Spend a day at the beach, swim with dolphins and tour a beguiling cave system and underground lake during a visit to Discovery Bay. Set on Jamaica’s northern coastline, Discovery Bay is where, according to local legend, Christopher Columbus set foot on the island in 1494. Columbus named the area Puerto Seco (Dry Harbor), a reference to his inability to find a fresh water source. Today Discovery Bay is a popular vacation destination and weekend getaway for affluent families.
Pay to enter Puerto Seco Beach Park, which has amenities such as bars, changing facilities, a pool and spa. Fronting the park is Puerto Seco Beach, a great spot for sunbathing, swimming in crystalline waters and sunset viewing. Children can have fun playing on the slides and obstacles of an inflatable waterpark.
Inland, Green Grotto Caves is a spectacular maze of limestone caves, light holes, rock tunnels and a subterranean lake. Join a guided walking tour of this natural wonder, spot varied bat species and listen to stories about its interesting history. The Taino tribespeople were the first to inhabit the caves and the Spanish hid here after the arrival of the English in 1655. It was later used as a shooting location for the James Bond movie Live and Let Die.
Travel west around the bay to the waterfront Columbus Park. Set on the site of a British-erected wharf, the park commemorates a turbulent meeting between Columbus and the Taino people. See anchors, an Arawak canoe, a tally banana-counting tool and waterwheel, among other artifacts.
Located in St. Ann Parish, Discovery Bay is an hour’s drive from Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport. Rio Bueno and Runaway Bay are nearby seaside villages. Hotels and villas line the east side of the bay and have private access to beaches and glorious turquoise waters.
