The first town in Jamaica to be developed specifically as a resort, OCHO RIOS (usually just called "Ochi") abounds with neon-fronted duty-free stores, fast-food chains, bars, clubs and visitor-oriented restaurants. Local culture takes a back seat to the tourist trappings here, so it's not a good place to get an authentic flavour of Jamaica. It's not the best choice amongst the island's "big three" resorts for the classic Caribbean beach holiday, either – the strip of hotel-lined sand just can't compete with the beaches of Negril and Montego Bay, and the club and bar scenes are less vibrant. Nonetheless, the nightlife is improving, and Ochi compensates for its scenic deficiencies with a certain infectious energy.

Sights—Dunn's River Falls, with its series of cascades that can be climbed; Fern Gulley, a narrow gorge lined with ferns; Shaw Park Gardens, with 25 acres/10 hectares of tropical gardens; Cranbrook Flower Forest, where the well-tended tropical gardens are superbly laid out and accessed along manicured trails; the natural stalactites and stalagmites at Green Grotto Caves.

Museums—The Bob Marley museum at Nine Miles, where the legendary reggae superstar was born and is buried, in the mountains south of Ocho Rios; Reggae Xplosion to learn more about Marley and the development of Jamaica's music.