Montego Bay

Jamaica's "vibes city," Mobay has been the principal hub of the island's tourism industry since the 1950s, with the country's most well-heeled duty-free shops and beaches. The close proximity of the area's hotels to the Montego Bay airport makes it a convenient destination for long-weekenders visiting from the United States and those looking to take advantage of the proximity of destinations on the western side of the island. Sangster International Airport receives most of Jamaica's three million annual tourists, and the surrounding region offers plenty of activities for day trips out of town, making the Mobay area the most popular place for visitors to Jamaica to find lodging. But the picture is not entirely pretty, and plenty of strife plagues the city, not least of which derives from growing squatter communities in and around town. Many visitors find in Montegonians, also known as "bawn a bays," a hard-edged, matter-of-fact idiosyncrasy that reflects the dual worlds coexisting in the energetic city. Perhaps a tumultuous history kept fresh by perpetuating injustices leads the city's inhabitants to despise the subservience inherent in a tourism-based economy out of pride, even if it is tourism that sustains the town. Montego Bay has been at the center of the island's economic picture since the days of the Spanish, and it is not lost on the local population that the city remains an economic powerhouse with its booming service economy.

Old timers recall the golden years of 1960s Mobay, when clubs like the Yellow Bird on Church Street, Club 35 on Union Street, and Cats Corner were brimming with tourists and locals alike. Taxis would carry guests from the hotels to the city center, where they would await patrons into the early morning hours to emerge from smoky cabarets bursting with live music. The Michael Manley era, which began in 1972, ushered in a socialism scare that destabilized Jamaica, affecting the tourism market directly with travel advisories warning would-be visitors to stay away. Nowhere was the impact more severe than in Montego Bay, which was the most-developed resort destination in Jamaica at the time. It was during the 1970s that all-inclusive tourism became a phenomenon, and gated resorts became the norm. The overwhelming dominance of all-inclusive hotels in recent years has led fewer visitors to leave the hotel compounds to explore the city, stifling business for restaurants and bars, the more successful of which cater as much to the local market as to tourists. Today Mobay comes alive on certain nights of the week and gets especially lively for several notable annual festivals, like Jazz and Blues Festival and Reggae Sumfest.

Commercially Montego Bay is organized like many U.S. cities. Large shopping centers dot the urban landscape, with KFC and Burger King dominating two strong poles of the quasi-modern city--only quasi-modern because Mobay contains in a small space some of Jamaica's roughest areas (there have been weeks in recent memory that saw several police-inflicted killings in some of Mobay's worse districts). But along Mobay's Hip Strip in the vicinity of Doctors Cave, Cornwall, and Dead End Beaches, the mood is as outwardly genteel as during the early British colonial period.

Mobay has been crucial to the island since the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores. The name Montego is said to have its origin in the Spanish word manteca (lard), referring to the use of the bay as an export center for wild hog products, namely lard. The city was previously named Golfo de Buen Tiempo (Bay of Good Weather) by Christopher Columbus.

Orientation

Montego Bay has distinct tourist zones, well separated from the bustling and raucous downtown area. The main tourist area is the Hip Strip along Gloucester Avenue, where most of the bars, restaurants, and hotels catering to tourists are located. Extending off the strip is Kent Avenue, a.k.a. Dead End Road, which terminates at the end of the airport runway. Queens Drive passes along the hill above the Hip Strip with several budget hotels, many of them frequented by locals seeking privacy with their special someone.

Downtown Montego Bay is centered on Sam Sharpe Square, where a statue of the slave rebellion leader stands in one corner. The peninsula of Freeport sticks out into the Bogue Lagoon and the Montego Bay Marine Park just west of downtown, with the cruise ship terminal, the yacht club, Sunset Beach and Secrets resorts located there.

East of the airport, Ironshore is a middle class area that covers a large swath of hill in subdivisions and oversized concrete houses. East of Ironshore, Spring Garden is the most exclusive residential neighborhood in Mobay, bordering Rose Hall Estate where many of the area's all-inclusive resorts are wedged between the main road and the sea. Half Moon Resort, the Ritz Carlton, and Palmyra are the most luxurious of Mobay's accommodation options. Also nearby is Rose Hall Resort (a Hilton hotel), Sea Castles, a former resort now rented as apartment units, and three Iberostar hotels in a large complex a few kilometers further to the east down the coast.

SIGHTS
Richmond Hill

Whether or not you choose to stay at this gorgeous hilltop property, a sunset cocktail from the beautiful poolside terrace will remain a romantic memory indefinitely.

The hotel has an illustrious history. Columbus apparently stayed here for a year while he was stranded in Jamaica, and it was once part of Annie Palmer's Rose Hall Estate. Later, in 1838, the property was acquired and built into a palatial abode by the Dewar family of Scotch whisky fame. Today the hotel is owned and operated with charm by Stefanie Chin and daughters Gracie and Gale, Austrian expatriates in Jamaica since 1968.

Montego Bay Marine Park

Montego Bay Marine Park (tel. 876/952-5619, contact@mbmp.org, www.mbmp.org) consists of the entire bay from high-tide mark on land to 100-meter depth from Reading on Mobay's western edge, to just east of the airport on the eastern side. The marine park encompasses diverse ecosystems that include mangrove forests, islands, beaches, estuaries, sea-grass beds, and corals. The best way to see the marine park is with a licensed tour operator for a snorkeling trip or with a glass-bottomed boat tour. Tropical Beach and Aquasol both operate glass-bottomed boat tours, with the former including snorkeling.

Pitfour Rasta Settlement

Pitfour (contact Sister Norma, cell tel. 876/882-6376) is a Rastafarian settlement in the Granville district in the hills above Montego Bay. A Nyabinghi ceremony lasting more than a week begins every November 1 to celebrate the coronation of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, revered by Rastafarians as their God. On Good Friday of every year, a Nyabinghi vigil known as the Coral Gardens Groundation is held to commemorate the murder of Rastafarians by the Jamaican authorities in the early years of the movement. When events are held, Rastas come from across Jamaica to participate. Otherwise the settlement is very sleepy, with little happening beyond perhaps a reasoning between bredren over a burning chalice. To get to Pitfour head inland from Catherine Hall along Fairfield Road, taking a right after the Fairfield Theatre, passing Day-O Plantation. Take the first right after the police station in the square, then continue straight, and then take the first left in Granville. By the gate to Pitfour you will see Bongo Manny and Daughter Norma Ital food shop.

Montego Bay Civic Centre and Museum

Mobay's Civic Center (Sam Sharpe Square, tel. 876/971-9417, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri., US$2 adults, US$0.75 children) houses a museum featuring a history of St. James. The small collection of artifacts spans the Taino period to the present day. The museum is under the management of the Institute of Jamaica, with assistant curator Leanne Rodney offering 30-minute tours throughout the day. Arrangements can be made for the museum to be open on weekends for 10 or more visitors by calling during the week to make a request.

The Cage, also in Sam Sharpe Square, was once used to lock up misbehaving slaves and sailors.

St. James Parish Church (Church St., tel. 876/971-2564) is one of the most attractive buildings in town. It's set amongst large grounds that house a small cemetery.

Burchell Baptist Church (Market St., tel. 876/971-9141) is a more humble church where Sam Sharpe used to preach. His remains are interred there.

Gallery of West Indian Art

The Gallery of West Indian Art (11 Fairfield Rd., Catherine Hall, tel. 876/952-4547, nikola@cwjamaica.com, www.galleryofwestindianart.com) is one of the most diverse galleries in Jamaica--as far as carrying both Jamaican art and pieces from neighboring islands, especially Haiti and Cuba. The gallery is owned and operated by Nicki and Steffan, who make quality pieces accessible with very reasonable pricing. Look out for work by Jamaican artists Delores Anglin and Gene Pearson, a sculptor specializing in bronze heads.

Mount Zion

Mount Zion is a quaint community that overlooks Rose Hall, with excellent panoramic views of the coast northeast of Mobay. A small church forms the centerpiece of the village, where views over Cinnamon Hill Golf Course and along the coast of Iron Shore and Rose Hall are unmatched. To get to Mount Zion, turn inland on an uncommonly well-paved road (no name) just past the small bridge that crosses Little River heading east from the Ritz-Carlton. The road heads up a steep hill toward the community of Cornwall. As the hill tapers off toward the top, a right turn leads farther up to the community of Zion Hill. Heading straight at the junction leads to Cornwall.

ESTATE GREAT HOUSES

Each of the area's estate great houses is worth visiting and quite distinct from the others. A visit to one or all of these historic properties is like traveling back in time--a great way to catch a glimpse of the island's glorious and tumultuous past.

Bellefield Great House

Bellefield Great House (tel. 876/952-2382, www.bellefieldgreathouse.com), five minutes from Mobay at Barnett Estate, offers a lunch tour Wednesdays and Thursdays (10:30 a.m.–2 p.m., US$40). It consists of a 45-minute visit through the great house and gardens, and a one-hour lunch serving well-prepared Jamaican dishes. The tour can be arranged on any day of the week for parties of 10 people or more. A basic tour, without the delicious lunch, is also offered (US$20). Bellefield belongs to the Kerr-Jarretts, a family that at one point controlled much of the land in and around Mobay as part of Fairfield Estate. The tour is operated by Nicky and David Farquharson, who are also behind the production of the exquisite meal. To get to Bellefield, take Fairfield Road from Catherine Hall, staying right where the road splits on to Chambers Drive until you reach the Granville Police Station. Take a right on Bellefield Road at the police station and go until you see the great house on the left.

Rose Hall Great House

Rose Hall Great House (tel. 876/953-2323, greathouse@rosehall.com, www.rosehall.com, US$20 adults, US$10 children) is the former home of Annie Palmer, remembered as the White Witch of Rose Hall in Herbert De Lisser's novel of the same name. It's the most formidable and foreboding estate great house on the island today, with a bone-chilling history behind its grandeur. The tour through the impeccably refurbished mansion is excellent. Rose Hall was built in 1770 by John Palmer, who ruled the estate with his wife, Rosa. The property passed through many hands before ending up in possession of John Rose Palmer, who married the infamous Annie in 1820. A slight woman not more than five feet tall, Annie is said to have practiced voodoo, or black magic, and would eventually kill several husbands and lovers, starting with Mr. John Rose. Annie ruled the plantation brutally and was much feared by the estate's slaves. She would ultimately taste her own medicine, as she was killed during the Christmas Rebellion of 1831 (which pushed England one step closer to the abolition of slavery).

Rose Hall was virtually abandoned with the decline in the sugar economy until an American rags-to-riches businessman, John Rollins, bought the estate in the 1960s and restored the great house to its old grandeur. Today the estate is governed by Mrs. Rollins, who has upheld the ambitious development ethic of her late husband. Rose Hall Great House forms the historic centerpiece of the vast Rose Hall Estate, which encompasses three 18-hole golf courses, the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon and Rose Hall resorts, and the most desirable residential district of Montego Bay, Spring Farms. Also on the Rose Hall Estate, Cinnamon Hill Great House was the home of the late Johnny Cash. Cinnamon Hill is not currently open to the public except for special events.

Greenwood Great House

Greenwood Great House (tel. 876/953-1077, greenwoodgreathouse@cwjamaica.com, www.greenwoodgreathouse.com, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily, US$14) is the best example of a great house kept alive by the owners, Bob and Ann Betton, who live on property and manage the low-key tour operation. Built in the late 1600s by one of the wealthiest families of the British colonial period, the Barretts first landed in Jamaica on Cromwell's voyage of conquest, when the island was captured from the Spanish in 1655. Land grants immediately made the family a major landholder, and its plantations grew over the next 179 years to amass 2,000 slaves on seven estates by the time of emancipation. Greenwood Great House boasted the best stretch of road in Jamaica as its driveway. Little upkeep has been performed over the past four centuries, apparently, and today the 1.5-kilometer-long road requires slow going, but the panoramic view from the house and grounds are still as good as ever.

Interesting relics like hand-pump fire carts and old wagon wheels adorn the outside of the building. Inside the house is the best collection of colonial-era antiques in Jamaica, including obscure musical instruments, Flemish thrones, and desks with secret compartments from the 17th century. An inlaid rosewood piano belonged to King Edward VII, and a portrait of poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning's cousin hangs on the wall. Another historical treasure at the great house is the will of Reverend Thomas Burchell, who was arrested for his alleged role in the Christmas Rebellion.

Farther inland from Greenwood lie the ruins of Barrett Hall, the family's primary residence.

Bob Marley School of the Arts Institute (Flamingo Beach, Ras Astor Black, cell tel. 876/327-9991, tel. 876/861-5233, or 847/571-5804, astor@bobartsinstitute.com, www.bobartsinstitute.edu), located in Greenwood on a hill above the highway marked by waving Rasta-colored flags, is a bold project dreamed up by Ras Astor Black to draw Jamaica's youth into a technologically focused education in the arts, with music and production courses. As an annex to the school, the vision includes a Reggae Walk of Fame, where artists deemed honorable will be inducted once per month. Black lives up on a hill between Falmouth and Greenwood, where he has created the Reggae Village. He intends to host regular live concerts to appeal to the masses of tourists who arrive expecting to see more in the way of live reggae music, like they are accustomed to seeing in the United States and Europe.

Plantation Tours

Several plantations in the area offer visitors a chance to learn about Jamaica's principal agricultural products--from those that were important historically to crops adapted to the modern economy. These include Croydon, John's Hall, and Mountain Valley Rafting, which offers a basic banana plantation tour.

Croydon Plantation (contact Tony Henry, tel. 876/979-8267, tlhenry20@hotmail.com, www.croydonplantation.com, open Tues., Thurs., and Fri., as well as other days when cruise ships are in port) is a pineapple and coffee plantation located at the base of the Catadupa Mountains and was the birthplace of slave rebellion leader and national hero Sam Sharpe. The walking tour takes visitors through a working section of the plantation with an accompanying narrative, with three refreshment stops allowing visitors to sample some of the 12 different kinds of pineapple grown on the estate, in addition to other crops like jackfruit, sugarcane, and Otaheite apple, depending on what's in season. The tour includes a typical Jamaican country lunch. Total tour time from pickup to return is six hours, and the cost (US$65 per person) includes transportation, refreshments, and lunch. Croydon Plantation has the only privately owned forest reserve in the country. The 53-hectare estate is owned by Dalkeith Hanna, with Tony Henry, a partner in the tour operation.

John's Hall Adventure Tour (tel. 876/971-7776, relax.resort@cwjamaica.com, www.johnshalladventuretour.com) offers a plantation tour (US$70 per person inclusive of jerk lunch and fruits) with a historical and contextual commentary by the guides. Stops along the way include the Parish Church, Sam Sharpe Square, and Mt. Olive Basic School. John's Hall Adventure Tour also operates the Jamaica Rhythm Tour (6–9 p.m. Wed. and Sun., US$80 inclusive of dinner), a musical show held at John's Hall featuring old-time heritage (from Maypole dancing and limbo to mento). Both tours include transportation from Mobay area hotels.

Beaches

Walter Fletcher Beach is the location of Aquasol Theme Park, where go-carts, bumper boats, water sports, and two tennis courts heighten the entertainment inherent in the small strip of sand facing Mobay's harbor. The beach is located on the Hip Strip across from The Pork Pit.

Cornwall Beach (US$5, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. daily, tel. 876/979-0102) is wedged between the beaches for what was Breezes Montego Bay and DeCameron. The beach is owned by the St. James Parish Council and managed by David Chung. It was renovated in 2009 with clean restrooms, changing rooms, and showers, and there's a restaurant and beach bar. "Irie Mon" beach parties including a lunch buffet and open bar (US$80/person), with live music and entertainment are held on Wednesdays 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. when a Carnival cruise ship delivers partygoers.

Tropical Beach is a decent, narrow strip of sand on the far side of the airport with the best windsurfing and Jet Ski rental outfit in Mobay. The beach isn't a bad spot for a dip, but it's not a destination for spending the whole day unless you're there for the water sports. To get to Tropical Beach turn left after the airport, heading east toward Ironshore and Rose Hall.

Sunset Beach (10 a.m.–6 p.m., US$60 adult, US$40 children for all-inclusive day pass) is the private beach for Sunset Beach Resort (tel. 876/979-8800 or U.S. tel 800/234-1707, www.sunsetbeachresort.com), which occupies the tip of the peninsula known as Freeport. The resort has a small water park with large pools and slides, as well as excellent tennis facilities. The day pass includes food and drink at the main buffet-style restaurant and several bars scattered throughout the property. To get to Sunset Beach continue past the cruise ship terminal on Southern Cross Boulevard.

Dead End Beach is the best free public beach in close proximity to the Hip Strip at the heart of Mobay's tourism scene. Sandals Carlyle faces the beach, which borders the end of the runway at Donald Sangster International Airport. The beach is located on Kent Avenue, better known as Dead End Road.

One Man Beach and Dump-Up Beach, located across from KFC and Mobay's central roundabout, are venues for occasional events and horse grazing. The beach here is no good for swimming however, as the city's effluent emerges from a neighboring gulley.

Old Steamer Beach is located 100 yards past the Shell gas station heading west out of Hopewell, Hanover. An embankment leads down to the skeleton of the U.S.S. Caribou, a steamer dating from 1887 that washed off its mooring from Mobay. You can hang your towel on the skeleton ship and take a swim at one of the nicest beaches around, which only gets busy on weekends when locals come down in droves to stir the crystal clear waters.

Doctors Cave Beach

Doctors Cave Beach (US$5) is the see-and-be-seen Hip Strip beach that is always happening. The beach is a favorite for the area's uptown youth on weekends, and a popular venue for full moon parties and other events and activities. The Groovy Grouper, situated to one side of the beach near the entrance, is a dependable spot for seafood and continental fare.

ENTERTAINMENT AND EVENTS
Bars and Clubs

For an early evening drink, the Montego Bay Yacht Club (10 a.m.–10 p.m. daily) is a popular spot among the uptown crowd, especially on Fridays. The HouseBoat Bar is also a popular early evening spot, while Mobay Proper (44 Fort St., tel. 876/940-1233, noon–2 a.m. daily) has the most consistently happening local scene every night of the week.

Hilites Cafe, Bar and Gift Shop (19 Queens Dr., tel. 876/979-9157, jamaica_flamingo_ltd@hotmail.com, 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m. daily) has a great view over the harbor and airport and is another great spot for an early evening drink or to watch the planes take off and land from Sangster Airport.

Margaritaville (Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/952-4777, 11 a.m.–you say when daily, US$10) is a wildly popular restaurant and bar with a water slide dropping off into the sea and giant trampoline inner tubes just offshore for use by customers. The restaurant serves dishes like cheeseburgers, jerk chicken and pork, and lobster (US$9–28), while almost every night of the week has a different theme: Tuesday is Caribbean night, which shifts each week to a different cultural theme--Latin, soca, etc.; Wild Wednesdays features wet T-shirt contests and Jell-O wrestling; Thursday is ladies' night, where women enter free till midnight; on Fridays there is a rotating guest selector or featured artist; and Saturday is World Beat Night with a sound system.

Margaritaville is the brainchild of a Jamaican partnership between Ian Dear and Brian Jardim, who struck a deal with Jimmy Buffet to carry his franchise in the Caribbean. In 10 years the pair has grown a business venture that is today a fixture in the three major tourism hubs: Ocho Rios, Negril, and Mobay, now with a branch at Sangster Airport as well.

Blue Beat (Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/952-4777, 6 p.m.–2 a.m. daily, free entry) is Margaritaville's more sophisticated and upscale cousin, located at the same property under the same ownership. The laid-back club features a resident DJ every night and live jazz Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday 10 p.m.–2 a.m.

Jamaican Bobsled Cafe (69 Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/940-7009) is a popular bar serving bar food and pizza, and it offers delivery. The bar is at the center of the action on the Hip Strip.

Royal Stocks (Half Moon Shopping Village, tel. 876/953-9770) is an English pub–style bar and restaurant, serving pricey international cuisine. The air-conditioned bar is a great place to go when missing the cool of England, though the beer selection is not the same as back home: Guinness, Red Stripe, and Heineken are the only brews on offer.

The Keg (across from the fire station, no phone) is a local dive bar and a good place to soak up the local scene and listen to oldies.

Billiards

Mobay Proper (44 Fort St., tel. 876/940-1233, noon–2 a.m. daily) is the best place to grab a beer (US$2) and play some billiards (US$1 per game).

Rehab Pool Bar & Lounge (contact proprietor Gary Rose, cell tel. 876/409-1130, 6 p.m.–2 a.m. daily ), located across from Lover's Park, next door to China House Restaurant, offers billiards (US$5/45 minutes or US$1 per game in the more spacious room with a/c) at seven tables; this place opened in February 2009.

Live Music

Unfortunately, live music in Mobay is hard to come by--in sharp contrast to decades past when there was an active regular music scene. Today, the all-inclusive resorts have house bands that entertain the hotel guests, who are often discouraged from leaving the compound. Nevertheless, there is often live jazz at Day-O Plantation, as well as at Blue Beat, and Margaritaville. Of course if you want world-class music the best time to visit is during Reggae Sumfest (July) or the Jazz and Blues Festival (January). Catherine Hall Entertainment Center, the main venue for Sumfest, also holds occasional stage show concerts throughout the year.

Festivals and Events

Several annual festivals draw thousands from around the island and abroad, chief among them being Jamaica Jazz and Blues (www.airjamaicajazzandblues.com) and Reggae Sumfest (www.reggaesumfest.com). The Montego Bay Yacht Club (tel. 876/979-8038, fax 876/979-8262, mbyc@cwjamaica.com, www.mobayyachtclub.com) has its share of events, including annual and biannual yacht races and a Marlin Festival. In Albert Town, Trelawny, the highlight of the year is the Yam Festival (www.stea.net/yam.htm), which is a family fun day centered on one of the island's most important staple foods, with tugs of war, beauty competitions, and, of course, music. Jamaica's Carnival season also brings at least one night of events to Mobay, with a free concert at Dump-Up Beach.

In the hills above Mobay, the Rastafarian community of Pitfour hosts annual Nyabinghi sessions, lasting for days to commemorate the coronation of the late Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, as well as to commemorate the Coral Gardens Massacre on Good Friday. Sadly, the area has fallen into disrepute over the last few years due to crime and violence. Visitors to Pitfour should proceed with caution.

Art and Theater

Alpha Arts (tel. 876/979-3479, cell tel. 876/605-9130, alphaarts@hotmail.com, www.alphaarts.com), adjacent to Sahara de la Mar resort in Reading, produces and sells on-site a variety of colorful ceramics.

Fairfield Theatre (Fairfield Rd., tel. 876/952-0182, US$10) is the only venue in the Mobay area for small, amateur theatrical productions that strive to uphold professional standards. Performances are generally held on weekends. Fairfield Theatre was originally founded as Montego Bay Little Theatre Movement in 1975 by Paul Methuen and Henry and Greta Fowler. The theatrical company was named after the Little Theatre Movement in Kingston, which was formed by Jamaican cultural icons like Louise Bennett. Contact theater chairman Douglas Prout (cell tel. 876/909-9364, dprout@globeins.com, d_freezing@hotmail.com) for more information or call the theater directly for performance schedules.

Mostly contemporary works from the best Jamaican and Caribbean writers are performed at the Fairfield Theatre, but the company produces works from a wide range of playwrights from Shakespeare to Noel Coward, Peter Schaeffer, Lorraine Hansbury, and Neil Simon. Caribbean writers such as Derek Walcott, Errol Hill, and Douglas Archibald have been produced to critical acclaim, but greater audience appeal has been found with the current crop of Jamaican playwrights that include Basil Dawkins, Trevor Rhone, Patrick Brown, and David Heron.

Palace Multiplex (Eldemire Dr., next to Jerky's, tel. 876/971-5550, movie times tel. 876/979-8624) is a cinema showing standard Hollywood films.

SHOPPING

Montego Bay is full of duty-free stores and gift shops.

Klass Traders (Fort St., tel. 876/952-5782) produces attractive handmade leather sandals from a workshop adjacent to Mobay Proper. Leroy Thompson (cell tel. 876/546-8657) is the head craftsman.

Rastafari Art (42 Hart St., tel. 876/885-7674 or 876/771-7533) has a variety of red, gold, and green items, including flags, belts, T-shirts, bags, and friendship bands that make inexpensive, authentic, and lightweight gifts and souvenirs.

For clothes, try Lloyd's (26 St. James St., tel. 876/952-3172), which has a great selection of trendy urban and roots wear and carries the CY Evolution brand.

Craft centers abound in Mobay, from Harbour Street to Kent Avenue to Charles Gordon Market and Montego Bay Craft Market. A discriminating eye is required at all these markets to sift out the junk from the quality Jamaica-produced crafts.

Freeport Cruise Ship Terminal has several shops, most of which carry overpriced souvenirs and mass-produced crafts items of little inherent value.

Duty-free shops are found anywhere you glance in Mobay, concentrated around City Centre Complex, the Hip Strip, and at the Half Moon Shopping Village east of town. The new Rose Hall Shopping Complex also has its share of duty-free items.

Bookland (34 Union St., 876/940-6185, bookland-mobay@cwjamaica.com, Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.) has the best selection of Caribbean books, as well as local and international magazines.

Sangster's Bookstore is at 2 St. James Street (tel. 876/952-0319).

Habanos Gift Shop (Shop #1, Casa Blanca Building, Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/940-4139, cell tel. 876/884-8656, habanoscigars1492@yahoo.com), run by Raj Jeswani, sells Cuban and Jamaican cigars out of a walk-in humidor, plus rum, spices, coffee, and a full array of "Jamaica no problem mon" T-shirts, trinkets, and souvenirs.

Tad's International Records (retail outlet in the departure lounge at Sangster International Airport) has an extensive catalog of reggae.

Great River Studios (contact Paul Taylor, cell tel. 876/609-6266) is a recording studio operated by the owners of Spyglass Hill and located on the same estate as the villa. The studio rents for US$30–50 per hour with Pro Tools, voicing and live band rooms, and a two-inch analog tape. Led by studio musician, Palma Taylor, it's based just outside Hopewell.

SPORTS AND RECREATION

Tropical Beach Fitness (tel. 876/952-6510, tropicalfitness@hotmail.com, Mon.–Thurs., 6 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri. 6 a.m.–9 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–2 p.m.) is a decent beachfront gym with free weights, treadmills, bicycles, stair steppers, and weight benches. Membership is offered by the day (US$5) and month (US$30). The club has about 200 local members, with two trainers available for an extra fee.

Water Sports

The Montego Bay Yacht Club (tel. 876/979-8038, fax 876/979-8262, mbyc@cwjamaica.com, www.mobayyachtclub.com) was refurbished in 2006 with a new building, landscaped grounds, and a small swimming pool. The club is a warm and friendly family environment with a great bar and restaurant, making it the place in western Jamaica for sailing, fishing, or just to hang out and make friends. Entertainment at the club is facilitated by pool tables, foosball, and table tennis. Every Friday, the club hosts a buffet dinner. Social and sailing membership is available by the day (US$5) or by the year (US$150). The annual fee grants members access to the Royal Jamaica Yacht Club in Kingston as well.

The Mobay Yacht Club is the final destination of the famous Pineapple Cup Race (www.montegobayrace.com), which covers 1,305 kilometers of water from its starting point in Fort Lauderdale. This classic race--a beat, a reach, and a run--is held in February of every odd year. Other events include the annual J-22 International Regatta held every December, and the Great Yacht Race, which precedes every Easter Regatta, a fun-filled, friendly, and competitive multi-class regatta. The International Marlin Fishing Tournament is held every fall. Sailing camps for children are held during the summer and courses offered to adults based on demand.

If you arrive in Jamaica on a private vessel, the Mobay Yacht Club has some of the lowest docking fees anywhere (US$0.87 per foot 1–7 days), which are reduced even further for longer stays (US$0.50 per foot for 8–30 days). Utilities are metered and charged accordingly, while boats at anchor can use the club facilities for the regular daily membership fee (US$5 per person). Mobay's mangrove areas in the Bogue Lagoon are often used as a hurricane hole for small vessels. All charges carry 16.50 percent tax.

Aquasol Theme Park (Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/979-9447 or 876/940-1344, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., till 10 p.m. Fri.–Sun., US$5 adults, US$3 children under 12) is a small theme park located on Walter Fletcher Beach, with go carts (US$3 single-seated, US$7 double), two tennis courts (operated by Steve Nolan, cell tel. 876/364-9293, 6:30 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, US$6/hr.), billiard tables (US$.50 per game), a video games room, glass-bottomed boat excursions to the coral reef (US$25 per person for a 30-min. tour), and personal watercraft like Jet Skis ($75 for 30 min.). There's also a sports bar with satellite TV and the Voyage restaurant (US$5–10), serving fried chicken, fried fish, and jerk. A gym on property, Mighty Moves (tel. 876/952-8608, 7 a.m.–8 p.m. daily, US$8), has free weights, weight machines, and aerobics classes included with the day pass.

Tropical Beach Water Sports (tel. 876/940-0836, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily) is run by Chaka Brown with professional-quality equipment, including windsurfing sailboards (US$45/hour) and Jet Skis (US$75/half-hour, US$130/hour). Bogue Lagoon excursions are also offered (US$220/hour for up to six people).

Ezee Fishing (Denise Taylor, cell tel. 876/381-3229 or 876/995-2912, chokey@reggaefemi.com, dptgonefishing@hotmail.com, www.montego-bay-jamaica.com/ajal/noproblem, US$450 half day, US$890 full day) operates a 39-foot Phoenix Sport Fisher for deep-sea expeditions, offering a good chance of catching big game like wahoo, blue marlin, or dorado (depending on time of year). Ezee also offers sailing charters (www.jamaicawatersports.com) on catamaran Suncat and trimaran Freestyle vessels (US$400 for two-hour sails for up to 10 people).

Rapsody Tours, Cruises & Charters operates the Dreamer Catamaran Cruises (contact Donna Lee, tel. 876/979-0102, reservations@dreamercatamarans.com, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 3 p.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sat., US$65 per person, reservations required) with two daily three-hour cruises on its two 53-foot catamarans and one 65-foot catamaran. The catamarans depart from Cornwall Beach for morning and afternoon cruises at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., and an evening cruise on Thursdays and Saturdays leaves from Doctors Cave Beach a 5 p.m. The excursion includes an open bar and use of snorkeling gear.

Two-hour Calico Sunset Cruises (5–7 p.m. Tues.–Sun., US$40 adults, US$20 children 3–11) are offered on the same Calico sailboat, with an optional dinner package (US$65) that includes a four-course meal at the Town House Restaurant following the sail.

Lark Cruises by Barrett Adventures (contact Captain Carolyn Barrett, Barrett Adventures, cell tel. 876/382-6384, info@barrettadventures.com, www.barrettadventures.com) operates half-day (US$400) and full-day (US$600) cruises out of Mobay for up to three passengers, with snorkeling and a Jamaican lunch included (US$100 for each additional person up to 10). Weekly charters are also offered (US$3,000 for up to six, plus provisions), inclusive of captain and cook. Charter cruise options include excursions to Negril, Port Antonio, or even Cuba, contingent upon favorable weather conditions.

Golf

Montego Bay is the best base for golfing in Jamaica, with the highest concentration of courses on a nice variety of terrains, some with gorgeous rolling hills, others seaside, all within the immediate vicinity.

White Witch Golf Course (Rose Hall, tel. 876/953-2800 or 876/518-0174, www.rosehall.com, 6:30 a.m.–9 p.m. daily) is the most spectacular course in Jamaica, for its views and rolling greens. The course has a special for Ritz guests (US$180 per person includes greens fees, cart, and caddy, not including US$20 recommended gratuity per player). The course is also open to nonguests (US$200 includes cart caddy and 18 holes, but not gratuity). White Witch offers a Twilight Golf Special (US$99 per person, inclusive of cart, caddy, and greens fee, after 2:30 p.m.). The last tee time is at 4:30 p.m.

A gorgeous clubhouse features beautiful views and the White Witch Restaurant (noon–9 p.m.), open to nongolfers as well, and a pro shop. The restaurant serves sandwiches, soups, and salads for lunch and fish and steak for dinner.

Cinnamon Hill Golf Course (Rose Hall, tel. 876/953-2650) is operated by Rose Hall Resort and offers special rates to in-house guests (US$141, inclusive of cart, caddy, and greens fees--extended to Half Moon and Sandals guests). The club also offers a Twilight Special (US$99 after 1:30 p.m.), in addition to the standard rack rate (US$160 inclusive of cart, caddy, and greens fees) with club rental an additional charge (US$40–50). Recommended caddy tip is US$10–15 per player. Cinnamon Hill is the only course in Jamaica that's on the coast. Holes five and six are directly at the water's edge. There is a gorgeous waterfall at the foot of Cinnamon Hill great house, which was owned by Johnny Cash until his death.

Half Moon Golf Course (Rose Hall, tel. 876/953-2560, www.halfmoongolf.com) is a Robert Trent Jones Jr.–designed course, with reduced rates for Half Moon Guests (US$75 for nine holes, US$105 for 18 holes). Rates for nonguests are US$90/150 for 9/18 holes, US$12/20 for caddy, US$40/50 for club rental, and US$25/35 for cart. Half Moon is a walkable course.

SuperClubs Golf Course at Iron Shore (tel. 876/953-3682) is a very respectable 18-hole course, with regular greens fees (US$50) waived for SuperClubs hotel guests. Caddy (US$11/16 for 9/18 holes) and cart (US$17/35 for 9/18 holes) fees are the lowest in Mobay; many prefer the course, in spite of it never having hosted a PGA tournament. Shelly Clifford is the friendly golf course manager.

Horseback Riding

Half Moon Equestrian Centre (Half Moon Resort, tel. 876/953-2286, r.delisser@cwjamaica.com, www.horsebackridingjamaica.com) has the most impressive stables open to the public in Jamaica, for beginning to experienced riders. The center offers a pony ride for children under 6 for US$20 and a 40-minute beginner ride for US$60 (suitable for children over 6), a beach ride for US$80 that includes a horseback swim (for riders over age 8), and 30-minute private lessons for any experience level that can include basic dressage, jumping, and polo.

Chukka Caribbean (www.chukkacaribbean.com) offers a Ride 'N Swim tour in Sandy Bay, Hanover, about a half-hour drive west of Mobay.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodation options vary widely from cheap dives and inexpensive guesthouses to luxury villas and world-class hotels. In the center of town, on Queens Drive (Top Road), and to the west in Reading there are several low-cost options, while the mid-range hotels are concentrated around the Hip Strip along Gloucester Avenue (Bottom Road) and just east of the airport. Rose Hall is the area's most glamorous address, both for its private villas and mansions surrounding the White Witch Golf Course, and for the Ritz-Carlton and neighboring Half Moon, the most exclusive resorts in town. Also on the eastern side of town is Sandals Royal Caribbean, easily the chain's most luxurious property, complete with a private island.

Along the Hip Strip several mid-range hotels provide direct access to Mobay's nightlife, a mix of bars and a few clubs, and guesthouses farther afield offer great rates.

Mobay is the principal entry point for most tourists arriving on the island, many of whom stay at one of the multitude of hotels in the immediate vicinity. The old Ironshore and Rose Hall estates east along the coast are covered in luxury and mid-range hotels.

Under US$100

Altamont West (tel. 876/620-4540, www.altamontwesthotel.com, altamontwesthotel@yahoo.com, US$90 d) is the latest boutique hotel to crop up along the Hip Strip in Montego Bay. The Altamont West marks the first foray into Western Jamaica for the Jarrett family, which has run the Altamont Court hotel in Kingston for years. Rooms at the Altamont West are cozy and well appointed, with flat panel TVs, Internet, air-conditioning, and private baths with hot water. Linens are soft and clean. The hotel is ideally situated across from Walter Fletcher Beach, a short walk to bars and restaurants along Gloucestershire Avenue, as well as Doctor's Cave and Cornwall beaches.

Palm Bay Guest House (Reading Rd., Bogue, tel. 876/952-2274) has decent, basic rooms (US$48) with air-conditioning and hot water in private bathrooms. While not the most glamorous location in town, opposite Mobay's biggest government housing project--Bogue Village, built to formalize the squatters of Canterbury--Palm Bay is quiet and safe and appreciably well removed from the hustle and bustle along the Hip Strip.

Big Apple Rooms (18 Queens Dr., tel. 876/952-7240, bigapplehotel1@yahoo.com, www.bigapplejamaica.com, US$65) is a no-frills hotel perched on the hill above the airport. The basic rooms have private baths with hot water, air-conditioning, and cable TV. There is a pool deck with a view of the ocean.

Satori Resort & Spa (tel. 876/952-6133, www.satorijamaica.com, US$65/85 low/high season) has 21 basic, no-frills, waterfront rooms with air-conditioning, cable TV, and hot water in private bathrooms. The hotel faces Mobay's lagoon from its location west of town in Reading.

Sahara de la Mar (Reading, tel. 876/952-2366, sahara.hotels@yahoo.com, www.saharahotels.com, US$60) is a 24-room oceanfront property nicely designed to hug the coast and provide a central protected swimming area. Amenities include hot water in private bathrooms, fans, air-conditioning, and TV. Food is prepared to order in the restaurant on the ground level.

Calabash Resorts (5 Queens Dr., tel. 876/952-3900 or 876/952-3999, www.calabashresorts.com, US$77–87 low season, US$105–115 high season) has a variety of basic rooms and studios with air-conditioning and hot water in en suite bathrooms. Some rooms command a view of the bay, and the pool has a great view over the city and bay.

Hartley House (contact Sandra Kennedy, tel. 876/956-7101, cell tel. 876/371-3693, sandravkennedy@yahoo.com, US$50/night per person including breakfast) is a lovely B&B located on a two-acre property at Tamarind Hill by the Great River, on the border of Hanover and St. James about 20 minutes from Sangster International Airport. Four rooms in the villa are rented, with the innkeepers living on property. Rooms are appointed in traditional colonial style with four-poster queen-size beds, or two twins in one room, and have sitting areas, ceiling fans and private baths. The stone-cut villa was designed by architect Robert Hartley as a satellite property to Round Hill in 1965. Guests have access to a common area with a library and TV room. Meals can be prepared to order (US$8–12). Wi-Fi, tea, and coffee are complimentary all day long. Guests have a choice of low-calorie, continental, Jamaican, or English breakfast.

Villa Nia (cell tel. 876/382-6384, info@barrettadventures.com, www.carolynscaribbeancottages.com/VillaNia/indexnia.htm, US$85–95 per room) is a four-bedroom duplex property owned by Ron Hagler, located right on the water adjacent to Sandals Montego Bay on the opposite side of the airport from the Hip Strip. The rooms rent independently and feature either queen-size or king-size beds with sitting areas, small kitchens, and balconies. Each room has a private bath with hot water.

US$100–250

Richmond Hill (tel. 876/952-3859, info@richmond-hill-inn.com, www.richmond-hill-inn.com, US$70/115 low/high season) is located at the highest point in the vicinity of downtown Mobay, with what is easily the best view in town from a large terraced swimming pool area and open-air dining room. While the accommodations fall short of luxurious, the sheets are clean, the restaurant is excellent, and the pool area's unmatched view and free wireless Internet access make Richmond Hill one of the best values in town.

Gloustershire Hotel (Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/952-4420 or U.S. tel. 877/574-8497, res@gloustershire.com, www.gloustershire.com, US$100/120 low/high season) is well situated across from Doctor's Cave Beach on the Hip Strip. It has a total of 88 rooms, many with balconies with a view of the bay. Other amenities include 27-inch TVs, hot water, and air-conditioning.

El Greco Resort (Queens Dr., tel. 876/940-6116 or U.S. tel. 888/354-7326, elgreco4@cwjamaica.com, www.elgrecojamaica.com, US$125/134 low/high season) is a large complex of suites overlooking the bay with a long stairway down to Doctors Cave Beach across Gloucester Avenue. Suites feature living areas with ceiling fans, air-conditioning in the bedrooms, and private baths with hot water. Many of the suites have balconies with sea views.

At the Wexford Hotel (39 Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/952-2854, wexford@cwjamaica.com, www.thewexfordhotel.com, US$144/177 low/high season), most rooms have two double beds, all with private baths and full amenities. Two rooms have king-size beds that can be requested. The hotel has a restaurant, The Rosella restaurant (7 a.m.–11 p.m. daily) that does an excellent Sunday Jamaican brunch buffet (US$10), well attended by locals and tourists alike.

Casa Blanca Beach Hotel (Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/952-0720, info@casablancajamaica.com, www.casablancajamaica.com, US$148, cash only) was, in its heyday, one of Mobay's most glamorous hotels. Only around 20 of the hotel's 72-rooms have been in operation over the past years, however, with a construction effort brought under way more recently. The rooms all overlook the water along the prime strip of Gloucester Avenue adjacent to Doctors Cave Beach. Unfortunately, poor maintenance and signs of neglect abound. Nonetheless the hotel sits on the best location in town for bars and nightlife. Norman Pushell is owner/manager. Amenities include private bath with hot water, air-conditioning, waterfront balconies, and cable TV. Guests get free entry to Doctors Cave Beach.

Doctors Cave Beach Hotel (Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/952-4355, info@doctorscave.com, www.doctorscave.com, from US$140/190 low/high season) is a no-frills hotel catering to those looking for direct, easy access to Doctors Cave Bathing Club across the street. Amenities include cable TV, air-conditioning, and hot water. Rooms are spacious with either a garden or poolside view. The cozy den-like bar has a Rum Punch Party happy hour with free rum punch 6–7 p.m. Tuesday and Saturday, and two-for-one rum punch thereafter.

Over US$250

Coyaba Beach Resort (Rose Hall, tel. 876/953-9150, www.coyabaresortjamaica.com, US$240/320 low/high season) is one of the most professionally run hotels in Mobay, with impeccably clean and well-appointed rooms with all the amenities of home and pleasantly unobtrusive decor. The hotel grounds are also attractive, with a pool and private beach area. The only drawback to the property is its proximity to the airport and the occasional roar of a departing flight. On the other hand, the proximity is also an advantage for the majority of guests, who tend to be weekend getaway visitors to Jamaica who stay three or four nights on average. Coyaba is located 10 minutes east of the airport and 15 minutes from Mobay's Hip Strip.

Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall (Rose Hall, tel. 876/953-2800 or U.S. tel. 800/241-3333, rc.mbjrz.concierge@ritzcarlton.com, www.ritzcarlton.com, US$189/499 low/high season room-only, US$429/899 low/high season all-inclusive) is a 427-room, AAA Five-Diamond golf and spa resort with the Rose Hall Estate Great House as its historical centerpiece. Rose Hall is easily one of the nicest Ritz properties in the world, with a private beach and two world-class golf courses right next door. A 1,003-square-meter ballroom and meeting space for up to 700 people make the Ritz one of the most popular corporate retreat destinations in the Caribbean, with on-site spa facilities and Jamaican touches to help ease any work-related tension. The property also boasts a state-of-the-art fitness center. The rooms at the Ritz uphold the highest standards of the brand, with attractive art depicting Jamaican flora and fauna throughout.

Half Moon Resort (Rose Hall, tel. 876/953-2211, reservations@halfmoonclub.com, www.halfmoon.com, US$250–400 low season, US$1250–1,800 high season) is one of the most upscale resorts in Jamaica, comprising an assortment of rooms, cottages, and villas. Most of the cottages and all the villas have private pools. Set on a 400-acre estate, the resort has 33 staffed villas with 3–7 bedrooms, 152 suites, and 46 rooms. The cottages are tastefully furnished and cozier than the villas, which can feel cavernous due to their immense size and vary considerably in decor based on the taste of their individual owners.

Half Moon attracts golfers to its championship, par-72 Robert Trent Jones Sr. course; it is also a favorite for tennis players with 13 lighted courts. A range of water sports are on offer, and Half Moon is the only resort in Jamaica to have its own dolphin lagoon, operated by Dolphin Cove exclusively for Half Moon guests. Food at the estate's six restaurants is top-notch, with a number of snack bars dotting the property for quick bites. Also on the resort is the recently renovated Fern Tree Spa, among the best in the Caribbean, and a shopping complex. The crescent-shaped Half Moon Beach is one of the finest private beaches in the Mobay area.

All-Inclusive Resorts

Sunset Beach (tel. 876/979-8800, US tel. 800/234-1707, reservations@sunsetmobay.com, www.sunsetbeachresort.com, US$280/320 low/high season) occupies the choice property on the Freeport peninsula, which is also home to the Yacht Club and the cruise ship terminal. Sunset Beach is a 430-room mass-tourism venture and part of the Sunset Resorts group. It is very comparable to the group's property in Ocho Rios in catering to everyone with its motto, "Always for Everyone, Uniquely Jamaican," but especially popular among families on a budget. The rooms are divided between a main building and smaller structures on the other side of a large pool area. Rooms either face out to sea or toward downtown Montego Bay. The hotel has excellent tennis facilities, a popular water park with slides, a great beach, and spa facilities. Food is mass-market American fare with large buffet spreads at Banana Walk, complemented by Italian Botticelli, and pan-Asian Silk Road. Several bars dot the property offering unlimited bottom-shelf product. This is a convenient place to stay for Reggae Sumfest, with a hotel shuttle to the Catherine Hall Entertainment Center a few minutes away. It is not centrally located for walking the Hip Strip, but still within 10 minutes by cab.

Royal DeCameron Montego Beach (2 Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/952-4340 or 876/952-4346, ventas.jam@decameron.com, www.decameron.com, US$116/240 per person low/high season) is a budget-minded all-inclusive recently opened as the chain's second property in Jamaica. At times it can be hard to get through for a reservation, but otherwise the property could be a good value when compared to the other all-inclusive prices.

Holiday Inn Sunspree (Rose Hall, tel. 876/953-2485, www.montegobayjam.sunspreeresorts.com, US$315/535 low/high season) has the most decidedly mass-market ambience of all the all-inclusive resorts.

Secrets St. James and Secrets Wild Orchid (tel. 876/953-6600, reservations.sesmb@secretsresorts.com, www.secretsresorts.com, US$188/326 low/high), located next to one another on the southwestern tip of the Freeport peninsula, opened in March 2010. All 700 suites at the two properties have essentially the same layout, with whirlpool tubs and either a balcony or patio. The food is above average for all-inclusive hotels, with an excellent breakfast buffet spread and fine dining restaurants specializing in French, Italian, and Japanese cuisine.

Sandals Carlyle Montego Bay (Kent Ave., a.k.a. Dead End Rd., tel. 876/952-4141 or 888/sandals (888/726-3257), chbrown@grp.sandals.com, www.sandals.com, starting at US$334 d all-inclusive), formerly Sandals Inn, is a 52-room property that has been undergoing a transformation over the past few years as its renovations move forward little by little. Located along Dead End Road, steps from Mobay's Hip Strip, this is the most proximate Sandals property to the city's buzzing bars and nightlife, with the popular Dead End Beach located across the street. Rooms have balconies looking over the central pool area and out to sea. Tennis and beach volleyball courts are found at the far end of the property. A mix of standard rooms and suites have king-size beds and private baths, all with air-conditioning and cable TV.

Sandals Montego Bay (tel. 800/726-3257, www.sandals.com, US$970–4,050) was the first Sandals property and remains the group's flagship resort. Located near the end of the runway, guests are encouraged to wave to the planes as they fly overhead. The property boasts the largest private beach in Jamaica with 251 rooms, a Red Lane Spa, butler service in the highest suite category, four pools and four whirlpool tubs, private villa cottages, and a private wedding chapel. The resort has a series of gazebos along the beach, as well as canopy beach beds to rent for an additional charge. Sandals imposes a minimum stay of three nights at all its properties. Promotions are ongoing throughout the year, slashing rates by as much as 65 percent.

Sandals Royal Caribbean (Mahoe Bay, Ironshore, tel. 876/953-2231, srjmail@grp.sandals.com, starting at US$473 d with a minimum three-night stay) is the most opulent Sandals hotel in Montego Bay, with 197 rooms and suites well deserving of the chain's "Luxury Included" motto. The suites are over-the-top with wood paneling, large flat-panel TVs, and tiled baths with standing showers and tubs. Balconies look over the courtyard and out to sea, with steps off ground floor suites leading directly into a large pool. The private island at Sandals Royal Caribbean is the trademark feature, where boats shuttle guests out for dinner or to laze away the days on the fine-sand beach. Gazebos are spaced across the property at the end of piers, favorite locations for wedding vows.

Riu Montego Bay (tel. 876/940-8010, www.riu.com, US$115/160) is a 680-room all-inclusive resort with standard double and suite rooms and an immense swimming pool. Suites have hydro-massage tubs and lounge areas. All rooms have a mini-bar, satellite TV, air-conditioning, balconies, and en suite baths. The resort offers a host of activities, including water sports and tennis on two hard-surface courts. The gym has a weight room, sauna, and Jacuzzi. The resort is located in Ironshore, near the end of the runway for Donald Sangster International Airport, next door to Sandals Royal Caribbean.

Rose Hall Resort & Spa (Rose Hall, tel. 876/953-2650 or U.S. toll-free 866/799-3661, rosehallroomscontrol@luxuryresorts.com, www.rosehallresort.com, starting at US$149–199 d low season, US$169–219 d high season for room only, US$289–339 d low season, US$309–359 all-inclusive high season), a Hilton Resort, is a 489-room, seven-floor property built in 1974. The hotel underwent a US$40 million renovation in 2008 after being bought by Hilton and boasts a sleek South Beach design. Food is excellent, with indoor and outdoor seating in buffet and à la carte formats, and a seaside bar and grill by the Olympic-size pool directly in front of the hotel. The Sugar Mill Falls Water Park on property boasts a 280-foot water slide for a thrilling ride on tubes, spilling into a freeform pool with a swim-up bar, lazy river, waterfalls, and hot tubs in a lush garden setting. The beach, located below the main pool and grill area, has fine white sand along a respectable stretch of coast.

Iberostar (tel. 876/680-0000, or US tel. 305/774-9225, reservations@iberostar-hotel.com, www.iberostar.com) completed a massive resort complex in 2007, with three all-inclusive hotels representing three distinct price categories. Guests staying at the more expensive hotels can use the restaurants and facilities of the lower categories, but guests of the lower-category hotels are not permitted on the more expensive properties. The quality of the food varies considerably by the price point, as you'd expect.

The Iberostar Rose Hall Beach (starting at US$190/309 per person low/high season) is a 424-room property that caters to the lower end of the Iberostar spectrum. Standard rooms have either one or two beds, and overlook the gardens with junior suites having either ocean view or garden view rooms.

Iberostar Rose Hall Suites (starting at US$235/363 per person low/high season) has 319 rooms, two pools with swim-up bars, and a lazy river meandering across the lawn. All rooms have a suite format with living rooms and mini-bars, with full tubs in the bathrooms of the higher category rooms and either ocean or garden view.

Iberostar Grand Rose Hall (starting at US$336/472 per person low/high season) has 295 rooms, all with living areas, day beds, verandas, bathtubs, and mini-bars. The property has two pools, each with a swim-up bar. The food at Iberostar Grand is excellent and has buffet and à la carte options with top-of-the-line dishes like lobster and steaks.

Villas

Hammerstein Highland House (up Long Hill from Reading in Content, U.S. tel. 805/258-2767, keressapage@yahoo.com, www.highlandhousejamaica.com, US$7,500/9,500 low/high season with four-night minimum for entire property) is a stunning six-bedroom villa on a lush 17-acre property overlooking Montego Bay in the community of Content. Smaller groups can opt to rent a minimum of four bedrooms (US$6,500/8,500 low/high season). There are two king-size beds, one queen-size bed, two rooms with two twin beds, and the last room has a double bed. The two twin rooms can be converted to king-size beds. Amenities include complimentary Wi-Fi, a large pool, and beach club membership at Round Hill. All rooms have air-conditioning and satellite TV. A screened-in yoga pavilion with ceiling fans that accommodates up to 12 adults makes the property a favorite for yoga retreats. The staff includes a housekeeper, butler, cook, laundress, gardener, and farmer. The two-acre organic farm on property supplies much of the food for the villa and is linked with the Anchovy school breakfast program and an orphanage up the road, as part of the villa's support for the One Love Learning Foundation.

Spyglass Hill (contact Paul Taylor tel. 876/601-6456, or cell tel. 876/871-8454, spyglass@cwjamaica.com, www.spyglasshilljamaica.com, 1–4 br US$5,000/5,950; 5–6 br US$7,000/8,950; 7–8 br US$9,300/11,500) is an eight-bedroom, 6,500-square-foot former plantation house set on 10 acres of lush lawns and gardens and named for its breathtaking view over the St. James and Hanover coastline. The property can accommodate up to 18 guests and boasts a 20- by 40-foot pool, as well as a 24-inch wading pool for children. No amenities are left out, with a component stereo system and DVD player in the living room and TVs in all eight bedrooms, seven of which have air-conditioning. DSL Internet and fax are available for guests. The staff includes a cook, butler, housekeepers, laundress, pool maintenance person, gardeners, night watchman, and driver. A gazebo with a stunning oceanview backdrop makes the property a favorite for weddings. Rooms have en suite bathrooms and comfortable furnishings with king-size or queen-size beds, spread across the main house and three outlying buildings located a across the lawn: Tree House, Garden Room, and the two-bedroom River House, the latter with a 10- by 13-foot plunge pool.

SunVillas (contact Alan Marlor, SunVillas, U.S. tel. 888/625-6007, alan@sunvillas.com, www.sunvillas.com) rents a nice assortment of villas across Jamaica, varying considerably in price while all having much more than the basic amenities. Highlights in the Mobay area include the four-bedroom Afimi property on the Bogue Lagoon in Freeport, the glamorous 10-bedroom Silent Waters villa on the Great River along the St. James–Hanover border, and the six-bedroom Endless Summer and Greatview properties in the auspicious Spring Farm neighborhood, as well as several of the most luxurious villas at Round Hill and Tryall Club.

FOOD
Jamaican

Original Madourie Fast Food (80 Barnett St., contact owner Valtona Madourie, cell tel. 876/852-1041, 7 a.m.–midnight Mon.–Sat., US$2.50–4) has been a local favorite for staple Jamaican fare since it was founded in 1976. Specialties include fry chicken, curry goat, oxtail, and brown stew fish. Madourie's is always packed with a clientele that's almost exclusively Jamaican, a testimony to the good food that's reasonably priced.

Musiq (72 Gloucester Ave., 5 p.m.–1 a.m. daily) was opened in July 2009 by Pork Pit owner Uhma Williams as a musically focused bar located next door to her original establishment. The bar features an in-house DJ from Thursday to Sunday playing R&B, hip-hop, reggae, and dancehall. A chic setting with musical motif lends itself to chilling out and watching passersby along the Hip Strip. The bar food is very reasonably priced compared to other establishments along the Strip, with 10 chicken wings going for US$8, a slew of burgers with a variety of seasonings for US$8–12, and soups (US$3) and salads (US$6–9).

Dragon Lounge (Whitehouse, tel. 876/952-1578, 7 a.m.–11 p.m. daily, US$8.50–14), run by Sebil and Peter Tebert, serves excellent seafood dishes, including shrimp, conch, and lobster, in a gritty and rootsy Jamaican bar environment with a dining room out back by the kitchen.

Adwa Nutrition for Life is the best place in town for natural food. It has three locations, including one full-service, sit-down restaurant (Shops #158–160, City Center, tel. 876/940-7618) and two stores (Shop #7, West F&S Complex, 29–31 Union St., tel. 876/952-2161; and Shop #2, West Gate Plaza, tel. 876/952-6554) with imported and domestic products and delis serving freshly made foods and juice blends. Dishes (US$1–4.50) include curried tofu, peppered veggie steak, and red pea sip, with beverages like cane juice, fruit smoothies, and carrot juice also served.

Ruby Restaurant (Shop #3, Westgate Shopping Centre, tel. 876/952-3199, 8 a.m.–8:30 p.m. Mon.–Sat., US$3.50–11) has Jamaican breakfast dishes like callaloo and codfish, ackee and saltfish, kidney and onion, and brown stew chicken, as well as more international standards like eggs and bacon, French toast, and ham and bacon omelettes. The lunch menu ranges from curry goat to escovitch fish. More expensive dishes include shrimp plates and steamed fish. Sui mein, foo yong, and chow mein are also available.

Mobay Proper (44 Fort St., tel. 876/940-1233, noon–2 a.m. daily, US$3.50–14) is the in spot for Mobay's party-hearty youth and fashionable businesspeople alike. The food is excellent and a great value, with dishes like fried or jerk chicken, fish done to order, curry goat, roast beef, and steamed, escovitch, or brown stew fish. This is the best place to get a beer (US$2) and play some billiards (US$1 per game).

The Pelican (Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/952-3171, 7 a.m.–11 p.m. daily, US$10–40) serves a mix of local and international dishes at international prices. Jamaican favorites like stewed peas (US$8), curry goat (US$12), steamed or brown stew fish (US$11), and lobster (US$40) complement international staples like cordon bleu (US$17) and hamburgers (US$9).

The Montego Bay Yacht Club (Freeport, tel. 876/979-8038, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, US$6–25) has a good menu with burgers, sandwiches, salads, and entrées like lobster and shrimp thermidor, snapper, lamb chops, seafood pasta, coconut curry chicken, and zucchini pasta in a pleasant waterfront setting. A popular buffet dinner (US$14) with a rotating menu is served on Fridays.

Jerk

Scotchie's (Carol Gardens, tel. 876/953-3301, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. daily, US$4–11) is easily the best jerk in Jamaica, serving pork, chicken, and steamed fish. Sides include breadfruit, festival, and yam. Scotchie's was forced to move back from the expanded highway and took the opportunity to redesign the dining area, adding a nice bar in the open-air courtyard. Scotchie's founder Tony Rerrie used to have parties where he would bring a master jerk chef from Boston Bay in Portland, where locals claim jerk originated, and patrons would beg him to make the jerk offering a regular thing. He started his first jerk center on the roadside in Montego Bay with a few cinder blocks, some bamboo poles, and a few sheets of zinc roofing.

The Pork Pit (27 Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/940-3008, US$5–11) has jerk by the pound: pork, chicken, ribs, and shrimp.

Jerky's (29 Alice Eldemire Dr., tel. 876/684-9101 or 876/684-9102, 11 a.m.–midnight Sun.–Fri., open later on Sat. for karaoke, US$3–10) has jerk chicken, steamed fish, escovitch fish, ribs, conch, shrimp, and fried fish. There is a large bar where a beer costs US$1.75.

Nyam 'n' Jam (17 Harbour St., tel. 876/952-1922, 7 a.m.–11 p.m. daily, US$3–4.50) has a variety of Jamaican staples like fried chicken, curry goat, and oxtail. Breakfast items include ackee and saltfish, calaloo and saltfish, brown stew chicken, yam, boiled bananas, and fried dumpling.

Nyam 'n' Jam Jerk Centre (just before descending the hill into Mobay from "top road," a.k.a. Queens Dr., tel. 876/952-1713, 7 a.m.–11 p.m.) has local dishes as well as decent jerk under the same ownership. The jerk center offers delivery in addition to having a small dining area.

Palm Bay Guest House (Bogue Main Rd., 7 a.m.–10 p.m., US$4–6.50) has a small restaurant serving local dishes like curry goat, stew pork, fried chicken, and oxtail, as well as an outdoor jerk center (noon–midnight daily) that serves decent Boston-style jerk.

Pimento's (Reading Rd., cell tel. 876/446-2125, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Sat., US$3–9) is a new jerk and Jamaican food joint just past Bogue in Reading, heading west out of town. Original Jamaican dishes include curry goat, steamed fish, fried chicken, stewed peas with pig tail, fish, and shrimp.

International

Dragon Court (Fairview Shopping Center, Alice Eldemire Dr., Bogue, tel. 876/979-8822 or 876/979-8824, fax 876/979-8825, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Sat., US$5–18) has good dim sum every day. The shrimp dumplings are a favorite.

Canton Express Restaurant (43 St. James St., tel. 876/952-6173, 10:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Sat., US$3.50–7.50) has roast chicken, oxtail, shrimp, chicken chow mein, and shrimp fried rice.

China House Restaurant (32 Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/979-0056, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, US$2.25–22.50) serves Chinese, Mongolian, Thai, and Jamaican cuisine, as does its neighbor, Golden Dynasty Chinese Restaurant (39 Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/971-0459, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Sat., noon–10 p.m. Sun., US$2–20). China House serves dim sum on Sundays.

Chilitos (Shops #1 and #2, Doctors Cave Beach Hotel, Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/952-4615, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 1–10 p.m. Sun.) serves Jamexican specialties like quesadillas, tacos, and burritos, as well as mixed drinks and of course tequila, with a happy hour 5–7 p.m. on weekdays.

Akbar and Thai Cuisine (tel. 876/953-8240, Half Moon Shopping Village, noon–3:30 p.m. and 6–10:30 p.m. daily, US$10–24) is a decent, dependable Thai restaurant sharing a venue with a North Indian place. Staples like chicken or shrimp pad Thai on the Thai side complement items like chicken tikka masala and lobster bhuna from the Indian kitchen. This is Mobay's branch of the same restaurant found on Holborn Avenue in Kingston.

Fine Dining

The HouseBoat Grill (Southern Cross Blvd., Freeport, tel. 876/979-8845, houseboat@cwjamaica.com, www.montego-bay-jamaica.com/houseboat/index.html, 6–11 p.m. Tues.–Sun., bar open from 4:30 p.m., happy hour 5:30–7 p.m., US$12–26) on Montego Bay's Marine Park is an unparalleled setting for a romantic dinner, and the food is excellent. Dishes include chicken, fish, and lobster. The HouseBoat Grill is run by Scott Stanley, and reservations are recommended.

The Groovy Grouper Bar & Grill (Doctors Cave Beach, tel. 876/952-8287, fax 876/940-3784, groovynews@islandentertainmentbrands.com, margaritavillecaribbean.com, 9:30 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, US$10–24) serves excellent food ranging from fish tea to steamed fish and bammy to steak and lobster tail. The setting on Doctors Cave Beach is unbeatable in Montego Bay and is popular with locals and tourists alike. The restaurant holds regular events like its seafood buffet every Friday (7–10 p.m., US$25) and full-moon party every three months (on select Saturdays).

The Twisted Kilt (tel. 876/952-9488, 11 a.m.–2 a.m. daily, US$8–25) is a sports bar that opened in 2008, offering "pub & grub." The pub has several big-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, and a bar menu with wings, fries, fish and conch shamrocks, soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and entrées like fish and chips, steaks, pasta, and sautéed tofu. On Fridays, 2-for-1 martinis are on offer for the ladies 6–9 p.m. The bar serves specialty drinks like the twisted mojito, Mackeson Stout, and Olde English Cider in addition to the typical bottled beers found widely in Jamaica.

The Native Restaurant (29 Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/979-2769, US$9–12) is easily one of Mobay's best, with an extensive menu including items like smoked marlin appetizer or Caesar salad with spicy shrimp and entrées like Yard Man steamed or escovitch fish or gingered plantain–stuffed chicken. Vegetarian options include garlic char-grilled vegetables and green vegetable coconut curry. The Boonoonoonos Native sampler platter is a good way to get a taste for a variety of Jamaican dishes in a single sitting. Other creations bring an international flair to traditional cuisine with dishes like ackee and saltfish quesadillas and lobster roll-ups. The restaurant's in-house band performs smooth, live dinner music Tuesday–Saturday. Dinner is served starting at 5:30 p.m., with the last order taken at 10:30 p.m. Families are always welcome, and reservations are strongly suggested. Free door-to-door transport is provided to many hotels and villas in the area.

Marguerite's (Gloucester Ave., adjacent to Margaritaville, tel. 876/952-4777, 6–10:30 p.m. daily, US$20–50) is the fine dining wing of Mobay's popular Margaritaville, serving dishes ranging from the Caribbean-style chicken to seafood penne and sugarcane-seared drunken lobster tail.

Day-O Plantation (Fairfield Rd., tel. 876/952-1825, cell tel. 876/877-1884, dayorest@yahoo.com, www.dayorestaurant.com, US$16–35) was formerly part of the Fairfield Estate, which at one time encompassed much of Mobay. It is perhaps the most laid-back and classy place to enjoy a delicious dinner. Entrées range from typical chicken dishes to lobster. A beer costs US$3–5. Day-O is a favorite for weddings and other events that require the finest setting around a gorgeous pool. Owners Jennifer and Paul Hurlock are the most gracious hosts, and on a good day Paul will bring out his guitar and bless diners with his talent. Other professional musicians who have played at the restaurant's dinner shows include guitar legend Ernest Ranglin, jazz artist Martin Hand, and steel pan artist Othello Molineaux.

Pier 1 Restaurant and Marina (tel. 876/952-2452, 9 a.m.–11 p.m. daily, later on weekends) is an excellent restaurant and entertainment venue. The Sunday seafood buffet starting at 3 p.m. is a must. Pier 1 hosts a Pier Pressure party on Fridays, a fashion and talent show on Wednesdays, and occasional large events. The grounds just outside the restaurant are a venue for a few nights of Reggae Sumfest. Appetizers include crunchy conch (US$4.50), chicken wings (US$6.25), and shrimp cocktail (US$7.50), while entrées include chicken and mushrooms (US$10), bracelet steak (US$18), whole snapper (US$16/lb.), and lobster (US$28).

The Sugar Mill Restaurant (across the highway from Half Moon Shopping Village, tel. 876/953-2314 or 876/953-2228, 6–10 p.m. daily) is one of the area's high-end establishments, specializing in Caribbean fusion cuisine with openers like pumpkin or conch soup (US$7.50), spring rolls, smoked marlin or conch in fritters, salad, or jerked (US$13–15). Entrées range from coconut-crusted or escovitch fish to lobster tail (US$35–50).

Norma's (Altamont West, tel. 876/620-4540, US$15–35) specializes in Caribbean fusion cuisine. Its founder, Norma Shirley, manages several restaurants under her name around the island. The food is on the pricey side and includes entrées like stuffed chicken breast, oxtail, curried goat with the chef's own mango chutney, lamb chops and lobster. Appetizers include ackee with salt fish, marlin salad, and crab back.

Sweets and Ice Cream

Calypso Gelato (Lot 9, Spring Garden Main Rd., Reading, tel. 876/979-9381, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sun.) is the only producer of Italian gelato in Jamaica, with a small retail shop at its factory west of Montego Bay in Reading, just past the turnoff up Long Hill, next door to Ramson Wholesale. Calypso boasts more than 50 flavors of gelato, either milk or water-based, using local fruits. A cone or cup with two scoops costs US$2, medium cups are US$3.50, and large cups are US$5.

Tortuga (www.tortugarumcakes.com) located on the same compound, produces the Caribbean's most commercially successful rum cake and retails the cakes from the same shop.

Devon House I Scream (Bay West Center, tel. 876/940-4060) is open 11 a.m.–11 p.m. daily and has some of the best ice cream around.

INFORMATION AND SERVICES
Organized Tours

Most of the major organized tours to attractions across the island run out of Montego Bay and/or Negril, with transportation included as part of a package with entry fees and sometimes a meal. These include Mayfield Falls, Chukka Cove, Rhodes Hall, and Caliche White River Rafting. The farm and plantation tours operate similarly, including transport and food.

The best and most versatile tour operator running, with transport to even the most remote and unheard-of interesting corners of Jamaica, is Barrett Adventures (contact Carolyn Barrett, cell tel. 876/382-6384, info@barrettadventures.com, www.barrettadventures.com). With personalized service, Barrett Adventures tailors an excursion or even an entire vacation precisely to your interests and likings. Whether it's climbing Blue Mountain Peak, more humbly climbing Reach Falls in Portland, tubing down the YS River, or getting a historical tour of Falmouth, veteran adventurer Carolyn Barrett will get you there and ensure that anything you could want to do gets done in the allotted time-frame--which, if you're lucky, won't be less than a week.

Banks and Money

As elsewhere in Jamaica, the easiest way to get funds is from an ATM with your regular bankcard. Nevertheless, you can get slightly better rates in the cambios, or currency trading houses, that can be found all over town.

NCB has locations at 93 Barnett Street (tel. 876/952-6539), 41 St. James Street (tel. 876/952-6540), and Harbour Street (tel. 876/952-0077), with ATMs at Sangster Airport and at the junction of 92 Kent and Gloucester Avenues.

Scotiabank is at 6–7 Sam Sharpe Square (tel. 876/952-4440), 51 Barnett Street (tel. 876/952-5539), and Westgate shopping plaza (tel. 876/952-5545).

FX Trader is a an exchange house that gives the best rates around. FX has locations at Hometown FSC (19 Church), Medi Mart (Shop #1, St. James Place, Gloucester Ave.) and at Hometown Overton (Shop #9, Overton Plaza, Union St.).

Government Offices

Jamaica Tourist Board (18 Queens Drive, tel. 876/952-4425) has information about attractions in the region.

Internet Access

The best place in Mobay to get online if you have a laptop is Richmond Hill, where there is no charge to use the Wi-Fi, which reaches from the open-air lounge across the veranda and pool area. Richmond Hill has the best view of Mobay's harbor in town. Buy a drink from the bar or a snack in appreciation for the service. Otherwise the Parish Library (Fort St., tel. 876/952-4185, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Sat.) offers Internet access as well (US$1.50/hour.)

Computer World (13 Strand St., tel. 876/952-3464, fax 876/952-3464, cell tel. 876/538-9519, computerworld@cwjamaica.com or earljoel@yahoo.com, 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Sat.) offers Internet, copies, and printing as well as making CD compilations. Internet rates run US$1.10 per half hour.

Medical Services

Mobay Hope Medical Center (Half Moon, Rose Hall, tel. 876/953-3981) is considered by many the best private hospital in Jamaica.

Soe-Htwe Medicare (14 Market St., tel. 876/979-3444) is the best private clinic in town.

Supermarkets

Adwa (West Gate Plaza) has a wide array of natural foodstuffs like imported organic grains as well as cosmetics products by Tom's of Maine.

Little Jack Horner Health Food Store (2 Barnett St., tel. 876/952-4952) has nice baked goods and pastries.

Parcel Services

Both DHL (34 Queens Dr., tel. 888/225-5345) and FedEx (Queens Dr., tel. 888/GO-FEDEX or 888/463-3339) have operations near the airport. Domestic carrier AirPak Express (tel. 876/952-8647) is located at the domestic airport terminal.

Getting There and Around
By Air

Donald Sangster International Airport (Jamaica Tourist Board information desk, tel. 876/952-2462, airport managers MBJ Ltd., tel. 876/952-3133) is the primary point of entry for most tourists visiting Jamaica. The airport is located by Flankers district a few minutes east of the Hip Strip and about 10 minutes from Downtown or from Rose Hall.

Beyond the national airline, Air Jamaica, Sangster airport is served by many North American and European carriers including US Airways, Delta, United, Air Canada, Northwest, American, Spirit, Continental, Cayman Airways, and Virgin. The domestic airline industry has been challenging historically, with little continuity of service among carriers and a slew of different domestic airlines coming and going over the years.

The domestic terminal is located separately from the international terminal. To get to the domestic terminal turn left from the main entrance just after coming off the roundabout, before reaching the gas station.

Skylan Airways (tel. 876/932-7102, reservations@skylanjamaica.com, www.skylanjamaica.com, office hours 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Mon.–Fri.) operates out of Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston with six weekly flights between the capital and Montego Bay (morning and afternoon departures Mon., Wed., Fri.). The morning flights depart Kingston at 7:30 a.m., with the return departing Mobay at 8:30 a.m.; afternoon flights depart Kingston at 4 p.m. with the return departing Montego Bay at 5 p.m. The trip lasts about half an hour and costs US$70 each leg. Skylan also offers charters when its aircraft is not in use on regularly scheduled flights. It operates a Jetstream 32 19-seater aircraft with a pressurized cabin.

Jamaica Air Shuttle (tel. 876/906-9025, 876/906-9026, or 876/906-9027, www.jamaicaairshuttle.com) is an affiliate of air cargo and courier companies Airways International and Airpak Express. It began offering regular flights between Kingston and Montego Bay in late 2009, departing from Tinson Pen Aerodrome with three Beach 99 Turbo Props seating 12 and one Queen Air with a five-person capacity. The carrier has 62 flights between Kingston and Mobay weekly Monday–Saturday (US$120 each way) and also offers charters.

International AirLink (tel. 876/940-6660, tel. 876/971-4601, or from U.S. tel. 954/241-3864, intlairlink01@gmail.com, res@intlairlink.com, www.intlairlink.com) offers charter service from Mobay to Kingston (US$134), Negril (US$134 for two persons), Boscobel, and Port Antonio ($1,575). Airlink passes on bank charges of an additional five percent when paying with a credit card.

Buses and Route Taxis

Buses and route taxis run between Mobay and virtually every other major town in the neighboring parishes, most notably Sav-la-Mar in Westmoreland, Hopewell in Hanover, Falmouth in Trelawny, and Runaway Bay in St. Ann. The bus terminal on Market Street is a dusty and bustling place where it pays to keep your sensibilities about you. Buses to any point on the island, including Kingston, never exceed US$7. Time schedules are not adhered to but you can generally count on a bus moving out to the main destinations at least every 45 minutes.

Real Deal Taxi Service and Tours (Curtis cell tel. 876/436-5727 or 876/971-8212) will take you wherever you want to go in a comfortable van holding up to eight passengers.

Car Rentals

Island Car Rentals (tel. 876/952-7225, icar@cwjamaica.com, 8:30 a.m.–10:00 p.m. daily) is Jamaica's largest and most dependable rental-car agency, aligned with Alamo, Enterprise, and National. It has an outlet in the international terminal at Donald Sangster International Airport. Island offers Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Suzuki vehicles, with sedans, SUVs, and vans at competitive rates.

Central Rent-A-Car (Gloucester Ave., tel. 876/952-3347, or Sunset Ave., tel. 876/952-7485, toll-free tel. 800/486-2738) rents Mazda, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda sedans, plus Toyota and Mazda minibuses (US$90–115 daily).

Dhana Car Rental & Tours (4 Holiday Village Shopping Centre, tel. 876/953-9555) has vehicles ranging from Toyota Starlets to Toyota Noah minivans and gives heavy discounts on the walk-in weekly rates for reserving a month (US$75) or week (US$50) in advance.

Sunsational Car Rental & Tours (Suite #206, Chatwick Centre, 10 Queens Dr., tel. 876/952-1212, fax 876/952-5555, sensational@cwjamaica.com, www.sensationalcarrentals.com) is located across from the airport and has decent rates on a variety of Japanese cars (from US$40/55 per day low/high season for a Corolla). The company also offers free cell phones with a minimum two-day rental. The minimum age is 21, with a young driver surcharge until age 25. Maximum age for drivers is 68.

Alex's Car Rental (1 Claude Clarke Ave., Karen Fletcher, tel. 876/940-6260 alexrental@hotmail.com, www.alexrental.com) has 2001–2005 Corollas, Nissan Xtrail, Suzuki Vitara, and Honda CR-Vs (US$40/50 per day low/high season plus tax and insurance).

Thrifty Car Rental (28 Queens Dr., tel. 876/952-1126, 7 a.m.–9 p.m. daily) has 2003 and 2004 Toyota Corollas (US$92 per day including insurance and tax).

Prospective Car Rentals (2 Federal Ave. at Hotel Montego, across from the airport, tel. 876/952-3524, fax 876/952-0112, reservations@jamaicacar.com, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri., till 4 p.m. Sat.) rents a 2004 Toyota Yaris, Nissan Sunny, Toyota Corolla, and RAV4 (US$45–85 per day plus tax and insurance).

ST. JAMES INTERIOR

The St. James Interior extends from the coast inland as far as the Trelawny border, where Cockpit Country begins. The interior can be accessed from Montego Bay along three main thoroughfares: One extends up Long Hill from Reading west of Mobay; the next heads inland from Catherine Hall along the continuation of Fairfield Road, ultimately skirting the western end of Cockpit Country leading into St. Elizabeth; and the third road heads inland due east into Trelawny along the northern flanks of Cockpit Country. This last road (B15) is an alternate scenic route leading to Windsor Caves, even if it does take a few extra hours due to the road's poor quality.

From the western side of town, Long Hill extends from Reading up along the Great River to where it meets the Westmoreland border. Developed tourist attractions in this area consist mainly of a few low-key river rafting operations, Rocklands Bird Sanctuary, and a few plantation tours.

Sights and Recreation

Caliche Rainforest Whitewater Rafting (tel. 876/940-1745 or 876/940-0163, calicheadventuretours@yahoo.com, www.whitewaterraftingmontegobay.com) is the only true whitewater-river rafting tour in Jamaica, based on the upper reaches of the Great River, which runs along the St. James–Hanover parish border. Rafting excursions (1.5–2 hrs.) depart daily at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. (US$90 per person with transport from Negril or Mobay included). For those with their own transportation (deduct US$10), park at the Caliche office (first building on left above the post office at the base of Long Hill in Reading) and ride up with the group that was picked up from hotels in Mobay or Negril. Caliche also operates on the Rio Bueno in Trelawny. The location in Trelawny affords Class III rapids even during the dry season (Feb.–Apr.) when it's no longer possible to navigate the upper reaches of the Great River. A slower, Class I–II rafting ride (US$80 adults, US$60 children under 12) is geared toward children as well as adrenaline-shy adults. Caliche is an Arawak word meaning "river in the mountain."

Mountain Valley Rafting (Lethe, tel. 876/956-4920 or 876/956-4947, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. daily, US$45 per raft) operates bamboo pole rafts along the Great River for a meandering rather than thrilling ride. To reach the launch site, go up Long Hill, take the second right turn at Cross Roads at the small Les Supermarket, and continue nearly five kilometers from the intersection until you cross the bridge into Hanover. Pickups from hotels in Montego Bay are offered (US$20 per person), as is a tractor-drawn banana plantation tour (US$15).

Great River Rafting (US$20) is offered on long bamboo rafts along the lower reaches of the Great River and out onto the tranquil bay where it exits into the sea. Immediately after crossing the Great River, turn inland and back to the river's edge, where several rafts are tied up under the bridge. Ask for Hugh.

Rocklands Bird Sanctuary and Feeding Station (Anchovy, tel. 876/952-2009, noon–5:30 p.m. daily, US$10 per person) was created by the late Lisa Sammons, popularly known as "the bird lady," who died in 2000 at age 96. Sammons had a way with birds, to say the least, summoning them to daily feeding sessions even after going partially blind during the last years of her life. Since her death, the feeding sessions have been upheld and the sanctuary maintained by Fritz, his wife Cynthia, and their son Damian. Visitors are instructed to sit on the patio and hold hummingbird feeders, which entice the birds to come perch on their fingers. There is also a nature trail where the property's 17 species can be sighted. To get to Rocklands, head up Long Hill from Reading and turn left off the main road as indicated by a big green Rocklands Bird Sanctuary sign. Follow one abominable road to the top of the mountain and down the other side, about 100 meters, turning right at the first driveway on the downhill.

Rocklands Cottage (US$150–200 for up to six people) is a cute three-bedroom on the property that has one king-size bed, one queen-size bed, two twin beds, two bathrooms, and a kitchen with a big living and dining room. The cottage has air-conditioning and hot water.