8 Best Sights in Jamaica

Renovated and reopened in 2021, this massive park is the top attraction in the center of Montego Bay. In addition to its large beach, it features a multipurpose sports court, a jogging trail, a park, and a kiddies play area. Wi-Fi is available and there are a few shops selling snacks and drinks. You can also rent chairs and an umbrella. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

In the 1700s, it may well have been one of the greatest great houses in the West Indies. Today it's popular less for its architecture than for the legend surrounding its second mistress, Annie Palmer. As the story goes, she was born in 1802 in England, but when she was 10, her family moved to Haiti. Soon after, her parents died of yellow fever. Adopted by a Haitian voodoo priestess, Annie became skilled in the practice of witchcraft. She moved to Jamaica, married, and became the mistress of Rose Hall, an enormous plantation spanning 6,600 acres with more than 2,000 slaves.  A spooky nighttime tour of the property—recommended if you're up for a scare—is offered every evening. After the tour, have a drink at the White Witch pub, in the great house's cellar.

A direct link to the past this imposing great house has stood since 1735 on the Barnett Estate, a 3,000-acre plantation owned by the Kerr-Jarrett family for generations. Mangoes, sugarcane, and coconuts are still grown on the property. Jamaican cuisine is emphasized in the recently revamped "Taste of Jamaica" tour. The great house and its environs have also been renovated to replicate the splendor of the sugar estate in previous centuries. The tour includes a cane pressing and sugar boiling demonstration, and rum tasting and lunch are available at an additional cost.

The downstairs of this two-story venue, which is the top entertainment spot on the Hip Strip, is billed "the fun factory" and offers arcade games for the entire family. Upstairs, adults can try their luck at the slot machines and table games. There's also a restaurant and bar, along with a shop serving ice cream, desserts, and snacks. Enjoy live music Wednesday to Saturday and karaoke on Mondays.

Located along Montego Bay's touristy Hip Strip, this famous beach first gained notoriety for its waters, said to have healing powers. It's a popular beach with a perpetual spring-break feel. The clubhouse has changing rooms, showers, a gift shop, and a restaurant. You can rent beach chairs, pool floats, and umbrellas. Its location within the Montego Bay Marine Park—with protected coral reefs and plenty of marine life—makes it good for snorkeling and glass-bottom boat rides. Chairs, umbrellas, and pool floats are available to rent for $7 per item for the day. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; snorkeling; sunset; swimming.

This historic great house may not have a spooky legend to titillate, like Rose Hall, but it's much better at evoking life on a sugar plantation. The Barrett family, from whom the English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning descended, once owned all the land from Rose Hall to Falmouth; on their vast holdings, they built this and several other great houses. (The poet's father, Edward Moulton Barrett, "the Tyrant of Wimpole Street," was born at nearby Cinnamon Hill, later the estate of country singer Johnny Cash.) Highlights of Greenwood include oil paintings of the Barretts, china made for the family by Wedgwood, a library filled with rare books from as early as 1697, fine antique furniture, and a collection of exotic musical instruments. There's a pub on-site as well. It's 15 miles (24 km) east of Montego Bay.

This lounge has become a favorite for gamers and nongamers alike. It houses a full restaurant and sports bar serving tasty apps and entrées. Visitors can try their luck at any of the 214 machines available here, including an assortment of virtual tables and slot machines.

A great place to spot birds, this sanctuary is south of Montego Bay. The station was the home of the late Lisa Salmon, one of Jamaica's first amateur ornithologists. Here you can sit quietly and feed a variety of birds—including the doctor bird (also known as the streamer-tail hummingbird), recognizable by its long tail—from your hand.