Montego Bay is the second largest city in Jamaica. It’s mainly split into two parts: Gloucester Avenue or the Hip Strip, as the marketing folks renamed it, the main tourist strip, and downtown, or the city proper, where most tourists don’t really venture. The Hip Strip has a prized asset that is Montego Bay lined with miles and miles of coral reefs and beaches.
The name Montego Bay is derived from the Spanish name Manteca Bahia (Bay of Lard) due to the city’s lard-making industry that can be accomplished thanks to the wild boards that roam the area. The architecture of the buildings is a mix of gingerbread wooden houses and modernity. One of its most famous resorts is Doctor’s Cave Beach, which is said to be filled with mineral springs and very clear, sparkling water. The Bay boasts a wide selection of hotels for accommodation ranging from well established luxury hotels to newer small intimate venues.
There are also many shopping arcades where tourists can go to buy souvenirs. Holiday Village, opposite the Holiday Inn, is known to be the largest shopping center there, with its vast options of bond shops, crafts and souvenir shops, and also has an art gallery.
Sam Sharpe Square, which is located in the center of the city, is full of activity. There is the Cage, formerly a prison for escaped slaves and the Courthouse that was built in 1804 and was destroyed in a fire about 20 years ago.