SIGHTSEEING IN JAMAICA

Escape to a world where time stands still.

Explore and discover: go sightseeing in Jamaica. There are a host of sightseeing activities in Jamaica. See the ruins of Port Royal, learn about the history of Jamaican music at Reggae Explosion in Ocho Rios, visit Kingston, the heartbeat of Jamaica or enjoy the many natural pleasures: go hiking in Jamaica's Blue Mountains, snorkel or scuba dive or just lazily raft the tranquil Rio Grande River.

Just a few minutes drive takes you to the beautiful sandy beach of Frenchman's Cove.

Discover the cool forests of Jamaica's Blue Mountains where sparkling waterfalls dazzle. Hike with trail guides who will impart their wide range of knowledge is an ideal way to explore the real Jamaica that exists beyond the beaches.

Blue Mountains

Snorkelling and scuba diving can be arranged. Tennisavailable nearby.

Kingston (approximately 2- 21/2 hrs from Port Antonio one way)
While in Kingston visit:

Port Royal is a fascinating spot, worth more than a cursory visit. Today's funky fishing hamlet was once the pirate capital of the Caribbean and was supposedly briefly the wealthiest city in the New World. Its inhabitants today mostly make a living from fishing. There is an old fort and sunken artillery house, an old naval hospital, and a maritime museum. After your tour of the fort join the locals for lunch at Gloria's Rendezvous for fried fish and bammy.
http://www.noquartergiven.net/jamaica.htm

The National Gallery The highlight of a waterfront walk. Its open 11.00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Works encompassing international notables from the English Bloomsbury set to Contemporary Cuban painters are represented, but above all, the gallery, part of the institute of Jamaica, displays a fascinating collection of Jamaican works from the 1920s to the present.
http://www.instituteofjamaica.org.jm/schools/national_gallery_of_jamaica.htm

Devon House Built in 1881 by George Stibel Jamaica's first black millionaire. The house has been restored and opened up for public viewing. Antique lovers will find it worthwhile to poke around inside. The courtyard has been turned into a tiny shopping area with gifts and souvenirs shops, the I-Scream ice cream store, and Brick Oven Bakery, which has reactivated the old oven in the original kitchen. You can have a wonderful meal on the back terrace of the great house which is now Norma's Restaurant , which serves a creative Caribbean fare.

Historical sightseeing tour of Kingston with visits to Port Royal including St. Peter’s Church, Fort Charles and the Old Naval Hospital, tour of Devon House, 2 places of worship ( synagogue and a historical church ) Bob Marley Museum and National Art gallery. Price US$ 180 per person with driver and guide, entrance tickets and including return transportation from Port Antonio.

Ocho Rios

(Driving Time to Ocho Rios is approximately 2hrs one way)
Go to experience the Reggae Explosion Museum, which gives a very interesting introduction and insight into the history of Jamaican Music. The Reggae Explosion is located within the Island Village . The Island Village is a great one stop location; there are duty-free shops with high quality souvenirs, a cinema, and a choice of restaurants.
Along the way you can stop at some of the attractions. Some of them are:

Harmony Hall - a former plantation house now a gallery and home to Toscannini, an Italian restaurant.
http://www.harmonyhall.com/gallery.htm

Firefly is the former house of Noel Coward. Perched on a hilltop about two miles west of Port Maria open daily 8:30a.m.- 5:30p.m. US$10. It has an excellent vie of the Port Maria harbour, and you get a real sense of Coward's lifestyle.

Noel Cowards Firefly

http://www.jnht.com/st_mary/firefly.html

Scenic Sun Valley Tours is a day tour from Port Antonio approximately 1.5 hour drive. It is located midway between Port Antonio and Ocho Rios. At Oracabessa turn off the main coast road. Meet and walk about with your hosts on lands steeped in history, providing a variety of tropical fruits for over 250 years. You will enjoy strolling through a banana plantation and experiencing first hand how this crop is grown, processed and packaged for export. In addition you will see and learn about the reaping and processing of coconut and its many uses. Along the way you can sample a variety of fruits straight from the trees and be told of the therapeutic and medicinal values of the trees and herbs you will see. At the end of the tour a tasty Jamaican snack with a variety of natural juices will be served.

Cranbrook Flower Forest and River Head Adventure Trail
Cranbrook is a unique eco-tourism attraction located on Jamaica’s north coast at Laughlands, St. Ann about 20 minute drive west of Ocho Rios. Sited on 130 acres, the property boasts exotic tropical gardens, lawns, water pools and a tropical rain forest. A hiking trail along the Little River leads to the head of the river where it rises out of the ground, natural and unspoilt.

Walkerswood: a Jamaican epicurean experience Visit the home of Jamaica’s world famous Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning nine miles from Ocho Rios, and learn about the traditions of our cuisine. Touch, taste and smell the ingredients as you go from the jerk pit through the spice gardens to see the factory at work. Hear how a small rural community managed to become self-reliant and realize a dream.

Walkerswood

Party on

The Roof Club 11 West Street, Port Antonio is the most well known nightclub in Port Antonio. After 11p.m. The Roof Club is a happening place, crowded with people dancing to the hypnotic reggae and dancehall beats. Thursdays is Lady's night. It has a fun, easygoing atmosphere.

Every night on just about any street there is a Street Party . So if you want to party Jamaican style check out one of these.

Tel.: 876 993 7267

Skypename: mockingbirdees

Email:info@hotelmockingbirdhill.com or mockbrd@cwjamaica.com

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