Exploring Ocho Rios With A Local

In my opinion, the best way to experience a country for the first time is through the eyes of a local. After all, they’ve spent their entire lives exploring and getting to know their own backyard. In addition to their knowledge of the land, they speak the local language, know how much things should really cost, can navigate the sometimes precarious roads, and – most importantly – they know where to eat! So, before I headed to Jamaica for the first time, I reached out to a small tour company – Courtney Taylor Tours – to see if they could arrange a private tour around Ocho Rios for me and my hubby. I told Courtney that I had one goal: to see as many of his favourite gems as he could possibly squeeze into one day. And that he did! From jumping off cliffs to devouring Jamaican patties, we spent the entire day exploring and eating our way through the region. Here are some of the highlights:

1. If you’re staying in Ocho Rios or the surrounding area, I highly recommend a visit to the Blue Hole/secret falls before it becomes a tourist trap (there are plans to develop it in the near future). We spent the morning plunging off rocks, swinging into the crystal clear water (Tarzan-styles) and getting back massages from the serene waterfalls:

2. After all the climbing and swimming, we were starving and asked Courtney to lead us to his favourite Jamaican patty joint. He took us to Juici Patties where we scarfed down a few beef and cheese patties:

3. I wanted to get a taste of the local fruits and veggies so Courtney pulled over at a small stand on the side of a road to indulge me (I think it was called Rainforest Extravaganza Saloon). We tried pretty much everything Shamita offered us – from her own cocoa, nutmeg and honey mix to coconut jelly…

4. Then I reluctantly asked Courtney to take us to Dunn’s River Falls. I knew it was going to be a tourist trap, but many beautiful places in the world are and I didn’t want that to prevent me from seeing the national treasure with my own eyes. Once we entered the park ($20/person), we were at the mercy of their guides; ours was nice, but rushed us up the tiered waterfalls like we were on the Amazing Race! He did squeeze in a few photo-ops at very specific spots that he deemed worthy along the way. The funny thing is, there weren’t any cruise ships there (or any other people for that matter) so I’m not sure why he was so hasty: perhaps he knew he wasn’t going to make as much money guiding two people as he would with 26 (the avg size of the hand-holding mob who climb the falls in one go). That being said, I’m glad we saw Dunn’s and am proud that we somehow managed to make it out of the market without a stop (they’re notorious for their aggressive sales tactics there).

5. After our trip to the falls, we were ready to devour some jerk chicken. Everyone in the travel community told me that Scotchies is the place to have jerk. And when I mentioned it to Courtney his face lit up with a big smile so I knew we had to give it a shot. Thankfully, there were only a handful of people there. It’s definitely the best jerk I’ve ever tasted; moist and spicy with a hint of smokiness. This is one food joint you don’t want to miss out on in Jamaica. If you can, sit at the back bar (it has a nice vibe) and order a side of festival (basically a Jamaican version of cornbread) to complement the jerk.

6. And we couldn’t visit an island without trying out their ice cream. In fact, Jamaica’s Devon House I-Scream was ranked by National Geographic (in their Food Journeys of a Lifetime book) as the fourth best place in the world to eat ice cream! There are many parlours around the island that sell the heavenly dessert and – thankfully – there’s one in Ocho Rios. They’re known for their fruit-forward flavours; we went with the Fruits & Nuts and the Jamaica 50 (coconut, mango and pistachio). So creamy, so flavourful, so good!

Overall, we had an incredible day exploring Ocho Rios with Courtney. He taught us about the island, it’s people and even snuck in a mini Patois lesson during our drive. What stood out most was his patience and flexibility; he really took the time to show us his favourite gems and stopped pretty much anywhere our hearts desired. If you’re heading to Ochi, you should definitely check out Courtney Taylor Tours!

A few things to note…

• Courtney was born and raised near Ocho Rios and has been guiding private tours around the island for over 10 years. In addition to the tailored excursion above, he offers a range of other tours on his site.
• It will cost you $29/person (if there are four people in your group) to hire Courtney to guide you on a tour like the one outlined above (double the rate if you’re only two people). This doesn’t include the cost of food or any entrance fees.
• When heading to the Blue Hole and Dunn’s make sure you dress appropriately: this means water shoes (the rocks are slippery) and swimwear!
• Although there’s technically no admission fee for the Blue Hole, there are a group of guys at the entrance who can guide you, keep your camera/valuables dry and do some cool diving tricks along the way. They only charge $15/person so I’d recommend having one of them show you the way (I always made ours jump first!)
• Try to take Jamaican dollars with you on excursions if you can. Most prices are in their local currency and you’re likely to get ripped off if you pay in US dollars.

The tour outlined above was complimentary for me and my husband. As always, all reviews and opinions are entirely my own.