Jamaica Vacations Resorts

The Spanish began to settle in Montego Bay after 1510 in the area of the Fort and they called the Bay "Bahia de Mantega" because of the large quantities of pigs' lard they exported to their colonies in South America and the West Indies.

With the British occupation of Jamaica in 1655, St. James was among the second group of Parishes founded in 1671. Montego Bay was a small town for the first part of the 18th century, and up until 1788 was exempt of taxes, but this soon changed.

A while after 1720 a Captain Jonathan Barnett sub-divided a portion of his sugar cane fields and created Charles Town, with Charles Square now called Sam Sharpe Square, and Barnett Town.

This resulted in the rapid expansion of the town and its commercial waterfront, as during this time most trade and communication was by sea.

Fort Montego, is approximately half a mile from Montego Bay. It was built on a small bluff overlooking what was then Meager Bay, and River Bay. Both bays have now been filled in for highway and town expansion.

Many forts were built along the coast to protect the major shipping ports of Jamaica from invasion by French and Spanish forces and pirates that roamed around the Caribbean Sea.

In 1752 the Fort was reported to be in very poor condition. In 1779 the fort underwent extensive renovations and the platform, paving, parapet wall and the powder magazine with its buttresses were built.

Montego Bay is divided into three fairly distinct parts. There is the city itself with its crowded streets. There is the "hotel area" which is the mile-and-a-half strip running from the town, past the celebrated Doctor's Cave Beach and out to the Dead End Bar. Thirdly, there are the outlying hotels and villas on beach or hillside.

Falmouth

It is reported that Falmouth had running water before New York City.

Falmouth's most important role in history was its seaport. The town features well-preserved Georgian architecture. The Falmouth Parish Church (1795) is today a market where craftsmen sell wares near the church parking lot. In town there is a 1815 era courthouse and the Barrett House, built by sugar baron Edward Barrett. A half-mile west of Falmouth is the area where segments of the James Bond movie "Live and let Die" was filmed.

Picturesque landscape awaits nature lovers and romantics as they swim and raft the Martha Brae River, near Falmouth