This splendid 1770s mansion is the most famous great house in Jamaica. John Palmer, a wealthy plantation owner, and his wife, Rose (after whom the house…
Montego Bay & Northwest Coast
Home to the nation’s largest airport and a busy Caribbean cruise terminal, Montego Bay is many people’s first view of Jamaica before they get whisked off to the surrounding beaches, golf courses and all-inclusive resorts. So it's ironic that, barring MoBay's excellent dining scene, most of the area’s attractions are found outside Jamaica's second city. The north coast is replete with plantation-era history, from its well-preserved plantation houses to the historic core of Falmouth. Inland, adventure beckons, from hiking and spelunking in Cockpit Country – a roadless wilderness of hidden caves and eerily silent hills that is disorientating, even to hardened locals – to rafting and zip-lining through the jungle. Filling in the gaps is a dense network of small towns and tiny villages that pulsate with the rawness and romance of everyday Jamaican life.
Explore Montego Bay & Northwest Coast
- Rose Hall Great House
This splendid 1770s mansion is the most famous great house in Jamaica. John Palmer, a wealthy plantation owner, and his wife, Rose (after whom the house…
- Greenwood Great House
This marvelous estate, sitting high on a hill, is not as famous as Jamaica's most famous great house, but offers a far more intimate and interesting…
- HHampden Estate
A lane lined with palm trees leads you to the landscaped grounds of Hampden Great House estate, dotted with strutting peacocks. Tours assemble beneath a…
- NNational Museum West
This well-curated, revamped museum, peppered with period objects, takes you through the history of western Jamaica, from the Cohaba ceremonies of the…
- JJewish Cemetery
Established in the early 19th century, Falmouth's Jewish cemetery lay abandoned in recent decades before being restored, and contains the graves of the…
- Doctor’s Cave Beach
It may sound like a rocky hole inhabited by lab-coated troglodytes, but this is actually Montego Bay’s most famous beach and the one with the most…
- RRocklands Bird Feeding Station
This bird sanctuary is run by Fritz Beckford, a passionate champion of birds who will pour birdseed into your hand or provide you with a sugar-water…
- GGlistening Waters
Glistening Waters, also known as ‘Luminous Lagoon,’ actually lives up to the hype. Located in an estuary near Rock, 1.6km east of Falmouth, the water here…
- IIndigenous Rastafarian Village
If you want to learn about the Rastafarian movement, come out to this…hmmm...‘theme park’ is definitely not the right description. How about ‘living…
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Montego Bay & Northwest Coast.
- See
Rose Hall Great House
This splendid 1770s mansion is the most famous great house in Jamaica. John Palmer, a wealthy plantation owner, and his wife, Rose (after whom the house…
- See
Greenwood Great House
This marvelous estate, sitting high on a hill, is not as famous as Jamaica's most famous great house, but offers a far more intimate and interesting…
- See
Hampden Estate
A lane lined with palm trees leads you to the landscaped grounds of Hampden Great House estate, dotted with strutting peacocks. Tours assemble beneath a…
- See
National Museum West
This well-curated, revamped museum, peppered with period objects, takes you through the history of western Jamaica, from the Cohaba ceremonies of the…
- See
Jewish Cemetery
Established in the early 19th century, Falmouth's Jewish cemetery lay abandoned in recent decades before being restored, and contains the graves of the…
- See
Doctor’s Cave Beach
It may sound like a rocky hole inhabited by lab-coated troglodytes, but this is actually Montego Bay’s most famous beach and the one with the most…
- See
Rocklands Bird Feeding Station
This bird sanctuary is run by Fritz Beckford, a passionate champion of birds who will pour birdseed into your hand or provide you with a sugar-water…
- See
Glistening Waters
Glistening Waters, also known as ‘Luminous Lagoon,’ actually lives up to the hype. Located in an estuary near Rock, 1.6km east of Falmouth, the water here…
- See
Indigenous Rastafarian Village
If you want to learn about the Rastafarian movement, come out to this…hmmm...‘theme park’ is definitely not the right description. How about ‘living…