In short
Montego Bay is Jamaica's tourist capital and the country's air gateway. It is a town of resorts and cruise passengers, but also an ordinary Jamaican town of more than a hundred thousand people — the two do not meet much.
The Hip Strip, or Gloucester Avenue, lines up bars, shops and restaurants along the sea. Doctor's Cave Beach is the historic beach. Rose Hall, to the east, is an eighteenth-century plantation estate.
Arriving and getting around
Sangster airport is Jamaica's busiest, a few kilometres from the centre, with many direct flights from North America and Europe.
Negril is an hour and a half west by road, Ocho Rios two hours east.
Route taxis, shared taxis on fixed routes, are the local transport and cost a fraction of tourist taxi fares — recognisable by their red plates.
What it really costs
The dominant model is all-inclusive, which makes the budget predictable but locks you into the resort.
Prices in tourist areas are often displayed in US dollars, which are widely accepted. Paying in Jamaican dollars is generally better value.
Tipping is expected in restaurants.
When to come
December–April is the dry season and the high season.
Hurricane season runs from June to November, peaking in August–September. Summer is hot, humid, and markedly cheaper.
What nobody tells you
Doctor's Cave Beach charges admission: it is a private beach club, as are several of the best-kept beaches in town. Public beaches exist but are less equipped.
Safety conditions vary sharply from one district to another in Montego Bay, and official travel advice explicitly distinguishes between zones. Consult your own foreign ministry's advice before departure and follow your accommodation's recommendations.
The Martha Brae is descended on a bamboo raft, poled by a captain — an old activity, calmer than the word "rafting" suggests.
Jerk is a cooking method using chilli and allspice, of Maroon origin; Scotchies, in Montego Bay, is the address Jamaicans themselves name.