- Jerk chicken from the Hip Strip pits, eaten with festival and roast yam.
- Pepper shrimp from the Middle Quarters vendors on the road to Negril.
- Ackee and saltfish breakfast at the hotel; Blue Mountain coffee after.
Montego Bay City Guide
Rose Hall beach, Montego Bay, Jamaica. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Montego Bay is Jamaica's tourist capital: the Hip Strip (Gloucester Avenue), Doctor's Cave Beach, and the big resorts along the coast. It is the island's main air gateway and the easiest Jamaica to visit, with day trips to Negril, the Martha Brae and the great houses.
The essentials: Doctor's Cave Beach, the Hip Strip's bars and jerk pits, and the Rose Hall Great House. The real Montego Bay is downtown: Sam Sharpe Square and the local markets.
What to do in Montego Bay
Beaches and the strip
- 1
Doctor's Cave Beach The famous clear-water beach, protected by the marine park. - 2Hip Strip (Gloucester Avenue) The bar and restaurant strip behind the beach.
- 3Cornwall Beach The quieter private beach next to Doctor's Cave.
History and day trips
- 1
Rose Hall Great House The 1770 great house and the White Witch legend, east of the city. - 2
Sam Sharpe Square Downtown's historic square: the Cage, the National Heroes monument. - 3
Martha Brae River Bamboo rafting 30 minutes south of the city. - 4
Greenwood Great House The Barrett family's 1790 house, still with original furnishings.
Montego Bay Hotel Guide
How to choose the best places to stay in Montego Bay. Verified properties below; for the full list, search live availability on Booking.com.
Luxury
Half Moon
The grand old resort east of the city: 400 acres, golf, the overwater spa.
View on Booking.comLuxury
Round Hill Hotel and Villas
Ralph Lauren's old haunt: private villas on a quiet bay.
View on Booking.com
Mid-range
Doctor's Cave Beach Hotel
Right on the Hip Strip, steps from Doctor's Cave Beach.
View on Booking.comWhere to eat
Getting there and around
Sangster International (MBJ) is 10 minutes from the Hip Strip. Taxis are fixed-price from the airport rank. Day trips run to Negril (90 minutes) and Ocho Rios (2 hours).