Jamaica Cruise Ports

• The main four cruise ports are Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Falmouth and Port Antonio
  
• The most famous attraction is Dunn's River Falls
  
• Use JUTA to get around

Jamaica cruise ports at Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Falmouth and Port Antonio offer visitors a chance to experience Jamaica culture and some unique attractions, especially Dunn's River Falls.

All three are popular western Caribbean cruise ports. They line the northern Jamaican coast with Montego Bay farthest west, Falmouth in the middle and Ocho Rios to the east.

The locations make a difference for anyone who wants to see Jamaica's most famous shore excursion at Dunn's River Falls.


Dunn's River Falls is located slightly west of Ocho Rios. It is easily accessible from the Ocho Rios cruise docks, but much less so from Falmouth and especially Montego Bay.

Dolphin Cove is located next to Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios. Like other dolphin experiences, it allows visitors to swim with the dolphins.


Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean with 4,400 square miles. Although renting a car is an option, it is not advisable because of road conditions and other reasons.

Buses, minibuses and route taxis are the main forms of transportation for many people on the island, but they are recommended only for tourists with extensive experience visiting Jamaica.

The best way to get around the island is by using JUTA, the Jamaica Union of Travelers Association. Drivers are certified by the Jamaica Tourist Board.

JUTA vehicles have a Jamaica Tourist Board identification tag along with the red plates and JTB decal displayed on their vehicle.


Ocho Rios on the north coast of Jamaica is one of the top cruise, hotel and resort destinations on the island because of its pristine beaches, mountainous shoreline and garden-like scenery.

It ranks as one of the three most popular resort areas along with Montego Bay on the northwest coast and Negril on the far western tip of Jamaica.

Ocho Rios is a popular port of call for cruise ships in part because of its famous and probably most popular attraction – Dunn’s River Falls.

Visitors to the falls, which cascade down hillsides more than 600 feet, climb up the rocks and water in the form of a daisy chain. Photo opportunities are abundant.

Other area attractions include river rafting and canoeing on the nearby White River, hiking or cycling in the Blue Mountains and swimming with the dolphins at Dolphins Cove.

The 700-feet-high Mystic Mountain located near the Ochio Rios cruise dock has a tram, ziplining and its signature attraction -- a 1,000 meter long bobsled ride through the rainforest.

In addition, many visitors go to Eden Falls, Fern Gully and Shaw Park Botanical Gardens. Excursion companies offer jeep safaris, ATV safaris, zip line canopy tours and a bamboo rafting trip, among other adventures.

Major beaches include Mahogany Beach and Ocho Rios Bay Beach.


Montego Bay, Jamaica is both the capital of St. James Parish and the tourism capital of Jamaica.

The second largest city on the island is a hub for many Jamaica visitors. Cruise visitors can take advantage of the duty free shopping and relax on the miles-long white beaches facing, of course, the water inlet known as Montego Bay.

Montego Bay attractions include the restored Rose Hall Great House plantation; the translucent waters of Doctor’s Cave Beach; Croydon in the Mountains, a working plantation with panoramic views of the Catadupa Mountains; and the Greenwood Great House, formerly owned by the poet Elizabeth Barrett-Browning.

Other attractions include:

• Appleton Estate rum tour
  
• Aquasol Theme Park: Watersports and activities.
  
• Ride ATVs 700 feet above sea level to the top of Mount Zion.

"Historic Falmouth Cruise Port" is new 32-acre cruise terminal developed by the Jamaica Port Authority and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

The development includes a craft market, duty-free and boutique shops, restaurants, offices and homes within walking distance.

Falmouth was founded in 1769 and is considered one of the Western Hemisphere’s best-preserved towns from the Georgian era.

One of the more significant historical buildings is the William Knibb Memorial Baptist Church, built by a missionary and leader in the movement to abolish slavery in Jamaica.


Port Antonio is the smallest of the ports and an old seaside town known for attracting celebrities and the wealthy.

Rafting on the Rio Grande is one of the most popular tourist attractions. Another one is the Blue Lagoon, a nearly landlocked cove whose waters have numerous shades of blue.

Other attractions include:

• Boston Beach, the birthplace of ‘jerk’ cuisine.
  
• Navy Island, just off the mainland
  
• Nonsuch Caves and Atherry Garden, caves with stalactites and stalagmites and a well-tended garden.
  
• Somerset Falls, a series of cascades and falls on the Daniels River.

• English is the dominant language
  
• U.S. dollars and international credit cards are widely accepted