Montego Bay Attractions
For most visitors to Jamaica, the most important attractions come in the form of the beautiful beaches that surround the island. If you can drag yourself off your sun lounger for the day then there are plenty of great things to occupy yourself with.
The capital city of Kingston has a number of museums, including one to the life of the island's most famous son - Bob Marley. Set in his childhood home, the Bob Marley Museum, Kingston features a number of unique exhibits to help you to get information about the king of reggae.
Make sure you visit the famous Dunn's River Falls near Ocho Rios. Here, you can take a dip in the warm water of the river after trekking through the jungle. This popular excursion is offered by most hotels, and can be arranged locally at a small charge.
Shopping in Montego Bay
In Montego Bay itself, you can find all you need to make sure your holiday goes as planned. Everything from designer sunglasses through to amusing wigs is available at the mixture of market stalls and upmarket boutiques around the city. Particular bargains include rum, and with a number of individual distilleries on the island, the chances are that you will be able to find something that you like - and even if you don't, you can still enjoy sampling them all!
Montego Bay Sporting Events
The warm, clear seas around Jamaica's coastline are ideal for scuba diving, and there are a number of reefs where you can get up close and personal with some startling sea life. Sailing is also popular, and you can easily charter a boat for the day and explore.
Deep Sea Fishing is available in Jamaica, and there are some notable marlin runs just offshore. Boat trips can be booked on the day and all the equipment and beer required is usually built into the price.
Cricket is a popular sport for both spectators and players, and aside from the annual test match series that are played in Kingston, there are plenty of local teams that are worth watching - not to mention the pick up games of beach cricket that take place on the sands and are great fun.