Moon Author's Review
Unless your goal is to simply loaf on the beach, or you happen to be staying in a destination resort or villa that's too comfortable to leave, Ocho Rios is not a place to spend more than a few days if you're trying to see other parts of the island in a short period of time. It's the most practical base, however, for a number of key attractions, including Dunn's River Falls, Dolphin Cove, Nine Mile, Walkerswood, Seville Great House, White River Valley, Prospect Plantation, and the Rio Nuevo battle site. Oracabessa is only a half hour away, and there are a couple of good farm tours in that vicinity, in addition to James Bond Beach and Stingray City, which are popular attractions themselves.
Most of these sights are serviced by organized tours that generally consume the better part of a day. If you're driving yourself or have chartered a taxi, however, there's far more flexibility to fit in a string of activities in a day, and there's no reason you can't spend the morning horseback riding at Seville Heritage park and then stop by Dunn's River to cool off and climb the falls on the way back to Ochi. Most developed attractions have factored transportation into their formula, and while they certainly profit by it, it's often worth letting someone else do the driving given the potholed roads and the lack of clear signage. Car rentals in Jamaica are typically very expensive, as is fuel.
Several annual events make a stay in Ocho Rios all the more worthwhile. During Easter, Jamaica's carnival season is in full force with events east and west of Ocho Rios along the coast.
