Montego Bay Marine Park Credit: Christine Wolf Gagne
Paradise Park Credit: Visit Jamaica
international airport. Walter Fletcher and Doctor’ s Cave Beaches have been attracting visitors since the 1940s when the affluent came here to bathe in the warm water fed by mineral springs. Today, these beaches border Gloucester Avenue, the main tourist strip in MoBay.
DINING ON JERK AT SCOTCHIE’ S
One step inside Scotchie’ s to see the chef charring chicken on the large open grill and you know this is the real thing. Order your quarter chicken plate with a side of rice and peas at the walk-up counter. When they call your number, grab your barbecued chicken with the requisite jerk sauce, a spicy concoction of scotch bonnet peppers, pimento, garlic, nutmeg, and brown sugar. You’ ll need a cool Red Stripe beer to wash it down. They now have outposts in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Kingston.
RICK’ S CAFÉ, NEGRIL
Almost every day in winter, around 6 pm, folks head to Rick’ s Cafe to watch the sun set. People often dive off the cliffs near this sprawling bar and restaurant into the ocean below, 35 feet to be exact. But instead of heart-throbbing cliff jumping, plant yourselves down in a row of chairs and get ready for the nightly light show of reds, oranges, and pinks as the sun makes its descent.
RAFTING THE RIO GRANDE RIVER, PORT ANTONIO
Tucked in the foothills of the Blue Mountains overlooking twin harbors, the tranquil town of Port Antonio has attracted such luminaries in the past as J. P. Morgan, William Randolph Hearst, and Errol Flynn, who sailed in on his yacht, fell in love with the place, and proceeded to buy 60-acre Navy Island. This is the lush windward side of the island where the mountains slope down to such enchanting beaches as Frenchman’ s Cove. The highlight of a Port Antonio stay is a bamboo raft trip on the Rio Grande River, which rises in the mountains behind town. There’ s no whitewater here, just a gently flowing river that snakes between hills thick with spiky stalks of sugarcane and vibrant Poinciana trees.
gettingTHERE
United Airlines offers seasonal nonstop service from Dulles International Airport to Montego Bay Airport( MBJ). Remember to bring your passport and if you want to expedite service through passport control and customs, sign up for the VIP Club MoBay. The resorts of Montego Bay are only a 10 to 15-minute drive from the airport. Give yourself 90 minutes to reach Ocho Rios and 100 minutes to visit Negril. Port Antonio is best reached from Kingston’ s Norman Manley International Airport, a 2 ½-hour drive. Arrange transfers to your hotel in advance through a trusted taxi company like Island Transfer & Tours.
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