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Bob Marley Museum
Jamaica's world famous son, singer-songwriter Bob Marley, was responsible for making reggae music a global phenomenon. The popular Rastafarian became a cult figure even before his death caused by cancer in 1981 when he was 36 years old. The museum devoted to his memory is the most-visited sight in Kingston. The simple clapboard house was where Marley lived and recorded his music until he died, and is now packed with Marley memorabilia. There are also screenings of a movie about the singer's life.
Address: 56 Hope Road
Phone Number: 927 9152
Website: www.bobmarley-foundation.com/museum.html
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 4pm (tours run every hour)
Admission: US$20 (foreign adults), US$10 (foreign children 4-12); local residents pay reduced prices in local currency

National Gallery
Jamaica's important art collection is often overlooked by tourists, but is well worth visiting. The gallery displays the works of Jamaica's talented artists, particularly that of Edna Manley, 19th century sculptor and wife of a former prime minister of Jamaica. Manley's acclaimed Ghetto Mother stands in the main lobby of the national gallery, along with a bronze statue by Christopher Gonzalez of reggae singer Bob Marley. Other highlights of the collection are the religious works of Mallica Reynolds, who has been hailed by art critics as a modern genius.
Address: Roy West Building, Kingston Mall, 12 Ocean Boulevard
Phone Number: 922 1561
Website: www.galleryjamaica.com
Hours: Tuesday to Thursday 10am to 4.30pm, Friday 10am to 4pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm. Guided tours are available
Admission: J$100 (adults), concessions available

Devon House
Devon House is one of numerous preserved historic mansions in Jamaica that depict the glory of days gone by. This house was built in 1881 by George Stiebel, a wealthy Jamaican who became one of the first black millionaires in the Caribbean on the strength of his mining interests in South America. In the grounds are craft shops, restaurants, a bakery and pastry shop. The venue is also famous for its delicious ice cream.
Address: 26 Hope Road
Phone Number: 929 6602
Website: www.devonhousejamaica.com
Hours: Tours are Tuesday to Saturday 9.30am to 5pm. The shops are open Mondays to Saturdays from 10am to 6pm, the restaurants close at 10pm. Public garden and park is open daily 9.30am to 10pm
Admission: J$300, (adults), J$100 (children under 12); including guided tour

Hope Botanical Gardens
This 20-hectare (50-acre) oasis of beauty in the middle of downtown Kingston features pleasant paths that meander past manicured lawns and tranquil gardens, including a cactus garden, orchid house, a forest garden and an ornamental pond. The gardens are situated next to the campus of the University of the West Indies, and also contain a small zoo and interesting aviary.
Address: Old Hope Road
Phone Number: 927 1257
Hours: Gardens: daily 8.30am to 6.30pm. Zoo daily 10am to 5pm
Admission: Gardens: free. Zoo: J$20 (adults), J$10 (children 4-12)

Spanish Town
The neighborhood known as Spanish Town is on the western outskirts of Kingston and was capital of the island under Spanish rule between 1662 and 1872. Today the architecture is an interesting mix of Spanish and British Georgian, and there are some historic attractions to explore. St James Cathedral is the oldest Anglican church outside England, having been built in 1523. The Jamaican People's Museum of Crafts and Technology showcases some vintage farm implements, musical instruments and pottery, and the Town Square is overlooked by the Old King's House, former residence of Jamaica's British governors that once hosted Admiral Lord Nelson and Captain Bligh of HMS Bounty fame. Spanish Town also has a very busy, colorful local market in the Town Square.

Port Royal
Port Royal was once a 17th century haven for a variety of hedonistic pirates and malcontents dedicated to looting Spanish vessels throughout the Caribbean. One morning in 1692, however, an earthquake and tidal wave destroyed most of the town along with a couple of thousand residents. Today the former haunt of notorious pirates like Henry Morgan, Blackbeard and Calico Jack is just a fishing village, sited at the tip of a narrow peninsula stretching across the entrance to Kingston's harbor. The village can be reached by ferry from West Beach Dock, Kingston, in about 20 minutes. Plans are underway at the site to transform the village into a living history museum. Relics of the town's wicked past can be seen at the Museum of Historical Archaeology, the Maritime Museum and Giddy House (a building that tilts at an angle). Fort Charles is the last remaining of six forts originally built to protect the port.

Blue Mountains
Jamaica's Blue Mountains offer an experience not usually expected in a Caribbean vacation: the chance to set off on a steep hike through a national park mountain range across streams and beside waterfalls, through a botanical wonderland. Hikers also pass by coffee plantations, because it is in these mountains that the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is cultivated and blended, so sought after that it has become one of the island's chief exports. Climbing from sea level, on the outskirts of Kingston, along trails up to the foggy peaks, hikers discover a complex series of ecosystems. En route to the mountains is the Blue Mountain Inn, one of Jamaica's most famous restaurants. Further on at Irish Town the Strawberry Hill resort is the premier place for food and lodging, having been frequented by the rich and famous. Those not planning to hike, but wishing to enjoy a vista of the mountains can picnic at Holywell National Recreation Park in the area (open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm).

Jablum Coffee Company
At the Blue Mountain hamlet of Mavis Bank on the trail to Blue Mountain Peak is the Jablum Coffee Company. The 100-year-old company is famous for its Blue Mountain coffee, and visitors can tour the working factory to watch the production process along with sampling the brew.
Address: Mavis Bank
Phone Number: 977 8015
Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 11am, and 1pm to 3pm
Admission: US$8 for tour (by appointment)

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