3 days in Montego Bay

Day by day

1. Day 1: Doctor's Cave Beach and Hip Strip

   Doctor's Cave Beach, Hip Strip and Montego Bay Marine Park, then Rose Hall Great House in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Doctor's Cave Beach

      Montego Bay's best-known beach is a private beach club on the Hip Strip with soft white sand and calm, clear water inside the marine park.

   2. Late morning

      Hip Strip

      A polite but firm 'no thanks' handles most vendors; keep walking if you are not interested.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Jerk chicken and pork

      Jerk centres along the coast road east of the airport and stands on the Hip Strip; roadside drum-pan grills across town at night.

   4. Afternoon

      Montego Bay Marine Park

      A protected area covering the bay's reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves from the airport to the Great River.

   5. Evening

      Rose Hall Great House

      Book the evening tour for the atmosphere, or a daytime tour for the views over the sea.

2. Day 2: Greenwood Great House and Sam Sharpe Square

   Greenwood Great House, Sam Sharpe Square and Montego Bay Cultural Centre, then Luminous Lagoon at Glistening Waters in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Greenwood Great House

      Ask the guide to demonstrate the old music boxes and polyphon.

   2. Late morning

      Sam Sharpe Square

      Downtown's main square is named after Samuel Sharpe, the Baptist deacon who led the 1831 Christmas Rebellion of enslaved people and is a National Hero of Jamaica.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Ackee and saltfish

      Breakfast at local cafés and resort buffets.

   4. Afternoon

      Montego Bay Cultural Centre

      A good indoor stop on a rainy or very hot afternoon downtown.

   5. Evening

      Luminous Lagoon at Glistening Waters

      Go on a dark, moonless night for the brightest glow.

3. Day 3: St James Parish Church and Dead End Beach (Buccaneer Beach)

   St James Parish Church, Dead End Beach (Buccaneer Beach) and Martha Brae River rafting, then Hip Strip in the evening.

   1. Morning

      St James Parish Church

      An Anglican church built in the late 18th century in the shape of a Greek cross, rebuilt after an earthquake in 1957.

   2. Late morning

      Dead End Beach (Buccaneer Beach)

      Come at sunset with a drink and watch arrivals; there are few facilities, so bring what you need.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Curry goat

      Local cookshops downtown and in residential areas.

   4. Afternoon

      Martha Brae River rafting

      Raft captains pole long bamboo rafts for two down a gentle stretch of the Martha Brae River through tropical forest near Falmouth, a calm trip of about an hour and a half.

   5. Evening

      Hip Strip

      Bars with sea views, beach-club parties and live music along Gloucester Avenue.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Hip Strip (Gloucester Avenue) keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Downtown Montego Bay ($) suits culture and budget. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 16–22 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11 hours in December to 13.2 hours in June.

More or fewer days

• One day in Montego Bay
• 2 days in Montego Bay
• 5 days in Montego Bay

Questions travellers ask