Port Review: Falmouth, Jamaica

This is a relatively new port of call on Jamaica’s north coast, just 29 kilometres from Montego Bay, and one of the Caribbean’s best-preserved Georgian towns with plenty of colonial flavour. Here’s why cruise passengers love it. 

The Facts

Location: In the Caribbean on Jamaica’s north coast. 

Language: English and Patois, which is a Creole style language.

Currency: The Jamaican dollar.

Docking/Anchoring: Docking at the new cruise pier near the Historic District.

Transport: There are usually taxis outside of the pier, and the town centre is easy walking distance.

Overview

Founded in 1769, Falmouth quickly became one of Jamaica’s busiest ports, and it’s also the birthplace of Jamaica’s slavery abolition movement. A US $170 million cruise terminal opened back in February 2011, reviving the town as a cruise destination, and it has plenty of duty free shops, restaurants and a WiFi hotspot ideal for cruise passengers. It is also conveniently located for anyone who wants step off the ship for a stroll through the Historic District to view the amazing nineteenth-century architecture.

Don’t Miss

Historic Falmouth is a beautifully preserved Georgian quarter which is unusual in the Caribbean, and it offers an authentic slice of life in Falmouth as it used to be. There is a Heritage Walking Tour you can take either by yourself, which features most of the famous sights and buildings.

Trelawny is also famous for the Martha Brae River, which can be best enjoyed on a river-rafting cruise.

Greenwood Great House is just 11 kilometres from the town, and a Georgian-style stately home with a fine collection of antique furniture and artefacts. It was built by the Barrett family, Falmouth's most famous local residents. Edward Barrett, who founded the town, was the great-great grandfather of the English poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and the house includes an original library with rare books dating from 1697.

Best Photo Op

Trelawny Parish Church of St. Peter is a pretty church built in 1795 and has colourful stained glass windows, and a graveyard which houses tombs more than 200 years old. It's an integral part of the town's history, and a famous photo op. 

Shopping

Head for the largest collection of colonnaded commercial buildings on Market Street, also the Albert George Shopping and Historical Centre, built in 1894, which is a good source of handmade local crafts and souvenirs.

Food and Drink

The downtown district has a good collection of local restaurants and bars serving Jamaican and American food on Market, Duke and King Streets and there’s also a couple of good options in the Albert George Market itself. If you’re drinking rum and coke, and you plan on having a couple of them, order by the flask and this will give you five or six drinks at a cheaper price than paying individually.

Pick of the Excursions

The famous Dunn’s River Falls and Park at Ocho Rios is a popular excursion for many visitors and one of the country's national treasures. A beautiful spot near the ocean, you can "walk the falls" which is not only a unique experience but also cooling in the summer heat. 

If you're feeling adventurous, also located at Ocho Rios is Mystic Mountain, an attraction where you can ride a bobsled through the rainforest, or take a hair raising ride on a zip line. Or if water sports are more your thing, consider a swim with the dolphins at Dolphin Cove.

Another popular option is to take an excursion Appleton Estate to learn how to make rum. The drive is scenic, and you will definitely enjoy the ride back!