=especially romantic attraction

Chukka Cove Equestrian Centre
North Coast Hwy. between Runaway Bay and Ocho Rios
876/972-2506 , fax 876/972-0814
Hours: daily
Admission: fee
Well known for its world-class polo matches, the center also offers guided horseback trips along the beach and in the mountains. They operate a very popular three-hour beach ride for beginners and experienced riders that departs daily at 9 am and 2pm. The ride travels through Richmond and Llandovery, two of the oldest sugar estates on the island. Bring your swimsuit along for the ride in the sea! Shower facilities on the beach are available and free refreshments are served.

Coyaba River Garden and Museum
Shaw Park Estate
876/974-6235
Hours: 8:30-5 daily
Admission: fee
This is a good stop for history and botanical buffs. A small but nice museum starts with pre-Columbian history and follows the development of the island. The real splendor of the attraction, however, lies in its beautiful gardens. Stroll through the gardens past natural springs and waterfalls. Small pools are filled with colorful koi as well as turtles.

Dolphin Cove at Treasure Reef
876/974--5335
Open: daily
Admission: fee (varies by activity)
The most popular attraction in Ocho Rios after Dunn’s River Falls, Dolphin Cove offers visitors the opportunity to swim with dolphins, sharks, and stingrays. The dolphin swims are especially popular and limited so make reservations early for this activity. Also see: article on Dolphin Cove

Dunn's River Falls
DaCosta Drive
Hours: 8-5 daily
Admission: fee plus tip for guide
In Ocho Rios, the most popular attraction (one that just about every cruise ship passenger and resort guest enjoys) is Dunn's River Falls. This spectacular waterfall is actually a series of falls that cascade from the mountains to the sea. Here you don't just view the falls, but you climb up the cascading water. Led by a sure-footed Jamaican guide (who wears everyone's cameras slung around his neck), groups work their way up the falls hand-in-hand like a human daisy chain. Be prepared to get wet and have fun, but don't expect a quiet, private getaway. This is Jamaica for the masses, and, no matter what day of the week, the masses do come. At the end of the climb, you'll be deposited into a hectic market for another opportunity to buy crafts, carvings, and the ubiquitous T-shirt.

Fern Gully
A3, south of Ocho Rios
Hours: daily
Admission: free
Fern Gully is a stretch of highway A3 that winds south from Ocho Rios. For three miles, the road is lined with lush ferns and innumerable plants; well worth a drive even if you're not headed that way.

Firefly
Port Maria
876/997-7201
Hours: 8:30-5:30
Admission: fee
The historic home of playwright Noel Coward offers a nice tour. Named for the luminous insects seen in the warm evenings, this house has certainly entertained its share of luminaries from the political and entertainment worlds including Queen Elizabeth II, Laurence Olivier, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Alec Guiness, Peter O'Toole, and Richard Burton. Even today the house is kept in the same state it was when the Queen Mother came to lunch in 1965. A tour of Firefly includes a look at the home, photos of the house's many celebrity guests, and the grounds where Coward is now buried.

Harmony Hall
876/975-4222, 876/974-2870
Hours: Daily 10am - 6pm
Admission: free
This excellent art gallery is one of Jamaica's best and a good place for original works of art. Don't miss the Annabella boxes, souvenir boxes decorated with Jamaican art reproductions.

James Bond Beach
Oracabessa, St. Mary
Hours: 8-5 Tuesday through Sunday
Admission: fee
East of Ocho Rios in the town of Oracabessa, 007 fans can visit the James Bond Beach. Located near Ian Fleming's home, Goldeneye, the beach has plenty of options for a day of activity: waverunners, stingray swims, live music, and snorkeling as well as beach bar and grill.

Prospect Plantation
Hwy. A1, east of Ocho Rios
876/994—1058
Hours: Daily 8--5; tours Mon.--Sat. 10:30, 2, and 3:30
Admission: fee
This historic plantation is a good introduction to the flora and fauna of Jamaica for first-time visitors. You won’t tour the greathouse (it is still used as a private residence) but you can take an open air jitney tour of the plantation and see the many fruits grown here. The plantation also offers horseback and even camel tours! There’s also a butterfly aviary here.

Shaw Park Botanical Gardens
876/974-2723
Cutlass Bay
Admission: fee
These beautiful 25-acre gardens are perched high above Ocho Rios with excellent views of the bay and the coast. The gardens include a stunning waterfall as well as many tropical blooms.