Blue Hole and non-touristy lunch from Ocho Rios?

[Alsmez]

We'll be going to Jamaica for the first time in February and we've decided we want to go to the Blue Hole for our main excursion. We'd be fine with combining this with another spot (Dunns River Falls, maybe), but we both really enjoy the sort of activities that the Blue Hole offers so we're perfectly content to spend most of our day there as well.

 

Anyway, we're docking in Ocho Rios and since the Blue Hole is quite close to that port, it seems like overkill to book a full-on tour with Liberty or the Taylors, etc. We'd be perfectly happy just to take a cab or shuttle to the Blue Hole and back, but I'm not sure that taking a random cab from the port is good idea, given what I've read about the island. Is there a reputable service that does this?

 

Also, as far as lunch is concerned, it sounds like all of the tour operators go to Scotchies, which I'm sure is fine but seems very touristy. We'd rather go somewhere that the locals like - any suggestions? Let the cab driver (if we find a good one) choose? Any advice would be appreciated - thanks!

[ReggaeRoy]

We like Miss T's Kitchen in the center of Ocho Rios. Her menu has many choices including sea foods, oxtails, curried goat, jerk dishes, etc.. The shrimp run down is out of this world. The lemonade is worth a trip all on its own.

[Alsmez]

Thanks! We are considering booking this shuttle - $15pp seems reasonable for transportation only. Has anyone used them before? http://www.coolblueholeochorios.com/

[Alsmez]

Thanks! We are considering booking this shuttle - $15pp seems reasonable for transportation only. Has anyone used them before? http://www.coolblueholeochorios.com/

 

Just bumping to see if anyone has used the linked shuttle service. They have been good about returning my emails and I think we're going to give them a shot! BTW, I found this photo of the entry fee sign - looks like it's $15 for adults and $10 for kids as of November 2015:

 

[comcry]

I'd like to hear how it goes for you.

[Alsmez]

Just posting back with info about the shuttle we used for the Blue Hole - what they actually do is contract with a local operator for the transportation, and you end up paying the fee directly to that operator. In our case, it was Courtney Taylor. They asked for a $31 deposit to hold our spot, but the actual fee they charged for the shuttle was $15 per person. Since there were two of us, we should have paid $30 - we'll see if they refund that extra dollar (they mentioned that they do, but I'm not going to sweat it).

 

If all you want to do is go to the Blue Hole, this is the cheapest way, as far as I could tell. Our driver did try to talk us into paying him to take us out into the rainforest and to lunch, etc., afterward, but a firm no took care of that.