Touching down in Montego Bay, Jamaica presents the first sign that you're in for a tropical treat. Just before landing, there are views of long stretches of light-sand beaches, colorful resorts, and the most crystal-clear, blue waters. Our two hour drive to Oracabessa only added to the excitement, especially with several local stops for fresh coconut water at a fruit stand, Red Stripe beers at a roadside bar, and jerked-chicken at an infamous restaurant. Needless to say, my first time to Jamaica certainly will not be my last.

Part 1 - GoldenEye Resort

GoldenEye is an incredible resort in the town of Oracabessa on the North Shore of Jamaica. By car, it is about one hour and 45 minutes from Montego Bay, and 20 minutes from Ocho Rios. This collection of private huts and villas is owned by Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records and producer of Blackwell Rum, and was originally discovered, developed and owned by Ian Fleming, the author of James Bond. There is a ton of art, music and literature history that attributes to the resort, and the main villa has several books and artifacts to prove it. Every inch of the grounds has been thoughtfully tended to, creating a hideaway amongst a jungle-like atmosphere.

Stay

We booked a Beach Hut which is the smallest accommodation option for two on the resort. These are private wooden huts congregated along the beachfront with a bedroom, terrace, and bathroom. We were incredibly lucky to get one of the best Beach Huts on the resort with unobstructed views of the ocean and sunset, and complete privacy on all sides. There were tons of windows and three doors for optimal cross-ventilation of the beautiful island breezes, but for those that like it a little extra cool, there was also a ceiling fan and air-conditioning.

Eat & Drink

Gazebo Restaurant

The fine-dining option at GoldenEye is Gazebo, a beautiful open-air eatery right off a walk-bridge, overlooking the resort’s lagoon. The wine selection was very good, as were the seafood options. Although the menu changes seasonally, I recommend the braised oxtail starter and the mahi mahi and lion fish entrees.

Bizot Bar

Bizot Bar is the more casual, outdoor dining option serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all-day room service. The bartenders are shaking up beautiful rum cocktails for you to enjoy at the bar or bring over to the adjacent beach or pool. You’ll want to try the signature frozen cocktail, the GoldenEye, and ask for our bartending friend, Sheldon. On our last night, Bizot hosted a barbecue open to all guests that was an all-you-can-eat buffet with unlimited select Blackwell Rum cocktails. There was a vast selection of cheeses, salads, meats, fish, sides, and of course, a lovely dessert table, and everything was extremely fresh and tasty.

Bamboo Bar

Bamboo Bar is the tiki bar at Button Beach, the stretch of beach closest to the Hut section of the resort. It’s the perfect place to grab waterfront drinks and a light lunch during the afternoon. I thoroughly enjoyed fresh coconut water (in the coconut!) with white rum and the Rum Punch which certainly does pack a “punch,” if you know what I mean.

Things to Do

R & R ... & R

I hereby declare GoldenEye the official hub of Rest, Relaxation, and Romance in Jamaica. The resort is incredibly quiet in the best way, and allows for maximal ability to catch up on beauty sleep, get a killer sun-kissed glow, and spend quality time with a significant other, friend, or even yourself. There is a spa on the resort offering massages, body scrubs, yoga classes, and other wellness programs, as well.

Beaches, Pools & Lagoon

All of the beaches on the resort were really nice, well-maintained and equipped with non-motor water sports including paddle boarding, kayaking and snorkeling. The lagoon on the inner portion of the resort mainly stretches along the front porches of the Lagoon Villas, but you can swim or paddle through at your leisure. Floats, snorkel gear, kayaks, beach chairs and towels were provided to all guests at no extra cost. There is always a representative from the resort nearby willing to assist, replenish your cocktail, or take care of any needs you may have.

Part 2 - Oracabessa & Ocho Rios Region

Eat & Drink

Scotchies

Our first meal in Jamaica was along the main road from the Montego Bay Airport to our hotel. Scotchies, a well-known spot amongst locals and travelers for their jerk, has a couple of locations on the island, but we visited the Ocho Rios location which is a huge outdoor eatery with two bars and an open kitchen. We ordered the jerked chicken, jerked pork, festival (a sweet fried dough), and rice and peas. The food was pretty good and just the spice we needed to kick-off our first day in Jamaica.

Chris’s Cook Shop

After doing a bunch of research on the area, I came across Chris’s Cook Shop. The local eatery has been visited and approved by Anthony Bourdain and other celebrities including Black Panther actor, Chadwick Boseman, who has become a regular. We sat in the back of the restaurant on an outdoor patio overlooking a lot of greenery. We had the curry goat, garlic lobster, pineapple salad, fried chicken, and rice and peas. Every dish was seriously delicious and flavorful, and the ice-cold Red Stripes and sunset glow made for a perfect meal. If you are in Jamaica and in the Oracabessa/Ocho Rios area, it’s certainly a must try.

Dangel’s

We were immediately intrigued by Dangel’s when we pulled up to the circular, completely wooden seafood restaurant off the main road. Upon being greeted and seated by the incredibly kind chef, she let us know that every dish was cooked to order and in any style we preferred. We got the vibe that we were in the right hands so we asked her to cook everything to her preference. About 30 minutes passed when we were presented with a lovely spread of curry shrimp, garlic lobster, steamed red snapper, festival, and rice and peas. To say the food was incredible would be an understatement. You could taste the love and expertise in every single bite. This was certainly our favorite meal on the trip and I highly recommend making a stop here if you are in Jamaica. We had the pleasure of meeting Leon Dangel at the end of our meal, the restaurant owner. He explained that the restaurant is his pride and joy, family-built and managed, and you can truly feel it in the atmosphere.

Sugarpot Beach Bar and Restaurant

Rolling up to Sugarpot in a boat is likely the best way to truly appreciate this hidden gem. We were on a snorkeling excursion that included lunch, so on our way back to the hotel we pulled up to a private beach with a stone-based, open-air restaurant. The restaurant seemed extremely secluded and exclusive, and again, everything was made to order. We had the garlic lobster, a crab wrap, and plantain wedges. The food was very good, but the atmosphere was what really made this such an awesome afternoon. Enjoying our meal with views of the royal blue ocean and the island breezes making their way in through the openings is an experience I will not forget. Whether you boat or drive in, be sure to add Sugarpot to your itinerary.

Things To Do

Snorkeling Excursion & Private Lunch

Katherine Shipwreck Diving

The resort scheduled us for a private snorkeling adventure and lunch on our last full day. The boat took us about 40 minutes west until we reached a shipwreck and coral reef. It was awesome to see the ship, although I couldn’t get very close to it. The coral reef was definitely my favorite, and we got to see some beautiful fish and sea anemones.

Sugarpot Ruins Bar & Restaurant

(See full review of this restaurant above in Eat & Drink.)

If you’re looking for more adventure on your trip to Jamaica, there were a bunch of nearby attractions that were recommended to us including the Blue Hole, Konoko Falls, Dunn’s River Falls, and Blue Mountain. We had full intentions of embracing this as a rejuvenating vacation, and chose to relax as much as possible, but you should make your trip to Jamaica, or any trip, the perfect combination of relaxation, fun and adventure that you’re looking for!