Montego Bay:
Montego Bay is the second largest city in Jamaica in size and third by population. The name Montego Bay originated as variation of the Spanish word manteca that means “lard”, because the during the Spanish occupation years the city served as an export port for beef, lard and leather.

Locals say Montego Bay is the Tourism Capital of Jamaica, and feel very proud about it. Montego Bay offers a wide variety of hotels from three stars accommodations such as Sandals and Breezes and five stars Rose Hall, Half Moon etc. Montego Bay is a second home to a number of upper class Jamaicans from Kingston and also to many Americans and Europeans; the city offers fine restaurants and shopping facilities for the visitor’s enjoyment. The coast near Montego Bay is site for tourist resort, most of them of fairly new construction. The modernization of infrastructure in the city aims to make Montego Bay a top destination of the Caribbean once all of it is completed.

When not in the beach, take a tour of the Rose Hall Great House, home infamous Annie Palmer, called the “White Witch” of Jamaica. Locals report seeing Annie’s ghost roaming the property, the property has been beautifully restored for tourist to see. Also, Greenwood Great House, the finest and best restored former plantation home, belonged to the Barrett family. The house is filled with furniture from the 1800’s as well as antiques, paintings, and rare books, worth the visit.

A few recommend stops when heading east of Montego Bay, Falmouth an 18th century port town with many historical buildings, Discovery Bay, the site where Columbus landed in 1494 features Columbus Park an open air museum containing historical artifacts and information. There is also Runaway Bay, a growing tourist area; this is the spot from where the Spanish “ran away” to Cuba when the British invaded Jamaica.

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