By air
Sangster International (MBJ), ~1.5 h by road
North America · Jamaica
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Waterfalls, gardens and the north-coast shore
Getting there
Best time to visit
December to April — the driest months
Don't miss
Dunn's River Falls
Fern Gully
Turtle River Park
Firefly Estate
Things to do
Climbing Dunn's River Falls
River tubing
Snorkelling
Driving through Fern Gully
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Breakyunit · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Water shoes, swimwear, sunscreen
A quieter corner
The Blue Hole, a series of jungle pools and falls in the hills above town
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Ocho Rios?
December to April — the driest months. What to pack: Water shoes, swimwear, sunscreen.
How do I get to Ocho Rios?
Fly into Sangster International (MBJ), ~1.5 h by road.
What is there to do in Ocho Rios?
Climbing Dunn's River Falls, river tubing, snorkelling, driving through Fern Gully. A quieter find: The Blue Hole, a series of jungle pools and falls in the hills above town.
What should I eat in Ocho Rios?
Jerk pork, ackee and saltfish, roast breadfruit, bammy with escoveitch fish.
About Ocho Rios
- Coastal
- Forest
Where it is
Ocho Rios is a port town on the north coast of Jamaica in St Ann parish, backed by green hills full of rivers and waterfalls.
History
The Spanish, who held Jamaica until the English took it in 1655, knew the area as Las Chorreras, after its waterfalls. It remained a small fishing village through British rule and grew in the second half of the 20th century into a resort and a busy cruise-ship port.
People
Ocho Rios's people speak English and Jamaican Patois, and St Ann parish is proud to be the birthplace of both Bob Marley and Marcus Garvey.
Known for
- Dunn's River Falls
- Fern Gully's tree-fern road
- A cruise-ship port
- Rivers and waterfalls in the hills
Did you know?
Despite its name, Ocho Rios does not mean eight rivers in any real sense: it is thought to be an English garbling of the Spanish Las Chorreras, meaning the waterfalls.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.