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Kingston CSO
You don't have to be a numismatist to enjoy the exhibits at this museum, which offers a fascinating look at Jamaica's history through its monetary system. It includes everything from glass beads used as currency by the Taíno Indians to Spanish gold pieces to currency of the present day. Ultraviolet lights enable the viewing of detailed features of historic bank notes. There's also a parallel exhibit on the general history of currency through world history.
Duke St., Kingston, Kingston, Jamaica
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed weekends
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Historic Home
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 property also hosts weddings and other events.
Granville Main Rd., Montego Bay, St. James, Jamaica
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $28 (tour only), $40 (tour with lunch), $52 plus 15% service charge (tour and rum tasting), $65 plus 15% service charge (tour, rum tasting, and lunch), 4 people minimum and 50 maximum per tour. Special arrangements can be made for tours on Fri. and Sat.
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Body Of Water/Waterfall
Steeped in lore, Blue Lagoon is one of Port Antonio's best-known attractions. The azure waters of this spring-fed lagoon are a contrast to the warmer waters of the ocean. How deep is it? According to legend it's bottomless, but it's been measured at 180 feet. There is no fee to access the lagoon, but there are unofficial guides who offer their services and try to make you believe that there is an entry fee. Also numerous vendors have set up at the entry hawking their wares and creating a noisy juxtaposition to the peaceful natural scenery of the lagoon.
Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica
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Steeped in lore, Blue Lagoon is one of Port Antonio's best-known attractions. The azure waters of this spring-fed lagoon are a contrast to the warmer waters of the ocean. How deep is it? According to legend, it's bottomless, but it's been measured at 180 feet. There is no fee to access the lagoon, but there are unofficial guides who offer their services and try to make you believe that there is an entry fee. Also, numerous vendors have set up at the entry hawking their wares and creating a noisy juxtaposition to the peaceful natural scenery of the lagoon.
Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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On the South Coast road to Negril, this relatively narrow stretch of sand and rock near the small community of Bluefields is typically crowded only on weekends and holidays. The swimming here is good, although the sea is sometimes rough; and you can get food (mainly jerk chicken and beer) from vendors. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming.
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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Museum/Gallery
The reggae legend was born and is buried at Nine Mile, in the parish of St. Ann, and today his former home is a shrine to his music and values. Tucked behind a tall fence, the site is marked with green and gold flags. Tours are led by Rastafarians, who take visitors through the house and point out the single bed that Marley wrote about in "Is This Love." Visitors also step inside the mausoleum where the singer is interred with his guitar, and there is a restaurant and gift shop. It is best to take a guided excursion from one of the resorts. If you're driving here yourself, be ready for some bad roads, and the hustlers outside the center are some of Jamaica's most aggressive.
Nine Mile, Calderwood Post Office, St. Ann's Bay, St. Ann, Jamaica
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $19
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The reggae legend was born and is buried at Nine Mile, in the parish of St. Ann, and today his former home is a shrine to his music and values. Tucked behind a tall fence, the site is marked with green and gold flags. Tours are led by Rastafarians, who take visitors through the house and point out the single bed that Marley wrote about in "Is This Love." Visitors also step inside the mausoleum where the singer is interred with his guitar. There is a restaurant, gift shop, and a marijuana farm.
If you're driving here yourself, prepare for some bad roads, and the hustlers outside the center are some of Jamaica's most aggressive; it's best to take a guided excursion from one of the resorts.
Calderwood Post Office, Runaway Bay, St. Ann, Jamaica
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $30
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Considered the birthplace of jerk-style cooking, Boston Bay is the beach that some locals visit just to buy dinner. You can get peppery jerk pork at any of the shacks spewing scented smoke along the small beach, perfect for an after-lunch dip, though these waters are occasionally rough and much more popular for surfing. Boards are available for rent. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); toilets; showers. Best for: snorkeling; sunrise; surfing; windsurfing.
Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica
Sight Details
Rate Includes: JMD $300
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Beach
A short drive east of Port Antonio is this destination for lovers of jerk pork. The recipe's origins go back to the Arawak, the island's original inhabitants, but modern jerk was perfected by the Maroons. Eating almost nothing but wild hog preserved over smoking coals enabled these former slaves to survive years of fierce guerrilla warfare with the English. Jerk resurfaced in the 1930s, and the spicy barbecue drew diners from around the island. Today a handful of jerk stands, known as the Boston Jerk Centre, offers fiery flavors cooled by festival (like a Southern hush puppy) and Red Stripe beer.
Rte. A4, east of Port Antonio, Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica
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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.
165 Jimmy Cliff Blvd., Montego Bay, St. James, Jamaica
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Museum/Gallery
Coyaba is a word from the Arawaks, the original inhabitants of Jamaica, meaning paradise. Learn about Jamaican heritage and history at the museum, and then discover what makes Jamaica a natural paradise through a guided 45-minute tour through the lush 3-acre garden and also see the beautiful waterfalls and stunning views. The complex includes a crafts and gift shop and a snack bar, and Mahoe Falls is a good spot for a quiet picnic or swim.
Shaw Park Estate, Shaw Park Ridge Rd., Ocho Rios, St. Ann, Jamaica
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10
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Historic Home
On Titchfield Hill, this fine example of elegant 18th-century Victorian architecture has period decor and furnishings. It's also next to other architecturally interesting buildings on Musgrave Street. Interested guests may choose to spend the night for $50 to $170, depending on the room category.
21 Fort George St., Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica
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Built in 1881 as the mansion of the island's first black millionaire, George Stiebel, who made his fortune from gold mining in South America, this National Heritage Site was bought and restored by the Jamaican government in the 1960s. Visit the two-story mansion, furnished with Venetian-crystal chandeliers and period reproductions, on a guided tour. On the grounds, there are restaurants, crafts shops, a bakery, and a spa. Probably the biggest draw is the Devon House I-Scream shop, where lines of locals form, especially on Sunday, to get a dip of their favorite ice cream, often rum raisin.
26 Hope Rd., Kingston, Jamaica
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $11 for house; free admission for grounds and shops
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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.
Jimmy Cliff Blvd., Montego Bay, St. James, Jamaica
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $8
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Seven acres of lush greenery make a popular respite from New Kingston's concrete jungle. Locals come to jog, play table tennis, see concerts, and relax. Clowns entertain children, and photographers take romantic pictures of couples by the fountain. At the south entrance, Redemption Song is a pair of monumental statues of slaves, a reminder of the island's colonial past.
Knutsford Blvd., Kingston, Jamaica
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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Market/Bazaar
To combine a cultural experience with lunch, stop by these stalls with names like Johnny Cool No. 1 and Shut's Night and Day, which offer local specialties. For just a few dollars, buy jerk chicken, curried goat, roasted fish, or mannish water (a goat's-head soup and reported aphrodisiac). Faith's Pen, one of several similar roadside places offering jerk, is 12 miles (19½ km) south of Ocho Rios.
Rte. A1, about 4 miles (6½ km) south of Rte. A3, , Jamaica
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Don't miss this natural canopy of vegetation, which sunlight barely penetrates. (Jamaica has the world's largest number of fern species—more than 570.) The winding road through the gully has been resurfaced, making for a smoother drive, and most tours of the area include a drive through this natural wonder. But to really experience it, stop and take a walk. The 3-mile (5-km) stretch of damp, fern-shaded forest includes many walking paths as well as numerous crafts vendors.
Ocho Rios, St. Ann, Jamaica
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Noël Coward's vacation home is now a national monument managed by Chris Blackwell's Island Outpost company. Although the setting is Edenic, the house is surprisingly spartan. Coward decamped uphill from his original home at Blue Harbour to escape the jet-setters who came to visit. He wrote High Spirits, Quadrille, and other plays here, and his simple grave is next to a small stage where his works are occasionally performed. Recordings of Coward singing about "mad dogs and Englishmen" echo over the lawns. Tours include a walk through the house and grounds. The view from the house's hilltop perch, which was a lookout for Captain Morgan, is one of the best on the North Coast. Firefly is also a perfect place to host weddings, picnics, photo shoots, stage shows, retreats, full-moon parties, and sunset cocktails. Contact Island Outpost (www.islandoutpost.com) for more information.
Ocho Rios, St. Ann, Jamaica
Sight Details
Rate Includes: $20
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Since 1888, this red-and-white-stripe masonry lighthouse has stood watch at the tip of Folly Point. Administered by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, the lighthouse is an often-photographed site near Port Antonio's East Harbour. The lighthouse is down a very rough road that looks abandoned. It is not advisable to go alone.
Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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A favorite photo stop, this structure, little more than ruins, was home to a Tiffany heiress. Built in 1905 and spanning 60 rooms, the house didn't last long because seawater, rather than freshwater, was used in the cement. The ruins have been featured in music videos. In August, the PAN Food Festival is held nearby at the Folly Oval. The property is down a rough road, and it is surrounded by a huge chain-link fence. However, the gate to the fence is wide open. The site is out of the way, and it is probably best not to go there alone.
Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free