Guest Author - Ann Carroll Burgess

Montego Bay and Ocho Rios

Montego Bay is the spirit and essence of all things Jamaican. Try the peanut soup from a roadside vendor. Drink the famous Blue Mountain coffee. Taste jerk, a meat smothered in a spicy marinade or sip the famous Appleton Rum. In no time at all you’ll be replying in the positive to the ubiquitous greeting “everyt’ing cool mon?’

Mo’ Bay is jamaica’s second largest town, but the number one island tourist destination. Montego is derived from the Spanish manteca, meaning pig fat from the day is when the Sailors would come ashore here to hunt for wild hogs. At the beginning of the 20th century it became a fashionable event to bathe at Doctor’s Cave Beach, and the rest, as they say, is history.

If you find you can pry yourself away from the magnificent beaches you’ll find plenty to do, beginning with a sampling of the islands favourite rrum..

Appleton Rum Distillery
Up in the hills of Cockpit Country, the Appleton Estate produces jamaica’s most famous rum. After a tour of the distillery, there are tastings and an opportunity to create your very own special blend.
Open Monday to Friday, there is an admission charge.

Greenwood Great House
This was the family home of a relative of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Constructed in the early 19th century, it features superb antique furnishings, musical instruments, and restored carriages that evoke the gracious lifestyle of plantation living.
Open daily, there is an admission charge.

Rockland Bird Feeding Station
Perched in the hills in the settlement of Anchovy, this is the perfect chance to get close to jamaica’s diverse and beautiful bird life. Hundreds of darting, chattering birds gather for the afternoon feeding sessions first initiated back in 1958. Many of the birds are tame enough to feed from your hand.
Open daily, from 2 to 5 PM, there is an admission charge.

Rose Hall Great House
This is the most famous house in all of Jamaica, and possibly the entire Caribbean, largely due to its legendary mistress, Annie Palmer, who was also known as ‘the White Witch of Rose Hall.’ This 19th century merry widow is credited with bumping off three husbands and numerous lovers before being murdered in her bed. Guides dress in period costume and revel in relating the most gruesome details.
Open daily, there is an admission charge.

You see, there is more to the island than just sun, sand and shopping.
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