A tour of the town of Ocho Rios, up through Fern Gully rain forest  The area gets its name from the wide variety of ferns which grow in the area, towering high above the road forming a shady tunnel of lush greenery.

The next stop is Konoko Falls The 600-feet, cascading waterfalls and gardens, located on the property, formerly known as Coyaba Gardens and Museum  – Konoko is an Arawak word meaning ‘rainforest’ or ‘wooded area’. “It has been determined that the indigenous peoples of Jamaica were the Tainos, whose native tongue is said to belong to the Arawakan language family tree.

Check out Yssasi Lookout Point which offers a spectacular view of the town of Ocho Rios.   A walk through the Aviary Gardens, is next. This offers a selection of exotic birds and there is also a bird feeding station, where you can enter the enclosure and hand feed the birds.

The tour of the botanical gardens is guided by one of Konoko’s knowledgeable guides, whose role it is to introduce the wide variety of tropical flora, while educating guests about the wide range of properties of the trees and flowers (medicinal, culinary, etc.)There is also a mini zoo of endangered Jamaican animals such as the cony, iguana, etc.

Learn more about our history at the island museum. The current exhibit offers a look at Jamaica’s turbulent past, from the Taino Indians to the present day era. Rare artefacts, maps and pictures illustrate scripted summaries of all major periods, as well as local history.