Things to do in Northern Jamaica
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Dunn's River Falls
Widely held to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, these famous falls, on the A3, 3km west of town, are Jamaica’s top-grossing tourist attraction. As long as you’re not expecting a peaceful communion with nature, a morning here can be an enjoyable and invigorating experience. Join hands in a daisy chain at the bottom and clamber up the tiers of limestone that stairstep 180m down to the beach in a series of cascades and pools. The water is refreshingly cool and the falls are shaded by a tall rain forest and a number of magnificent tree specimens. Today, the place seems more like a man-made theme park than a natural wonder. The St Ann Development Company s…
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Puerto Seco Beach
The eastern side of the bay is rimmed with white-sand beaches. With its soft sand and limpid waters, Puerto Seco Beach, in the center of town, is a real charmer. Open to the public, it sports rustic eateries and bars and a fun park with a waterslide for kids not interested in sun-tanning. On weekends and holidays the beach is teeming, but during the week the place is often deserted. You can rent fishing boats, sea bikes and jet skis.
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Toscanini
One of the finest restaurants on the island, this roadside spot is run by two gracious Italians who mix local ingredients into recipes from the motherland. The daily menu ranges widely, encompassing such appetizers as prosciutto with papaya or marinated marlin and mains like lobster pasta, or shrimp sautéed with garlic and Appleton rum. Leave room for desserts such as strawberry tart or apple and plum strudel. Treat yourself!
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Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
This corporate franchise has turned getting drunk into big business. As with its counterparts in Montego Bay and Negril, the music is too loud and the drinks are too expensive, but some people find the orchestrated good-time vibe to be irresistible. The menu aims for the lowest common denominator with selections including the artery-clogging ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise’ and Caesar salads, pizzas and sandwiches.
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Turtle River Park
Near Island Village on Main St, this welcome new green space in the middle of downtown represents a positive new trend in Jamaica’s approach to urban development. The lushly gardened park with manicured lawns also provides a zone free from the hustle of the main drag.
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Scotchie’s
This roadside offshoot of the superlative jerk center in Montego Bay lies adjacent to an Epping Gas station just west of Dunn’s River Falls, where its pork, chicken and sausage water the mouths of locals and visitors alike.
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Turtle Beach
The main beach of Ocho Rios is the long crescent of Turtle Beach, stretching east from the Turtle Towers condominiums to the Renaissance Jamaica Grande Resort. There are changing rooms, and palms for shade.
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General Foods Supermarket
There’s a General Foods Supermarket and smaller grocery stores scattered along Main St. You can buy fresh produce at the produce market on the south side of DaCosta Dr near the clock tower.
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Island Village Beach
Island Village Beach, located at the west end of Main St, is a peaceful, small beach that offers lockers (US$5), towels (US$5) and beach chairs and umbrellas (US$5 apiece).
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Lady G’diver
Located at the new marina, Lady G’Diver is a full-service dive shop; dive boats leave at 11am and 2pm daily. It has a retail store, PADI instruction and equipment rentals.
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Harmony Hall
Six kilometers east of town, Harmony Hall has the best quality art. It’s renowned for its Christmas, Easter and mid-November craft fairs, and regular exhibitions.
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Jamaica Agricultural Society Shop
This organization has been championing the cause of the small farmer in Jamaica since 1895. Here you can buy local honey, spices and Blue Mountain coffee at a fair price.
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Michelle’s Pizzeria
In addition to four styles of pizza (including a ‘Hawaiian’ with pineapple), this causal spot serves an array of pastas and hero sandwiches to be eaten on a small patio.
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Taj Mahal
Soni Plaza and Ocean Village Plaza, both on Main St, host duty-free stores, including Taj Mahal, which offers a vast array of watches and jewelry.
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Mother’s
Mother’s, with several outlets, and Juici-Beef Patties are fast-food eateries serving patties and pastries (US$1).
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Juici-Beef Patties
Mother’s, with several outlets, and Juici-Beef Patties are fast-food eateries serving patties and pastries (US$1).
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Island Grill
Branch of the ubiquitous chain is good for take-out jerk dishes.
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Cove
This popular cove, adjacent to Dunn’s River Falls along the A3, allows you to swim with bottlenose dolphins. Three dolphin packages are offered, notably ‘Swim with Dolphins, ’ which grants you 30 minutes in the dolphin lagoon. Professional trainers direct the sociable dolphins, who display an almost goofy desire to please. For the most expensive experience, the thrill-seeker grabs the dorsal fins of two dolphins and is lifted from the water. Even more adventurous visitors can touch and feed sharks – under the Cove’s watchful supervision. And if direct contact doesn’t appeal, basic admission includes an aquarium and pools with tropical fish, sharks, stingrays and eels, as …
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Island Village
Since its 2002 opening, this self-contained entertainment park, at the junction of Main St and DaCosta Dr, has changed the face of Ocho Rios. The 2-hectare development, brainchild of resort and media visionary Chris Blackwell, claims to resemble a ‘Jamaican coastal village.’ It doesn’t. Quibbles aside, you will find a peaceful beach, upscale craft shops, a cinema, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville and Blue Runnings (both with bars and restaurants), a video-casino, Reggae Xplosion and a village green and amphitheater for live performances. The fences around the place reveal that this is not a public space, but rather a kind of daycare center for skittish, newly arrived cruise…
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Island Village Entertainment Park
Since its 2002 opening, Island Village Entertainment Park, at the junction of Main St and DaCosta Dr, has changed the face of Ocho Rios. The 2-hectare development, brainchild of resort and media visionary Chris Blackwell, claims to resemble a 'Jamaican coastal village.' It doesn't.
Quibbles aside, you will find a peaceful beach, upscale craft shops, a cinema, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville and Blue Runnings (both with bars and restaurants), a video-casino, Reggae Xplosion and a village green and amphitheater for live performances. The fences around the place reveal that this is not a public space, but rather a kind of daycare center for skittish, newly arrived cruise-ship…
reviewed
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World Beach
A curlicue spit, Bear Cay, hooks around the north side of the bay. World Beach, the lonesome 3km-long white-sand beach on the north side, has long been appreciated by savvy travelers for its good snorkeling, sunbathing and solitude. At the time of research, 75% of Bear Cay remained undeveloped. Hawksbill sea turtles - an endangered species - are regularly sighted coming to shore to lay eggs in the deep, soft sand.
The gorgeous beach lined with casuarina pines is an unheralded Jamaican treasure that ought to qualify for protected status. But change is coming fast. Construction is set to begin on a 1700-room resort, and few here are speculating on the fate of the turtles.
Yo…
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Green Grotto Caves
This impressive system of caves and tunnels, 3km east of Discovery Bay, extends for about 16km. The steps lead down into the impressive chambers, where statuesque dripstone formations are illuminated by floodlights. Pre-Columbian Arawaks left their artwork on the walls. Much later, the caves were used as a hideout by the Spanish during the English takeover of the island in 1655. Runaway slaves in the 18th century also took refuge here, and between the two world wars, the caves were used by smugglers running arms to Cuba. The highlight is Green Grotto, a glistening subterranean lake 36m down. The entrance fee includes fruit punch and a guided one-hour tour. Your guide will…
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Winnifred Beach
Thirteen kilometers east of Port Antonio, Fairy Hill is a small clifftop hamlet. A dirt road from here leads steeply downhill to Winnifred Beach - up until recently a great place to hang with 'real' Jamaicans.
At last visit, the vendors who had long done brisk business at Winnifred Beach had been evicted by the UDC and fence posts had been set up around the property. The UDC reportedly intends to develop the beach as an eco-attraction, but many local residents who have always enjoyed free access are wary of the plan. In February 2008 the government agreed to hear the lawsuit between local activists fighting to keep it accessible to local community, but at the time of writ…
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Dickie’s Best Kept Secret
Almost too well kept a secret for its own good, Dickie’s is an unsigned hut on the A4, less than 2km west of Port Antonio that offers enormous five-course meals in two small rooms perched over the sea. Dickie and his wife Joy promise to cook anything you want (provided they can get the ingredients). Invariably, the meal begins with a palate-cleansing fruit plate followed by soup and a callaloo omelette. Just when you think you can’t eat another bite, the main course – typically garlic lobster or fresh fish – arrives. Dickie’s has only a few tables, so reservations are essential. The owners serve no alcohol, but you may bring your own.
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