Attractions

If you can tear yourself away from the beach to take some excursions, here's the pick of the litter.

Tours & Cruises

Croydon Plantation, P.O. Box 1348, Catadupa, St. James (tel. 876/979-8267), is a 38km (24-mile) ride from Montego Bay. It can be visited on a half-day tour from Montego Bay (or Negril) on Tuesday and Friday. Cruise-ship passengers can visit on Wednesday. Included in the US$65 (£33) price are round-trip transportation from your hotel, a tour of the plantation, a taste of tropical fruits in season, and a barbecued-chicken lunch. Most hotel desks can arrange this tour, which is rather touristy and not worth a half-day for most visitors.

A Hilton High Day Tour, 1 Junior Drive, Spring Gardens (tel. 876/605-5197; www.jamaicahiltontour.com, hhbtours@cwjamaica.com), showcases the rich sociology of plantation life in the Jamaican hinterlands. Beginning at 8am every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, an air-conditioned minivan picks up participants at hotels in both Montego Bay and Negril, and returns them to their hotels the same day -- at around 3pm to Montego Bay, and at around 4pm to Negril. Breakfast and a buffet lunch of Jamaican food (such as spit-roasted pork and a dozen different Jamaican vegetables) are included. Lunch, during which a local calypso band performs, takes place on the grounds of an 18th-century citrus farm, Hilton Plantation, reminiscent of the Jamaica of long ago.

During the tour, you can see the German-founded village of Seaford Town; the village of St. Leonard's; a local church and a local elementary school where schoolchildren, depending on the day's scheduling, might perform a short choral recital that includes the Jamaican national anthem; a dressmaking studio where simple garments can be made to order for pickup before the end of the day; and a sugar mill. As you reach altitudes above 600m (2,000 ft.), along the edge of Jamaica's scenic cockpit country, the scenery, sightseeing, and botany along the way changes radically from what you'd likely find along the Jamaican coast.

All-inclusive costs are US$64 (£32) per person for participants picked up at hotels in Montego Bay, US$75 (£38) for participants picked up in Negril. Advance reservations are required.

Day and evening cruises are offered aboard the Calico, a 17m (56-ft.) gaff-rigged wooden ketch that sails from Margaritaville on the Montego Bay waterfront. An additional vessel, Calico B, also carries another 40 passengers. For either cruise, transportation to and from your hotel can be arranged. The daily voyage departs at 10am and returns at 1pm and costs US$60 (£30); snorkeling (with equipment) is available. On the Calico's evening voyage, which goes for US$25 (£13) and is offered daily from 5 to 7pm, cocktails and wine are served as you sail through the sunset. For information and reservations, call Calico Pirate Cruises (tel. 876/940-4465; www.calicopiratecruises.com) a few days in advance.

The Great Houses

Occupied by plantation owners, each great house of Jamaica was always built on high ground so that it overlooked the plantation itself and was in sight of the next house in the distance. It was the custom for the owners to offer hospitality to travelers crossing the island by road. While these homes are intriguing and beautiful, it's important to remember that they represent the sad legacy of slavery -- they were built by slaves, and the lavish lifestyle of the original owners was supported by the profits of slave labor. The two great houses listed here can be toured in the same day.

Getting Past the Security Guard -- Jamaica, especially the area about Montego Bay, is filled with great houses left over from the plantation era fueled by a slave economy. With few exceptions, these great houses -- often decaying -- are closed to the public. Over the years, we've found that exchanging some money with the local groundskeeper or security guard will gain us entry into the private grounds and gardens. Of course, you shouldn't actually go inside a great house and invade people's living quarters, but it's a great way to see a Gone With the Wind side of Jamaica rarely viewed by the casual visitor.