File:Montego_Bay_Photo_Don_Ramey_Logan.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
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Montego Bay is the capital city of Saint James Parish in Jamaica, making it an important administrative center on the island. It is one of Jamaica's major coastal cities and serves as a significant hub for the country.
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Place details
- Locality
- Montego Bay
- Region
- Saint James Parish
- Country
- Jamaica
- Population
- 82,867
Travel guide
Understand
Christopher Columbus sailed into the bay in 1494 and named it "El Golfo de Buen Tiempo" or Fair Weather Bay. The first record of a Spanish settlement here shows it as Monterias. The Spaniards hunted the herds of wild hogs that used to roam the hills and produced and exported 'hog butter' or lard. The name Montego derives from the Spanish "manteca" meaning lard, and Montego Bay is shown on some ancient maps as Lard Bay, or Bahia de Manteca in Spanish.
Due in part to its location on the island's north shore, Montego Bay has long since earned the title of 'tourist capital of Jamaica.' It receives the bulk of international flights, and is home to Sangster International Airport, the larger of Jamaica's two main international airports. It is a tourist destination known for its duty-free shopping, cruise line terminal, and the sheltered Doctor's Cave beach with clear turquoise waters, which is one of the most famous beaches on the island.
Get around
thumb|250px|Downtown Montego Bay
Do
thumb|250px|Take a break from the sun and relax on the beach under a palm tree
Golf: several courses, best known is Half Moon at Rose Hall.
Buy
Montego Bay shopping center. You can find more reasonably priced souvenirs, and eat some real native Jamaican food. A traveller can find really great deals on gourmet coffee in which is produced on the island, and Jamaican spices, art and scented body oils. You can get there by taxi or local shuttle. There are three craft markets: Harbour Street Craft Market, Old Fort Craft Market and Success Craft Market.
Eat
Most restaurants also serve drinks. Try a tropical drink or grab a cold Red Stripe in the signature brown bottle, then relax and take in the scenery! thumb|250px|Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville
Stay safe
While Montego Bay is a relatively safe city, normal precautions should be observed. Stay in groups, and stick to tourist areas. The rural areas are especially dangerous.
Travel guide from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0)
~17 min read
Article
Montego Bay (Jamaican Patois: Mobay or Muhbay) is the capital of the parish of St. James in Jamaica. The city is the fourth most populous urban area in the country, after Kingston, Spanish Town, and Portmore, all of which form the Greater Kingston Metropolitan Area, home to more than half a million people. As a result, Montego Bay is the second-largest anglophone city in the Caribbean, after Kingston.
Montego Bay is a popular tourist destination featuring duty-free shopping, a cruise line terminal and several beaches and resorts. The city is served by the Donald Sangster International Airport, the busiest airport in the Anglophone Caribbean, which is located within the official city limits. The city is enclosed in a watershed, drained by several rivers such as the Montego River. Montego Bay is referred to as "The Second City", "MoBay" or "Bay".