Ocho Rios harbor. Credit: Wikimedia Creative Commons license

Ocho Rios cruise port visitors will find it is one of the best destinations for attractions and things to do on the island of Jamaica. We found out why during our visit there.

The town is a popular cruise port as well as a popular all-inclusive resort destination. It is one of three major resort areas along with Montego Bay on the northwest coast and Negril on the far western tip of Jamaica.

Ocho Rios is a common port of call on western Caribbean cruises. Five- and six-day cruises often embark from Miami or other Florida cruise ports and visit Ocho Rios in addition to Grand Cayman and possibly Cozumel. Longer cruises, especially the popular seven-day cruises, embark from Florida and Gulf Coast ports such as Galveston and New Orleans.

Cruise ships go to Ocho Rios because of its pristine beaches, mountainous shoreline and garden-like scenery. It also has a famous natural attraction that we thought was a lot of fun: Dunn’s River Falls.

Quick Travel Tips

• Dunn’s River Falls is one of the most popular attractions and one of the best in the Caribbean.
• Ocho Rios Bay Beach is within walking distance of the cruise docks.
• Island Village by the docks is a large shopping, dining and entertainment development.

Where is Ocho Rios?

Ocho Rios is a small city of about 17,000 people on the northern coast of Jamaica. It is 280 miles east of Grand Cayman and 114 miles south of the Cuban coast. It is the easternmost port of all western Caribbean cruise destinations.

Attractions and Shore Excursions

Walking Around Attractions

Ocho Rios is a moderate-sized resort city with a moderate amount of things to do and other points of interest within the cruise port area.

The cruise port and terminal are just to the east of the city. Even so, cruise passengers will find a decent amount of shopping and restaurants near the docks.

The most popular attraction within walking distance is Ocho Rios Bay Beach, otherwise known as Turtle Beach. The beach is a 10-minute walk to the east of the port. Just look to the left on arriving at the docks. Food services are available such as snack shops and picnic facilities. It also has watersports activities. Bathroom and changing room facilities are available.

Ocho Rios Craft Market on Main Street is a half mile or about a 10-minute walk to the east of both the beach and the cruise docks. The market has the usual goods for sale at a Caribbean market: crafts, carvings, folk jewelry, recordings, t-shirts and souvenirs.

Note that Main Street also has many other shopping and dining places.

Turtle River Falls and Gardens on Eden Bower Road is a 15-acre tropical garden with 14 cascading waterfalls. The gardens are about a half mile or a 10-minute walk south of the docks. Tickets are $20 per person and $10 for children ages 11 and under.

Shore Excursions

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

It is one of the best natural attractions in the Caribbean. Our family including three young children had a blast when we went there.

Visitors to the falls, which cascade more than 600 feet down hillsides, climb up the rocks and water in the form of a daisy chain. The daisy chain, requiring visitors to hold hands, is a bit awkward but necessary for safety on the slippery rocks. Photo opportunities are abundant.

Cruise ships and local excursion companies transport thousands of visitors to the falls every year. The falls are less than a 10-minute drive from Ocho Rios. Shore excursion operators have many different ways of taking people to the falls. During our visit, we took a catamaran straight from the docks to the falls at a cost of more than $100 per person. The least expensive way involves an excursion bus and costs about $65 per person.

Despite the fame of Dunn’s River Falls, Dolphin Cove claims to be the No. 1 tourist attraction in Jamaica with locations in Ocho Rios, Negril and Montego Bay, although it’s actually three attractions. Visitors can swim with dolphins in a variety of programs and prices.

The Ocho Rios facility is about two miles or three kilometers west of the cruise docks on the way to Dunn’s River Falls. The two attractions will fill an entire day for cruise visitors with a large enough budget.

Crowds can jam Dunn’s River Falls when more than one cruise ship is in port. Credit: Wikimedia Creative Commons license

The beachfront property has been in business since the 1990s and offers a variety of interactions with dolphins, sharks, stingrays, parrots and pirates along with glass bottom boat excursions. Prices vary with the programs, but a typical outing will cost about $125 to $150 per person.

Another major attraction is Mystic Mountain, which is two miles west of the port. It has a variety of things to do including bobsleds, chairlifts and ziplines. Prices are usually about $100 to $125 per person with discounts for children. Prices depend on the cruise line, sailing date and other factors.

Other popular shore excursions include the Blue Hole, which is a very blue pool with cascading water, along with tubing or rafting on the nearby White River. These five-hour excursions cost about $100 per person.

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.

Ocho Rios has two 18-hole golf courses at the Sandals Resort in Upton about five miles or nine kilometers southeast of Ocho Rios. The Jewel Runaway Bay course about 16 miles or 26 kilometers east of the cruise terminal at Runaway Bay.

Beaches Near the Port

Cruise visitors who would rather spend time on the beach can either walk to one near the docks or spend money on a taxi, rental car or excursion bus to get to more.

Ocho Rios cruise passengers are blessed with having Ocho Rios Bay Beach right by the cruise docks. It means they don’t have to pay for an excursion bus to take them anywhere.

Bamboo Beach, formerly known as Reggae Beach, is a larger and better option about five miles to the east of the port. It is included in some cruise line shore excursions. Prices usually range from $50 to $100 per person depending on amenities such as whether the excursion includes lunch or beverages.

Otherwise, cruise visitors may have to rent a taxi to reach other beaches.

The smaller Mahogany Beach is about one and a half miles east of the port. It’s a less appealing option than the others, but it is convenient for anyone walking in that direction through the town.

Another shore excursion option combines Pearly Beach with the nearby Dunn’s River Falls. They are just three miles west of the port.

The more secluded James Bond Beach for fans of the early movies in the series is the farthest of the bunch. It is 13 miles or 30 minutes each of the port.

Shopping / Restaurants

The closest shopping is Island Village right by the cruise docks. It is a large shopping, dining and entertainment development. It has an outdoor concert venue, reggae and Jamaican art museums, a casino, water sports and of course plenty of shopping.

Like every other major port in the Caribbean, Ocho Rios has a market of local arts and crafts. The Ocho Rios Craft Park by Main Street has 150 shopping stalls with the usual array of handmade and commercial souvenirs for sale.

A third shopping complex, Island Plaza, is in the center of Ocho Rios It also has a wide range of commercial and handmade arts, crafts and souvenirs.

Note that all merchandise on sales has a 16.5 percent consumer tax. Also be prepared to negotiate with the vendors over price.

Getting Around / Transportation

Taxis and excursion buses are the best option for getting around Ocho Rios and visiting major attractions such as Dunn’s River Falls. The area has a few local and national car rental companies that serve cruise visitors. Public buses are not recommended.

Weather / Best Time to Go

Jamaica has some of the best cruise weather from December through March. © Scott S. Bateman

Jamaica is one of the warmest islands in the Caribbean and popular with western Caribbean cruises from December through March.

Average high temperatures range from the mid-80s Fahrenheit during the winter to more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit or low 30s Celsius in the summer.

Rainfall averages less than one inch from January through March, picks up slightly in April and spikes during a brief rainy season in May and June.

Rain drops off somewhat in July and starts to climb again in August as the Caribbean hurricane season starts to become more active.

Total rainfall reaches nearly six inches in September and more than seven inches in October. They are the riskiest weather months for travelers to visit the island.

Like many Caribbean destinations, the best times to go are March and April for a low risk of rain and warm temperatures.