Ocho Rios

Sunny days, sizzling nightlife and cool attractions welcome you to Och Rios, Jamaica's playground.  Walk under a waterfall, listen to a symphonycomposed by nature, stroll through a plantation, glide down a river, do your thing at the beach, the bars, the disco.  Or do nothing at all.....

Ocho Rios is the place where fun and excitement magically blend with rest and relaxation.  Days are warm and mellow, nights are enchanting.  Even Columbus, Jamaica's first "repeat visitor" liked Ocho Rios so much, he returned several times.  He was impressed with the areas natural beauty, he noted, "This is the fairest land mine eyes have EVER seen." 

Savy travelers today know the Ocho Rio's area is a "fair Land" indeed.  Situated on Jamaica's north coast about halfway between Montego Bay and Port Antonio, the area offers a varied setting of white sandy beaches, cliff's jutting into a sparkling aquamarine sea and roaring waterfalls setamid lush tropical foliage.  Stunning natural beauty combined with an unmatched array of activities, accomidations, historic attractions, dining and shopping make Ocho Rio's a slice of paradise.

Despite its wealth of water, Ocho Rios does not have "eight rivers" as its Spanish name implies.   The English confused the translation of Las Chorreras (river rapids) the name the Spanish had given the area.

Unlike many vacation spots, Ocho Rio's features multiple destinations, all close and easily accessible.  Runaway Bay and Discovery Bay border to the West;  Oracabessa and port Maria lie to the East of Ocho Rio's.  Kingston,  Port Antonio and Montego Bay are just a few hours drive away. 

Downtown Ocho Rios wraps around the half-moon shaped harbor, receiving thousands of visitors annually via the arriving cruise ships.   Along main street, peanut vendors push carts in and out of traffic like kamikaze pilots, with a shrill toot of their steam whistles.  Some ladies may ask to braid your hair.  Others lean over the craft market fence, competing for your attention.  Wood carvings, baskets, straw hats and t-shirts adorn makeshift stalls.  As you negotiate a price with one vendor, another may offer you a better deal.

Complementing the bustling downtown and outlying regions is the choice of resorts, hotels and villas that dot the coastline and hillsides of Ocho Rios.  There are accomidations to suit every budget and lifestyle.

Things to do in Ocho Rios:

Premier attractions are found in the Ocho Rios area.  The best known and most popular attraction in Jamaica is spectacular Dunn's River Falls, two miles east of Ocho Rios.   Step into a cascading 600-ft waterfall that empties into the sea.  Millions of gallons of water cascade 600 ft down a series of natural staircases engulfed on both sides by greenery.  Bring your swimsuit, sunscreen and beachshoes and scale the falls from the beach area.  Trained guides lead small groups who form a human chain holding hands.   The warm climate contrasts with the cool, refreshing glistening waters of the falls.  It's an exhilerating experience you won't want to miss.  Your guide will take your photo if you ask---- either with your camera or his.  Lockers, changing rooms, restrooms, refreshments and picnic areas are offered.  Cost is US $10.00 for adults and US $8.00 for children (2-11 years)  Capture this experience on video through Dunn's River videos.

Experience the thrill of swimming and playing with friendly dolphins at Dolphin Cove, another exciting option awaiting visitors to the Falls area.  Enter a natural cove to swim, play and touch beautiful bottlenose dolphins.  You can even dance, receive a kiss and be caressed by these lovable and intelligent mammals while swimming with them.  See how trainers communicate with the dolphins by using hand signals.  Entrance admission is US $15.00   (includes access to the beach, snorkeling areas and walks to see bird life and animals).

New to the Ocho Rios area is White River Valley, a fun filled adventure park and Jamaicas newest all-inclusive soft adventure attraction.  Located seven miles outside of Ocho Rios at Cascade and cradled in a valley, the 300 acre attraction is a picture of serenity that seems like another world.  Enjoy the sights and sounds of the cool, refreshing White River, whose sparkling turquoise water flows for a mile through the property.  Spend the day enjoying adventures like river tubing, kayaking, biking, horseback riding, hiking and picnicking in pavillions open to both individuals and groups  Popular river tubing at this park begins at the more than 400-year old Spanish Bridge and ends at a quaint village with colorful rustic buildings housing a juice bar, coffee bar, restaurant, souvenir shop and horse stables.  Scenery at the attraction is etched with huge stands of bamboo, lime and guava trees, and amazing exotic flowers like orchids, red ginger lilies, heliconias and birds of paradise.  The price for the all-inclusive adventure is US $10.00.   

For another serene experience, try rafting or tubing down the picturesque White River offered by Calypso Rafting from the district of Hand to Mouth.  See overhanging stands of Bamboo and lush scenery.  Halfway along the 45 minute trip your guide will dock your bamboo raft, allowing time for a cool drink and a swim.  Cost is US $45.00 per raft.   River tubing is US $15.00.

Prospect Plantation is a 1,000 acre working plantation and one of the oldest plantation tours on the island in Prospect, in the Ocho Rios area.   A tractor drawn jitney takes you on a ride to see bananas, pineapple, mangos, avacado, pimento and sugar cane.  Activities include horseback riding, bicycle trails and walking through an herbal garden.  Cost of the one hour tour is US $12.00 per person.  Horseback riding is US $20.00 per person.

It's easy to see why St Ann's Parish, where Ocho Rios is located, is called the "garden parish".   Lush scenery abounds at area attractions.  Drive through Fern Gully, a lush and green canyon with sheer walls carved thousands of years ago by a rushing river.   You can drive through this attraction on one of the main roads from Ocho Rios to Kingston.  Contrast this natural beauty with more refined landscapes at Shaw Park Botanical Gardens, displaying tropical blooms of every imaginable hue---a photographers dream!  Situated on 25 acres high on a hilltop overlooking the azure waters of the Caribbean, the gardens are located at Shaw Park Beach Hotel in Ocho Rios.   A waterfall is framed by plant life on both sides.  Admission to this attraction is US $8.00.

Between Ocho Rios and Port Antonio is Firefly, so named after the luminous fireflies seen after dark.   Atop a hill three miles southwest of Port Maria, the property was once the retreat of late playwright Noel Coward.  Admission is around US $10.00.