Called "el golfo de buen tiempo" (the gulf of good weather) by Christopher Columbus, it was dubbed Bahia de Manteca (Lard Bay) by the Spanish, and later became a major shipping port for sugar and bananas.
At the turn of the century, travelers came from far and wide to sample the waters of Doctor’s Cave Beach, which were said to cure almost any ailment. Today, the beach is as popular as ever, while "Mobay" has grown to become the country’s premier tourist destination and second-largest city.
Home to the annual Reggae Sumfest festival in August, Montego Bay is the heart of the "Jamaican Riviera", with more guest rooms than any other part of the island, from five-star hotels and sprawling all-inclusive resorts to charming inns, guesthouses and some of the most luxurious private villas in the Caribbean.
    Some of the world’s best golf can be enjoyed at the area’s four 18-hole championship golf courses, including the renowned Tryall Golf, Tennis, and Beach Club.
    Scuba-diving can be enjoyed in the protected waters of the Montego Bay Marine Park, with 10 square miles of spectacular coral reefs just off the coast from Sangster International Airport.
    Fishing charters are popular with sporting types in search of the prized blue marlin, and yachting is equally popular, with the Montego Bay Yacht Club hosting the bi-annual Pineapple Cup Miami to Montego Bay Yacht race.
    Shopping may be the most popular sport of all and can be indulged on Harbour Street, where the Crafts Market is alive with vendors selling straw, batik and woodcarving. Nearby, duty-free shops overflow with everything from Scottish cashmere, perfume and cigars to liquor, china and crystal.
    History also lives in the legendary plantation Great Houses that dot the countryside. The most famous is Rose Hall, haunted by the ghost of the notorious Annie Palmer, who murdered three husbands only to be killed by her slave lover. Greenwood Great House, built by a cousin of poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning more than two centuries ago, is another beautifully restored reminder of the days when sugar was king, and features a fine collection of rare musical instruments.
    Visitors can hand-feed hummingbirds, grassquits and dozens more endearing species at the Rocklands Bird Feeding Station in Anchovy. Or you can venture further afield: From Montego Bay, excursions depart for almost every place on the island--including the uncharted limestone hills of Cockpit Country, where the fabled Maroons (descendents of slaves who escaped from the Spanish) still live in the town of Accompong.
    Falmouth, an 18th-century port town on the coast toward Ocho Rios, is well worth a visit. Or, take a rafting trip down the Great River or the Martha Brae and enjoy a slice of serenity. Nearby, horseback riding is offered at Good Hope Plantation, where miles of trails wind through rolling countryside.
Gloucester Avenue’s "Hip Strip," is the pulse of the town and boasts restaurants, art galleries and duty free shopping.
And Montego Bay boasts some of the island’s most romantic, scenic and elegant dining. You’ll discover a variety of eateries, from cafes and seaside gourmet restaurants to spicy local food at roadside stands.
So, from bird watching to music festivals, a golf tournament or a river ride on a bamboo raft, you’ll find it all in Montego Bay, Jamaica’s complete resort.