Montego Bay Vacations

Once a sugar port, Montego Bay maintains a sweetness all its own: Old sugar plantations are reborn as golf resorts, cruise ships dock, and rum, reggae and Red Stripe abound. Start the day with local Blue Mountain Coffee then order spicy jerk at Scotchie's. Salute the sunset with a planter's punch on rollicking Doctor's Cove Beach.

Montegonians dance anywhere and everywhere. Join the ongoing celebration on your Montego Bay vacation well beyond the Hip Strip. Let Orbitz give you the dish on Montego Bay including the best time to go, top 10 highlights and gems from our insiders.

Year-round temperatures in the 80s and little rain put a sunny spin on any Montego Bay vacation. Prime dates depend on your desire to be part of the crowd(s).

High season is winter -- also the driest time of year -- when beaches get lively in December and are packed with good vibrations by Christmas. The revelry continues with Bob Marley's birthday bash in February and rages on through Easter and spring break. Expect a last hurrah in April for the island-wide Carnival festivities.

Summer heat keeps crowds and hotel rates low, aside from Reggae Sumfest in July. Montego Bay hurricane season peaks in August and September.

If you had a Jamaican mama who was too tired to cook, she might send you to this locals' source for traditional grub. Don't let the pool tables, dominoes on the patio and sports on the big screen fool you into thinking the food isn't grand. And that includes the Friday night fish fry.

Along the coast and up and down the mountain, locals sell jerk pork, rum drinks, straw hats, wood carvings or fresh fruit and more.

Just before Falmouth, a bare bones beach reveals a thatched-roof bar with a friendly staff. Reggae radio pulses out a low-key soundtrack for blended cocktails, grilled lobster and coconut shrimp.

Not your typical bump along the trail, this one starts with panoramic coastline views and ends with a ride off into the sunset, quite literally. Hold your camera high as your horse moseys right into the warm Caribbean Sea.

Mellow and authentic, Walter Fletcher Beach attracts locals and backpackers. In a white-sand crescent, Rose Hall Beach brims with a dive shop, jet ski rentals, changing rooms and a beach bar. No-frills Dead End Beach, also known as Buccaneer Beach, keeps it simple: just sand and sunset views.