Villa Christina

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Get ready for a fun-filled holiday you won’t soon forget. From the white-sand beaches to the perfectly blue skies, delicious drinks, and beyond, Montego Bay is the ideal Jamaican destination. Offering the ultimate mix of cosmopolitan flair with chill island activities, Montego Bay is sure to delight.

Though Montego Bay is known for its three championship golf courses to the East of town, including Cinnamon Hill, White Witch, and Half Moon, its appeal stretches far beyond. Perhaps you are in the mood to experience the grandeur of Jamaica's awe-inspiring mountains by helicopter, or maybe you’d like a guided tour of the renowned Appleton Rum Distillery where, of course, samples of various rums are included. Or go ahead and enjoy a little retail therapy at the open-air craft markets or duty-free goods at the Shoppes at Rose Hall. The options are endless.


Restaurants | Bars
• Blue Beat is a jazz bar on Gloucester Ave (the Hip Strip). Have dinner at Marguerites, then go next door to hear good live jazz.
• Houseboat is a floating restaurant in Freeport, ferry across from parking area. Pepper shrimp, tenderloin, seafood.
• Lobster Trap is an authentic Jamaican ultra-casual spot. Outdoor tables piled high with charcoal-grilled lobster -- on the edge of the beach in Hopewell between Tryall and Round Hill.
• Enjoy jerk, ribs and seafood at MVP Steakhouse. A 'must stop' for foodies who want to try the island's cuisine all under one roof!
• Usain Bolt's Tracks & Records is a fun sports bar, good Jamaican food, huge screens.
• Go to Valerie's for authentic Jamaican food prepared by Valrie herself, try this small roadside eatery in Sandy Bay (two miles west of Tryall). Plastic utensils, plates heaped high, inexpensive, an occasional puppy in the car park, locals' favorite). Breakfast, lunch and dinner - but call first to be sure she's open.


Golf
• Half Moon Golf Course is a classic Robert Trent Jones layout, following the contours of the flat lowlands between the hills and the sea. The two nines are laid end-to-end, ribbon-like, alongside each other, offering a 7,119-yard challenge whose signature hole is the 535 yard par-5 third. The design tempts the big-hitters to take a short cut over a deadly stand of trees or take the safer but longer route via the open fairway.
• By the same architect who designed White Witch, Cinnamon Hill is another course that takes advantage of the varied terrain between mountain and seashore. Watch out for the tricky eighth, Chinaman's Reef, whose inspiration was Pebble Beach. The dogleg hugs the sea to a lonely green that perches over the crashing surf below. Heaven! The course was recently redesigned by Robert von Hagge, who also built the White Witch.
• White Witch, the new von Hagge course, is named after Annie Palmer, a legendary local figure who was dubbed The White Witch for the havoc she made with local men folk in colonial times. The course is rapidly becoming a modern classic, earning accolades throughout the golfing world. It is filled with drama and delight and those who eschew carts in favor of walking may soon regret it after laboring up and down the 700-foot drop between hillside holes and the seaside. The double fairway on the 15th offers the same kind of choice as Half Moon's 3rd. Faint hearts take the safe route along the dogleg for a manageable 335 yard par-4. Yet who could resist the lure of a direct shot to the green, just 220 yards away across a lovely pond and waterfall? A birdie just waiting to be taken! It is easy to lose one's head - and ball - in the face of such an enticing prospect. The White Witch can be a demanding temptress indeed.

Beach
• Don’t want to drive 40-minutes to Negril? Drive 15-minutes to a pristine Riviera-type white sand beach and gorgeous translucent aqua water in Montego Bay. Doctor's Cave Beach allows no radios, no footballs, no vendors. Crowd is a Jamaican-Euro-American mix. The beach is large, beautiful, secure and well managed. Tiled changing rooms are immaculate and offer inside and outside showers.