Ocho Rios

Introduction to Ocho Rios

If you come to Ochos Rios hoping to find eight rivers, you're bound to be disappointed. The and rivers here and you can have a lot of fun on them. You can ride down the White River on a bamboo float - even at night. Another popular tourist attraction is Dunn's River Falls, where you can clim a terraced slippery waterfall - it's a bit of a tourist trap but fun all the same. Coyoba River Garden is a better place to see the real Jamaica. Lush gardens filled with ponds and waterfalls and a museums with artifacts form Jamaican history make this an interesting place to visit.

In the town of Ocho Rios, there is a large open-air marketplace with about 150-200 stalls where local crafts are sold. It's within very easy walking distance of the Renaissance Grande hotel and rather hard to miss. This is a great place to wander, but be prepared before you go as in any similar market: leave all of your belongings behind and take only the amount of money you intend to spend, no more. And keep half of that in your pocket. There is some absolutely gorgeous craftsmanship there, but once it becomes known that you have a significant amount of money you will find it difficult to execute a transaction effectively with your chosen vendor. Practice your haggling skills before you go!

The port town of Ocho Rios used to survive on the strength of fishing and banana boats, but now it is the daily arrival of cruise ships full of tourists that keep the coffers full all along the northeast coast of Jamaica. Ocho Rios and its near neighbours Runaway Bay, Discovery Bay and Port Antonio are mainly clusters of holiday resorts and hotels, catering for package-deal holidaymakers and several celebrities who maintain their private retreats in the region.

Ocho Rios cannot claim to be a genuine Jamaican experience, and is filled with tourist paraphernalia. Because of the need to entertain thousands of fun-seekers, the natural and historical attractions of the area have been commercialised and controlled. There is plenty to see and do in between bathing and sun-worshipping on the magnificent beaches, from climbing up waterfalls to horseback riding through sugar cane plantations, or taking afternoon tea at the former home of British playwright/songwriter, Noel Coward.

The surrounding countryside at Ocho Rios (sited in the ‘Garden Parish' of St. Ann) is lush and tropical, with fern-clad cliffs and breathtaking waterfalls, and a self-drive tour of the region to take in the scenery, like a drive through the famous three-mile vine-draped Fern Gully, is well worthwhile.

Ocho Rios is a town dedicated to fun and sun, a crossroads of pleasure and leisure full of surprises and delights, in the centre of Jamaica's vacation wonderland.

Attractions

Bob Marley Mausoleum
Reggae music fans from the world over make the pilgrimage to the famed singer/songwriter's grave site at the village of Nine Mile, about 40 miles (65km) south of Ocho Rios. Marley lived in the Nine Mile hamlet between the age of six and 13. The two-room shack in which he lived is open to view, filled with memorabilia, and alongside it is the mausoleum in which Marley and his half-brother are buried. The site also has a vegetarian restaurant and small shop. Reggae concerts are held at Nine Mile each year on 6 February, Marley's birthday.

Columbus Park Museum
At Discovery Bay this varied and fascinating open-air museum has a vast collection of exhibits to explore. Visitors can stroll around under Pimento trees among artefacts like a tally, used to count bananas on the plantations; a water wheel; a canoe made from a solid piece of wood and a host of other weird and wonderful things.

Dolphin Cove
Alongside the Dunn's river Falls in Ocho Rios is Dolphin Cove, where visitors can swim with a family of Bottle Nose dolphins. The natural cove is surrounded by four acres of lush tropical rain forest. The cove is also home to other marine species such as rays, eels and sharks as well as tropical birds, like the macaw. There is a gift shop selling souvenirs.

Dunn's River Falls
Just about two miles (3km) west from the centre of Ocho Rios is the popular beach and waterfall attraction of Dunn's River. The waterfall cascades down 600ft (183m) forming cool pools among slippery rocks, and a favourite tourist pursuit is to climb to the top of the falls with a guide, enjoying being splashed by cold, clear mountain water en route. There is a restaurant on the beach below.

Firefly
The cottage on the cliff above Port Maria, 20 miles (32km) east of Ocho Rios, Firefly was the holiday retreat of famed British playwright and composer, Sir Noel Coward. The house is now a national monument and has been preserved as Coward left it, complete with two grand pianos on which he composed some famous tunes. Coward is buried in the garden under a simple marble gravestone.

Green Grotto Caves
Jamaica's most prominent natural attraction are the caves on the island's north coast, between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, just a few kilometres from Discovery Bay and Runaway Bay. The huge labyrinthine limestone cave found here is 5,003ft (1,525m) long and characterised by stalactites, stalagmites, overhead ceiling pockets, numerous chambers, light holes, and in its depths a subterranean lake. The caves have played an important role in Jamaican history, from when the Arawak Indians used them for shelter. They have been used as a hideout for Spaniards during the British take-over, a haven for runaway slaves, and even as a den for smugglers running arms to Cuba.

Ocho Rios Hotels and Resorts