Make the most of your time ashore.
Stunning sandy beaches, fabulous local restaurants and tons of shopping aside, Montego Bay offers more activities than most port destinations. Whether you are into watersports, art, golf or history Montego Bay has something for everyone.
Water sports:
Montego Bay is a haven for water sport lovers. From close-to-shore jet skis to short island catamaran cruises you can enjoy the water, beaches and take a trip away from the bustle of the city.
Enjoy sport fishing with
Ezee-Sportfishing who will take you in pursuit of yellowfin tuna, sailfish, white marlin, blue marlin and more. Or, you can head over to CJ Watersports who offer a variety of water activities such as para-sailing, fishing, water skiing, SCUBA diving and speed boat cruises.
Beaches near Montego Bay
Not surprising, Montego Bay has some great beaches. However, most of the beaches are restricted to all-inclusive resorts. So, unless you’re at those hotels on a day pass, you’ll have to opt for those beaches on another trip.
Resort Day Pass - Spend the day in luxury at the boutique
Zoetry Montego Bay resort. With the all-inclusive day pass with ResortPass, not only do you get beach access, you can enjoy their 3 pools, unlimited food and drinks, watersports, daily entertainment, activities like afternoon tea and cooking lessons, fitness center, and complimentary WiFi. The resort is a short 8 mile taxi ride from the cruise terminal.
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Zoetry Montego Bay, ResortPass
Still, even without a day pass, cruisers can take advantage of some amazing beaches, and here are a few:
If you don’t mind local peddlers trying to sell you their homemade jewelry or tourist traffic on ship days, then Doctor’s Cove Beach is a spectacular place to enjoy the softness of sand, nearly perfect crystalline water and plenty of places to just lounge about. Be prepared that Doctor’s Cove is a private beach, so there will be a cost, but it’s well worth it.
Aquasol beach is the closest beach when you come into port, but it’s not the busiest beach which can bode well for you if you just want to get off the ship and hit the water. The beach is family-oriented with go-karts, waterslides and other entertainment to keep the family busy (you know, besides the water). The beach also tends to be popular with locals and often has small parties.
Dump-up Beach is a free public beach that is popular with locals and cruisers alike. The beach is a nice wide crescent of sand and a turquoise blue sea where you can spend plenty of time taking in the sun and playing in the soft waves.
Dead End Beach is another free public beach. It may not be as popular as other beaches, but that in now way means it’s not beautiful. The caveat is that there are no facilities such as bathrooms or showers, but you can find food vendors in public areas.
Golf in Montego Bay:
Jamaica has a dozen golf courses to choose from, but if you’re pulling into the port at Montego Bay you have four great courses to quickly hop off the ship and travel to.
Half Moon Golf Club has several “Jamaica’s Best” awards and like many courses is built on the grounds of a 17th century plantation replete with ruins.
Tryall Club is a world-class golf course peacefully hidden and recently rebuilt to update it to modern expectations of golfing luxury.
Cinnamon Hill Golf Club is a competitive course that runs from open views of the Caribbean, through foothills and along dense foliage as you try to avoid strategically placed bunkers.
Negril Hills Golf Club is an 18-hole par 72 course that exudes luxury and the tropical beauty you would expect from Jamaica. While outside Montego Bay, this course is well worth the visit if you have an extended stay.
Other Montego Bay Attractions:
Jamaica was built on the sugar trade and as such as several plantations still in existence, many of which have been turned into museums and allow the public to explore on their own or on historic tours. A couple plantation sites to visit near Montego Bay are the Croydon Plantation, Greenwood Great House and the Rose Hall Great House which has a notorious history surrounding the a woman named Annie Palmer.
If you are a lover of animals and nature you’ll love the Half Moon Equestrian Centre which provides adventurous trail rides, horse swimming and riding lessons. At the Rocklands Bird Sanctuary you can experience feeding hummingbirds from your hands.
For the more adventurous you can head over to the Canopy Tour which consists of five horizontal traverses, the longest about 1000 feet.
