Major Attractions In Ocho Rios

Bob Marley Mausoleum

Reggae music fans from the world over make the pilgrimage to the famed singer/songwriter's grave site at the village of Nine Mile, about 40 miles (65km) south of Ocho Rios. Marley lived in the Nine Mile hamlet between the age of six and 13. The two-room shack in which he lived is open to view, filled with memorabilia, and alongside it is the mausoleum in which Marley and his half-brother are buried. The site also has a vegetarian restaurant and small shop. Reggae concerts are held at Nine Mile each year on 6 February, Marley's birthday.

Columbus Park Museum

At Discovery Bay this varied and fascinating open-air museum has a vast collection of exhibits to explore. Visitors can stroll around under Pimento trees among artefacts like a tally, used to count bananas on the plantations; a water wheel; a canoe made from a solid piece of wood and a host of other weird and wonderful things.

Dolphin Cove

Alongside the Dunn's river Falls in Ocho Rios is Dolphin Cove, where visitors can swim with a family of Bottle Nose dolphins. The natural cove is surrounded by four acres of lush tropical rain forest. The cove is also home to other marine species such as rays, eels and sharks as well as tropical birds, like the macaw. There is a gift shop selling souvenirs.

Dunn’s River Falls

Just about two miles (3km) west from the centre of Ocho Rios is the popular beach and waterfall attraction of Dunn’s River. The waterfall cascades down 600ft (183m) forming cool pools among slippery rocks, and a favourite tourist pursuit is to climb to the top of the falls with a guide, enjoying being splashed by cold, clear mountain water en route. There is a restaurant on the beach below.

Firefly

The cottage on the cliff above Port Maria, 20 miles (32km) east of Ocho Rios, Firefly was the holiday retreat of famed British playwright and composer, Sir Noel Coward. The house is now a national monument and has been preserved as Coward left it, complete with two grand pianos on which he composed some famous tunes. Coward is buried in the garden under a simple marble gravestone.

Green Grotto Caves

Jamaica’s most prominent natural attraction are the caves on the island’s north coast, between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, just a few kilometres from Discovery Bay and Runaway Bay. The huge labyrinthine limestone cave found here is 5,003ft (1,525m) long and characterised by stalactites, stalagmites, overhead ceiling pockets, numerous chambers, light holes, and in its depths a subterranean lake. The caves have played an important role in Jamaican history, from when the Arawak Indians used them for shelter. They have been used as a hideout for Spaniards during the British take-over, a haven for runaway slaves, and even as a den for smugglers running arms to Cuba.