Jamaica · The north coast
Most Jamaica trips begin in Montego Bay, and for good reason. The island's busiest airport sits right on the north coast, so you can step off the plane and be on a beach lounger, drink in hand, in well under an hour. We call it the gentlest arrival in the Caribbean.
Mobay, as everyone here calls it, is the home of the all-inclusive resort, with a long string of beachfront properties, championship golf and calm, clear water along the bay. The original draw was Doctor's Cave Beach, the spring-fed cove whose clear water first put the town on the map a century ago, and it is still a lovely place to swim.
Beyond the resorts, the Hip Strip on Gloucester Avenue gathers shops, bars and roadside jerk stands by the sea, and the green hills behind town hide river tubing, gardens and old great houses. We like Mobay as a relaxed base for a first taste of the island, with easy day trips in every direction.
