Destination Jamaica - Ocho Rios...Centre of Attraction


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Enjoy a nice bite and relax- ing afternoon at Jimmy Buffett's Mar- garitaville at Island Village in Ocho Rios...

History of Ocho Rios

One of the oldest populated regions on island, tracing back to A.D. 650, St. Ann is believed to be the site of the earliest Taino settlement in Jamaica.

There's fun to be had, matey, at Treasure Reef, part of the Dolphin Cove complex in Ocho Rios. Visitors see cannons, an ersatz Capt. Jack Sparrow and amble along a boardwalk. Photos courtesy of Dolphin Cove

Columbus first arrived in Jamaica in 1494, landing on the shores of St. Ann. Sevilla la Nueva, now named Seville and located just west of St. Ann’s Bay, marked the first Spanish settlement in Jamaica. Here the Spaniards established the first sugar mills.

St. Ann’s Bay evolved into a fishing port with many wharves after the English captured the island in 1655.

Ocho Rios does not have “eight rivers” as the Spanish name implies. The English confused the translation of Las Chorreras (river rapids), the original name the Spanish had given to the area. Still today, many say this is the place “where heaven spills into the sea.”

The main catalyst for the region’s growth was the bauxite industry, which along with the deep-water pier west of town began to shape the area as a tourism hotspot. Stunning natural beauty coupled with an unmatched array of activities, places to stay, shop and dine, continue to insure the growth of the St. Ann area and Ocho Rios.


	Columbus Park Exploring Diving and Snorkeling Sunset Cruises Swimming with Dolphins Dunn's River Falls Tropical Exotic Gardens Fern Gully Green Grotto Caves Horseback Riding Prospect Plantation

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