Sun yourself on the dazzling white sands of Doctor’s Cave Beach, or snorkel in Jamaica’s still, warm waters on your first trip to Montego Bay. Away from the beach, Gloucester Avenue bustles with restaurants and reggae bars. Return for a trip to see fiery orange sunsets in nearby laidback Negril.
Montego Bay lies on the north-west coast of Jamaica, and serves as a gateway for both air and cruise passengers onto the island. Major resorts and spas cluster along the soft white-sand beaches, north of the city. Sam Sharpe Square is the bustling centre of Montego Bay and fans out onto grid-like streets that thrive with markets and street vendors. Most of the action takes place on hip Gloucester Avenue, a street pulsing with restaurants, clubs, hotels and souvenir shops.
Spend a few hours exploring Sam Sharpe Square and its lively duty-free markets selling jewellery, perfume and leather goods. Then snorkel among the colourful tropical fish at Doctor’s Cave Beach. At night, head to Gloucester Avenue for a spicy jerk-chicken dinner at a beachside shack, or dig into a plate of fresh seafood on a terrace overlooking the water. Top off your night at one of the many reggae bars on the avenue.
Luxury spas along the coast offer soul-cleansing spa treatments. Feeling refreshed? Then take a stroll around the Rose Hall Great House, home to Annie Palmer, the White Witch, whose spirit still haunts this 18th-century plantation house. Catch a spectacular sunset at Rick’s Café in easygoing Negril or if you’re a music fan, visit Nine Mile, the birthplace of reggae icon Bob Marley.
