Tours in Montego Bay Jamaica

There is so much that Jamaica has to offer other than the sun, sea and sand vacation. This city has a rich tradition and history and there is so much to learn by just walking through the town and checking out the different Montego Bay tours.

The history of this resort town has some interesting stories from the Spanish settlers, sugar plantations and the slave rebellions. This tour will take you through the heritage sites with the colorful tales and structures; starting from the Dome, through Sam Sharpe square and finishing at the entrance of the old fort.

The dome was built in the year 1837, the person who was responsible for monitoring the water supply for the town resided in this structure. However, in the 19th century all of this changed as the course of the river shifted. The dome was said to be the guardian of the creek, but all this has changed today as the area is covered with road construction.

The next stop would be at the St. James Parish Church which we will enter from Church Street. This building was built in the 18th century and is typical to other parish church that you will find across the island with its pipe organ and beautiful windows with stain glass.

This building has numerous elements that is representing the history of the parish, these includes monuments and plaques depicting some of the prominent persons such as the Jarrett, Kerr and Barrett families. Just opposite the entrance of the Parish Church you will see a Georgian building, this is the Town House Restaurant. This will be the next stop, now you might be wondering is this heritage site or are we going for a meal; we can do both options. This is where most Montego bay tours end however in this article we go beyond this.

This two storey brick building was built in 1765 and still has all of its old charm today. For a very long time this restaurant was a popular dining spot and features a wide collection of art that are produced locally; these are proudly showing on the walls of the dining room.

It is said that there is a guest book here that features some famous persons such as Dustin Hoffman, Sean Connery, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. If you are hungry and want to sample the cuisine before we move to the next location; there are local and international dishes served here and you the option of dining outside or inside. Our next site is the Burchell Baptist Church which was built by Thomas Burchell; he was an abolitionist and a Baptist missionary. Sam Sharpe, who is one of the National Heroes, was the deacon for this church which was a sacred home for slaves that would soon receive their freedom.

Sam Sharpe was the instigator in most of the fights for the abolition of slavery and the Rebellion that was held in the Christmas of 1831 was the biggest and most violent one. This church was destroyed during this time and in the year 1835 this present building was constructed.

We are now headed to the Sam Sharpe Square, the previous name for this square was Charles square, but was changed in 1981 to honor Sam Sharpe for his contribution to the abolishment of slavery.

Sam Sharpe along with about three hundred and twelve slaves was hanged in this square after the rebellion in 1831. In this square you will see the Cage; this was where the slaves and other ill-fated persons were held as prisoners. The structure was built in 1806 from wood but this could not keep the prisoners from destroying the structure, so it was rebuilt with this brick material that you see here today.

Also in the square is the monument of Sam Sharpe, which is depicting him as a preacher with seated listeners to his sermon. Then there is one more building in this square that has a bit of history also, this is the Civic Centre.

This building was the old Courthouse which was destroyed; this was where the trial and sentencing for Sam Sharpe and his supporters was held. It was reopened in 2001 as this museum with features elements of the rich history of this parish. This is one of the best locations on the Montego Bay tours.

Now we are heading to the last stop, this is a little out of the town to the old fort area; this is the start of the popular “hip strip”. You can end the tour here if your energy level has decreased. But, for those who which to continue, the old fort was once responsible for guarding the Montego Bay harbor.

Today, it is the home of one of the popular craft markets and an artillery store that contains preserved cannons. We are at the end of this very interesting tour, you can now browse the many shops in the market for that special souvenir items to show off back home from your Montego Bay tour.