The majority of people travelling to Montego Bay, wish to take advantage of Jamaica’s year-round warm climate. Temperatures stay the same pretty much all year round. July and August are the hottest months, with temperatures on average between 23 and 32 degrees Celsius. The coldest months of January through March, differ only slightly, with temperatures generally between high 20s to 30 degrees.
Getting from the airport
Most travellers take a flight to Sangster International Airport (MBJ), which is an international airport located around 3 miles (5 km) east of Montego Bay. Many resorts and hotels organise transport from the airport. Taxis and car hire companies are also available.
What is good to know if travelling to Montego Bay?- Samuel Sharpe, the slave who helped expedite the emancipation of Jamaica, was born on Montego Bay and today remains a national hero. He grew up on a 24-mile plantation and today, three-hour guided tours of the Croydon coffee and pineapple plantation have become a must-do in Montego Bay. You’ll savour some of the best exotic fruits on the island and get some insight into pineapple and coffee production.
- Join the bathing club in Doctor’s Cave. The famous beach club started in 1906 when a group of doctors formed a bathing club on beach property. The only access to the private beach area was through a cave, hence the name. The cave was destroyed by a hurricane in 1932, but the bathing club beach has lived on. Today, travellers can access the beach from Montego Bay’s Gloucester Avenue. The entranceway is lined with changing rooms, showers, gift shops and bars.
- Don’t miss a stop at the Montego Bay Marine Park. Anyone can visit the park but depending on what you want to do will depend on what zone you stay in. To conserve natural resources, different zones are designated for different activities (watersports and fishing, for example). Private operators also run undersea submarine tours of the reefs.
Montego Bay airport overview
Sir Donald Sangster International Airport, or Sangster International, is located close to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Handling an average of nine million passengers per year, it is the third-busiest of the country’s international airports (after Norman Manley in Kingston and the Ian Fleming Airport in Saint Mary Parish) and serves as the main international gateway for tourists visiting the north coast of Jamaica.
Flights to Sangster International Airport come from a number of destinations including Havana, Montreal, Toronto, Atlanta, Miami, New York, Rome, London, Frankfurt, Boston, Madrid, Amsterdam, Detroit, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Chicago.
Thanks to a six-year renovation plan, which was completed in 2009, the terminal building has doubled in size and now includes additional gates, expanded arrivals amenities and parking facilities as well as improved ground transport. Moreover, a greater selection of shops and dining venues were introduced, bringing it up to par with international airport standards. Staff are generally friendly and facilities are clean and neat. Save for long queues during peak hours, Sangster International is a pleasant start and end to a holiday in Jamaica.