DOWNTOWN · OCHO RIOS

Ocho Rios packs more into a single bay than most Jamaican towns manage in an entire parish. The cruise ship pier sits at one end, the craft market sprawls at the other, and in between you've got Moon Palace Jamaica's massive all-inclusive footprint, the legendary Jamaica Inn (a favourite of Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming), and Turtle Beach Towers rising over the main street. The hillsides above town are stacked with gated communities — Columbus Heights, Sky Castles, Mystic Ridge, and the newer Pyramid Point — that have turned Ochi into one of Jamaica's busiest Airbnb markets. The adventure menu reads like a greatest-hits list: Mystic Mountain sends you down a bobsled track through the rainforest with a zipline and sky explorer chairlift. The Blue Hole (Island Gully Falls) is a short drive inland — azure mineral pools with cliff jumping and rope swings that feel secret even when they're not. Konoko Falls offers a more manicured waterfall walk right in town, and Margaritaville Ocho Rios delivers beachfront party energy with water trampolines and slides. Reggae Hill at Seville Heritage Park preserves Jamaica's first Spanish settlement and Taino archaeological sites. Ian Fleming Airport is closest at $95 for a 40-minute ride. From Sangster International, the drive is $285 (1h 55m) along the north coast highway. From Norman Manley in Kingston, it's $405 (2h 10m) through the mountains via Fern Gully — a canopy of giant ferns arching over the road like a green cathedral. A private transfer from Ian Fleming Airport to Downtown Ocho Rios costs $95 and takes 40 minutes with Aurum Transfers.