Things to Do in Discovery Bay Jamaica

So you’re thinking of visiting Discovery Bay in Jamaica. It seems like a nice, quiet, safe town to visit but now you’re asking yourself, “Are there enough things to do in Discovery Bay Jamaica to make my travel companions happy?”

Am I right? Is that what you are wondering?

No worries. There are lots of things to do in Discovery Bay Jamaica.

You will notice that most of the activities are family-friendly and are more focused on relaxation, history, or culture.

For the adrenaline-pumping activities, drive 5 minutes west to Rio Bueno for some on-river fun or 30 minutes east to Ocho Rios for even more activities.

So here are the top things to do in Discovery Bay Jamaica, listed based on location relative to the center of town.

1.  Puerto Seco Beach

Located right in the center of town, is one of the best beaches in Jamaica. That’s Puerto Seco Beach.

This was the beach that I went to as a child with my family. 

The beach has a very nice stretch of white sand. I still remember how crystal clear and calm the waters would be. And that hasn’t changed. Even as a young child, it was a very safe beach. You could walk out pretty far before it got deep.

The facilities underwent a major upgrade recently with new cabanas and a restaurant/bar. There are trampolines in the sea. 

They are putting in a petting zoo and other attractions as well. There are also plans to offer watersports and scuba diving.

Guests at Mais Oui Villa get free admission with our membership!

2.  Fisherman’s Beach

If you turn left on Fortland’s Road, the street right after Puerto Seco going towards Ocho Rios, and go down a few yards, you will get to Fisherman’s Beach on your left.

Things to Do in Jamaica: Fisherman’s Beach

As the name sounds, it is a public beach largely used by fishermen and by locals who don’t want to pay the fee to go into Puerto Seco.

It is actually a nice beach but not well-kept up, unfortunately. It’s a little hit or miss in terms of cleanliness.

For some great local seafood, however, pop over one evening to Stumpy’s for some steamed fish right on the beach. Yummy!

3.  Juici beef

No trip to Jamaica is complete without tasting Jamaican patties.

Please don’t call them meat pies! And no, they aren’t empanadas. They are patties.

Things to do in Discovery Bay Jamaica: Juici Patty Shop. Photo credit: Juici Patties

Juici Beef and Tastees are the top two Jamaican-equivalent of fast-food competitors on the island.

There is a Juici Beef on the right-hand side of the main road in Discovery Bay, less than 1 minute after you pass Puerto Seco Beach.

I am old school so I like the beef patties the best. There are different fillings of course – shrimp, chicken, veggie, among others.

There are also meatloaves which are kind of like patties but have a different crust, one that’s more like pizza dough, more like a calzone.

Strangely enough, Juici Beef makes a wonderful red pea soup. It is so popular that by 2pm they’ve probably run out. 

It is the place to stop for an inexpensive, quick local experience. It is a destination in and of itself.

4.  Ultimate Jerk Center

Continuing east about 5 minutes outside of Discovery Bay’s town square, on the left-hand side, is a restaurant and rest-stop which everyone knows its name – Ultimate Jerk Center.

Ultimate Jerk Center in Discovery Bay Jamaica. Photo Credit Ultimate Jerk

Locals call it Ultimate. Tourists find the name, “Ultimate Jerk” amusing and so the sign is a popular spot for a photo-op or selfie.

They sell local fare, primarily jerk items like chicken and pork. There is a jerk rabbit that seems to be offered only on Friday and Saturday nights. It is either extremely popular or they only make a small amount of it or both, because I have yet to try it. Every time I go it’s been sold out.

On the weekends during cricket season, you can watch matches at the adjacent cricket field.

Things to Do in Discovery Bay Jamaica: Cricket at Ultimate Jerk Center. Photo credit: Ultimate Jerk Center

 

5.  Green Grotto

Almost diagonal across from Ultimate, is Green Grotto, a series of underground caves.

Things to do in Discovery Bay Jamaica: Green Grotto Caves

Go see some great rock formations. Learn how these caves contributed to the history of Jamaica. Experience what true darkness is like for 10 seconds when they turn out the lights.

Remember the James Bond film, Live and Let Die, with Roger Moore? Green Grotto was the villain’s (Dr. Kananga’s) hideaway underneath a cemetery on San Monique. Perhaps the most memorable scene was when James Bond killed Dr. Kananga by making him swallow a bullet of compressed air causing him to blow up like a balloon and explode.

Read our Green Grotto Trip Report

Now let’s go back to the center of town and start going west.

6. Kaiser dome

On the left-hand side of the road going west towards Montego Bay, about 2 minutes drive from the town center is what’s called Kaiser Dome. It is a large dome-shaped structure that is very discolored from bauxite, the special dirt that is mined to produce aluminum. The dirt is stored in the dome then taken by boat off the island for processing.

If you are a James Bond fan, you will recognize it as the exterior of the nuclear reactor in the James Bond film, Dr. No.

The dome houses dirt. It is not a chemical plant. There is no danger of toxic fumes from their presence. Sometimes there can be dust, which can be a nuisance.

7.  Kaiser (now called Noranda) Hill

Continue past the Sports Club and cricket field on up the hill on the plant access road towards the administrative offices. You will be rewarded with a spectacular view of Discovery Bay’s harbor. 

When I was a child, there was a telescope and on a clear day, you could see Cuba. The telescope is long gone so bring binoculars. And please resist the temptation to peep into the yards of the multi-million dollar mansions that are on the eastern side of the harbor.

Perhaps the neatest thing about this hill is that this is the same hill that inspired Jamaicans to even dream about entering the bobsled competition in the Winter Olympics in 1988.

Every August in years long past, there would be a family fun day, called the Push Cart Derby, where there would be competitions vying for the fastest pushcart.

I still have memories of the pushcart competitions with young guys in their home-made, non-motorized pushcarts careening down the hill with the ambulance going behind them just in case there was an accident.

If you haven’t done so, watch the movie Cool Runnings which tells the story of the Jamaican bobsled team. Some of the Jamaican movie scenes were filmed in this area. Realize though that they took a lot of creative licenses, shall we say. 

8.  Columbus Park

PRESENTLY CLOSED

Continuing west on the main road, less than 1 minute’s drive from the Kaiser Dome on the right-hand side, is Columbus Park.

 

This is an open-air museum that houses artifacts from Jamaica of long ago. Most of these items were found during excavations by Kaiser Bauxite company. Artifacts include a tally man, used as a counting tool, a large water wheel, and a dug-out canoe, among other items.

Sometimes there are people there dressed up in costumes. It’s kind of like in Las Vegas or Time Square. Don’t take pictures of or with these entertainers unless you intend to give them a tip.

9.  Discovery Bay Marine lab

Just a stone’s throw, not even one minute’s drive further west is the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory, which is operated by the University of the West Indies.

Interestingly, this is one more example of how Kaiser Bauxite tried to be a good neighbor. The land on which the marine lab is built was gifted to the university and presented to Princess Alice, aunt of Queen Elizabeth and then chancellor of The UWI, in the 1960s.

The marine lab isn’t a tourist attraction. It is actually a well-respected research center that has churned out over 700 publications. They have done extensive work on rebuilding Jamaica’s depleted coral reefs through coral restoration, saving the mangroves, control of the invasive lionfish population, and other very interesting topics.

The site also holds the only hyperbaric or decompression chamber on the island.

If you are interested in marine biology and saving our oceans, you will certainly find it an interesting experience.

10.  Queen’s Monument

If you are a history buff, you will note the Queen’s Monument on the right-hand side of the road, 2 minutes further west after the marine lab.

Queens Monument Discovery Bay Jamaica

The monument was dedicated in November 1953 when the main road was officially opened and called the Queens Highway, or the Queens for short.

The small beach just by the Queen’s Monument, which we call Little Beach, has been declared a scenic view by the Jamaican government.

So there you have it … 10 Top Things to Do in Discovery Bay Jamaica.

At this point, you will be right by the western edge of Discovery Bay, right beside Bengal.

If you want more things to do in Jamaica near Discovery Bay, read this blog post to find out all there is to do in Bengal – Rio Bueno, right beside Discovery Bay Jamaica.

Want to enjoy even more things to do in Jamaica and want to go further afield than the immediate Discovery Bay – Rio Bueno area?

Check out our Things to Do in Jamaica page on our website.

Where to stay in Discovery Bay Jamaica?

One of Discovery Bay’s claim to fame is its luxury villas. For those who want a Jamaica villa experience that marries privacy, luxury, high-touch personalized service, unparalleled amenities, and sustainability, look no further than our 8-bedroom staffed villa, Mais Oui, the perfect choice for family vacations and celebrations.