Jamaica snorkeling

[pinkmaija]

We want to snorkel on all of our port stops but it doesn't look like Carnival offers any snorkeling excursions in Montego Bay. I'd read on CC that it's best to go with the ship in that port because some people don't always feel terribly safe.

 

Anyway...anyone know of any private companies to snorkel there???

[cruzinisgood]

we were on Royal Caribbean but we went with Jamaican Watersports and loved them.

They had a really bad review on the Jamaican board by one group but figured there is two sides to every story because the rest of the reviews have been good.

[debfew]

Take a taxi to Doctors Cave beach. It is located on th Hip Strip in Montego Bay. It costs about 5 bucks to get on the beach, but once on there are no vendors to bother you. It is a georgous beach. You can swim to the reef. I was surprised how healthy the reef was that close to shore. There are great facilities at this beach and there are servers from a few restaurants that were serve you food and drinks right on the beach.

 

There is also shopping right outside the beach entrance if your interested. It might look a little sketchy, but it's perfectly safe. There are police patrolling the area constantly.

 

If your interested in eating at one of the best BBQ Rib joints in Jamaica you can walk to the Pork Pit. Walk out of the beach entrance and go to your right. It's about half mile up the road, but there is shopping along the way. We did this walk twice while we were there to have dinnier. It was that good.

 

Enjoy your cruise and Jamaica. It's a lovely country with beautiful people.

 

 

 

I spent a week in Montego Bay. I loved it and I loved Doctors Cave beach.

[geekybiker]

I'd do something other than snorkel in Jamaica personally. It has the worst condition reefs of any Caribbean island I've been to. They've severely over fished around the island. Never been to doctors cave, but that was my experience with the island when we were there. I spent a week in montego bay and a week in duns river.

 

As for safety, yes the island can be a little rough outside the touristy areas. Its not a port I'd tell people to wander on their own. When you feel yourself reaching the edge of the newer port area you might do best to turn around. For instance there was a guy trying to sell us crack, meth, cocaine, E, etc through the fence on the beach at our resort. He wasn't aggressive, but you might run into that sort of stuff.

[MissRabbit]

I second what debfew said. Dr.s Cave Beach was a pretty ok beach snorkel. Not as nice as Coki Beach as far as quantity of fish, but the coral was pretty nice. In the area where we were snorkeling, the coral came very close to the surface as well. Great for me as i can't dive below the surface for the life of me! lol

 

We never made it to Pork Pit but it was in our plans to do so as we've heard rave reviews about it. Walking down the hip strip from the beach to Margaritaville wasn't scary at all. Just be alert and say NO!

[SnowBird Cruzer]

I'll be docking in Falmouth in February and want to go snorkeling.

I've read quite a bit and Doctors Cave Beach in MoBay sounds really nice. It is not too far away.

I appreciate the info from debfew and MissRabbit.

 

And I agree with other posters on multiple opinions. I've read several good reviews of Margaritaville, but also one pretty bad one.

 

I may have to try out the Pork Pit though. Margaritaville is just so touristy. I like to try to find places the locals go. Don't always get to though.