OCHO RIOS

Ocho Rios, affectionately called "Ochi" by the locals, is located on the northern coast of the island of Jamaica, halfway between the capital, Kingston, and the popular resort town of Montego Bay. The Spanish translation of Ocho Rios is "eight rivers," but the area is better known for its abundance of waterfalls. The coastline is dotted with one resort hotel after another, with the Caribbean's trademark warm sands and turquoise waters in their backyards. Beyond the coastline, rainforest-like vegetation blankets the mountainous landscape.

The extraordinarily lush tropical foliage makes it easy to see why St. Anne's Parish, of which Ocho Rios is a part, is known as the "garden parish". Just beyond the cruise port, the city of Ocho Rios offers numerous artisan vendors, duty-free shopping opportunities, outdoor restaurants, and staged bars in its two main drag activities: Main Street and DaCosta Drive (which run parallel to each other ). While the city is worth visiting, spending a full day there would be overdoing it.

For cruise ship tourists, the main points of interest and attractions - such as Dunn's River Falls, Mystic Mountain, and James Bond Beach - are beyond the actual city and are a short 5- to a 20-minute cab ride. Ocho Rios gets its fair share of precipitation with the most rain in October and average temperatures in the 80s and 90s. (July and August are the hottest months, while February is the nicest.) Watch out for hurricane season from June to November.