When my husband and I traveled to Ocho Rios in Jamaica we really didn’t know what to expect. It sounded exotic to us, and we were up for some adventure. Well, we are certainly glad we chose to visit. Ocho Rios is a port town on the north coast of Jamaica. Formerly a small fishing village, it is now a large resort area with a cruise ship harbor and a busy bay beach with hotels lined up along the shore. The surrounding parish of Saint Ann contains a rainforest, as well as many rivers and beautiful waterfalls. Dunn’s River Falls is a 180m mountain waterfall with lagoon pools, surrounded by trees. My husband and I actually climbed this waterfall with a guide on a group tour. It was slippery and scary at parts, but it was so cool! How many people can say that they have climbed up a waterfall? If you go there, I would recommend trying this adventure, but be sure to pack water shoes with good grips on the bottom.
Whether you are into the rum and reggae music scene, or are looking for outdoor adventures you will find it all here. One of the coolest things we did was to see Ocho Rios from the top of the 700 foot Mystic Mountain. There are different adventure tours for all ages, where you can experience the forest’s rich ecosystem, sparkling river streams and take in some pretty spectacular views. The Rainforest SkyExplorer is a state-of-the-art chairlift that takes people up the mountain, but we opted for the zip line! The view above the treetops was awesome. We traveled right through the canopy and could see the tropical seaside rainforest below. When we got to the top, we road the Bobsled! So many times these sorts of rides are disappointing, because they do not really go fast enough, but on this one I found myself having to put the brakes on. We were flying! It was such a thrill to drive these custom designed, high-tech sleds down a 100m long gravity-drive through the rainforest. It was just like Jamaica’s Olympic team’s sleds. Remember the movie “Cool Runnings?”
There are river rapids trips, caves, beaches, golfing, water sports, Dolphin Cove, parks with waterfalls and gardens, bicycle tours, Jeep tours, Catamaran boat rides, great jerk chicken, and shopping!
Have you ever been to Jamaica? What was your favorite part?
