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Interesting Facts
- Ocho Rios boasts the vacation home of two famous writers. Firefly, the tropical home of Sir Noël Coward, is open to the public for tours. Though it is not open to public, Goldeneye, the cottage of Ian Fleming, aptly rests near James Bond beach.
- What would a Jamaican city be without at least one reggae festival? Ocho Rios boasts one of the island's favorites, which is held every February if you happen to be in town. Called the Reggae Sunsplash Festival, this celebration explodes with reggae music and an interesting mix of Rastafarian heritage thrown in to boot.
- Ocho Rios may not be as big as Kingston or Montego Bay, but it does attract its share of visitors. More than 700,000 travelers either get off a plane or cruise ship to enjoy one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in Jamaica.
- Sometimes, it's funny how a name sticks. Ocho Rios means "eight rivers" in Spanish, but there are not eight rivers in the area. The faux pas occurred when the British tried to translate las chorreros, which means "river rapids," and instead came out with Ocho Rios, the erroneous "eight rivers."
- Dunn's River Falls, which cascade down a cliff of over 600 feet, is without a doubt the most visited attraction in Ocho Rios. The mist from the falls cools off new arrivals, and if you're adventurous, you can take a guided tour up the steep incline to view the coastline from the top.
- The long rocky gorge running up the coast from Ocho Rios to the island's mountains may at first look uninteresting, but the rich fern growth has made this area a top attraction for visitors. At some points in the gorge, the growth is so dense and the shade so profuse that it gets as much as ten degrees cooler than the surface temperature.
- Twenty years ago, it may have been hard to imagine that a tropical tourist paradise could arise from the thick growth of coastline forests. But twenty years is really all it has taken to convert the wilds and a very small town into the engaging city of Ocho Rios. It may be relatively new to the market, but it already attracts hundreds of cruise ships each year.
- Like many coastal cities in Jamaica, Ocho Rios was once an area rich in plantations that harvested a variety of fruit and other crops. Today, visitors can get a firsthand glimpse at what life was like by visiting several working plantations that have been around for hundreds of years. Two of the more accessible are Brimmer Hall and Prospect Plantation, each of which allows visitors to take a hands-on approach to their tour by sampling a wide assortment of indigenous fruits.
- Christopher Columbus landed at many spots along the coast of Jamaica, but many believe that it was in Ocho Rios that he first set foot on land. Columbus Park, just outside of the city, is supposedly where ol' Chris first came ashore, and today visitors can view various maritime artifacts and Spanish Colonial buildings at the site.
- Dolphin Cove offers one of the best day trips you can undertake while in Ocho Rios. Aside from offering a beach and various seaside facilities for the whole family, the complex also lets you do something truly original—swim and play with bottlenose dolphins. These playful animals love to interact, but make sure to reserve your place in the pool well beforehand to take advantage of this unique treat.
