Falmouth (Jamaica)
Falmouth is a small port town in Jamaica.
Understand
Falmouth is in the Trelawney Parish, which was the most important region of Jamaica for the sugar and rum trade at the 18th century, inbetween two popular tourist destinations in Jamaica, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. Falmouth has a rich heritage with many historic buildings and churches. It was founded in 1769, and its waterfront district is a National Heritage Site that contains many Georgian-era buildings dating from the 1760s to 1840. In the 1800s, Falmouth was known as "the wealthiest New World Port south of Charleston". It was known for its wharf, sugar, rum and coffee. They used the port to export many goods and to bring in African slaves and other fine goods to serve the colonial life of the 18th century. Falmouth was one of Jamaica's original ports and 200 years ago was one of the busiest trading ports in the Caribbean.
Get in
By boat
Falmouth is a port of call for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ships.
Get around
Many taxicabs, buses, and chartered veichles are accessible in Falmouth.
See and do
Walk through the Historical District to see the 19th century Georgian architecture and learn about all of the history of the buildings from 18th century that are still intact. Visit the town squares, houses of famous historians, churches, and parks to be fully educated about all the historic events that happened in the early 18th and 19th centuries.
Since Falmouth is a newer cruise port, many excursions take place just a short distance away from Falmouth. You can also book a shore excursion that will take you to beautiful beaches outside of Falmouth, in Ochos Rios or Montego Bay.
Good Hope Great House is fifteen minutes outside of Falmouth. It is one of the most sought after great houses of the 18th Century that used to be a Jamaican plantation. It contains many amazing views of the Queen of Spain Valley and Cockpit mountains. Guests can choose from the new horse and carriage ride, river tubing, ATW exploring, and other fun activities.
Rafting on Martha Brae: take a raft ride on a 30-foot bamboo raft that can be either romantic or adventurous down the Martha Brae River. The raft captain will guide you down, explaining some of the island's tropical scenery. The water in the river is very clear. After the trip is over, those who rode the rafts may buy drinks and souvenirs at a shop there.
The Glistening Waters are found in Falmouth's Luminous Lagoon, where the Martha Brae River and the waters of the Caribbean Sea meet. The mixture of these two bodies of water create bioluminescence micro-organisms that when disturbed at night glow brightly. The Glistening Waters is only one of four such locations in the world and the only location where the luminary reaction can be seen 365 days of the year regardless of the temperature or the weather.
Falmouth Heritage Walking Tours
Learn about the following places in the Historic District:
Town Hall and Courthouse: Here you can learn about the legal and political parts of Falmouth. You can see the courthouse which burnt down in 1926, but was remade in 2007 to look just like the Georgian inspired one that was built in 1815. This courthouse was also used as a social venue to hold balls and banquets for the elite in the 18th century.
The Barrett House is the historical house of Edward Barrett who was one of the city's founding fathers. His family developed half of Falmouth. The house sits across the street from the Barrett Wharf, which is one of the major points for ships to offload. He was a wealthy plantation owner and also the great grandfather of the famous 19th century poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
The Tharp House is the historical house of John Tharp who was once one of the wealthiest men in Jamaica. His house included his own wharf where ships arrived, carrying merchandise and slaves while other ships sailed off to England, transporting sugar and coffee grown on his plantation.
The Pottery House: look at the unique pottery and watch the work of the residential potter.
Vermont House: the building now serves as the Falmouth Post Office.
St. Peter's Anglican Church is one of the best examples of the Georgian style architecture in Falmouth. It was built in the 1700s; it was the first sanctuary built in Falmouth. It is one of the island's largest Anglican churches that remains on the island. It is on land donated by John Tharpe and Edward Barrett. The Anglican church was religious center for the town's gentiles.
William Knibb Baptist Church was built in 1947 in honour of the Baptist minister and abolitionist William Knibb. He served as the pastor of the church from 1830 until his death in 1845. The Baptists were one of the most popular Christian denominations for slaves and freedmen in the 19th century.
Buy
Falmouth is home to many local merchants, artisans and local planters who have a variety of unique products to sell. You can find produce and many native products, such as local craftwork, that make great souvenirs. Many vendors offer handmade arts and crafts, jewellery and paintings, fabrics and clothing that are filled with culture and history.
While you’re in the historic district of Falmouth, shopping can be done in Water Square. Famous for its shops, the Albert George Shopping and Historical Centre is in Water Square. The Trading House is also a very popular store where you can purchase authentic artwork. There are also a lot of shops and vendors at the pier and in the open market. Prices at many of these shops are negotiable and you can bargain with the vendors.
Port of Falmouth:
Shops offer a variety of items to tourists disembarking their cruise ship. There are many items, such as shirts and bags, of interest to tourists. Also, bottles of liquor are for sale and a number of jewellery shops are in the port area. The jewellery ranges from modest in price to expensive luxury items, though it generally is purported to be less expensive than similar pieces in the United States. Items from sale from Jamaican artisans are more expensive than items outside the port area. The only persons allowed to shop the port area are persons from Royal Caribbean cruise ships. Local Jamaicans are kept out; a large iron fence separates the port from the rest of Falmouth and manned checkpoints are used to make certain only cruise passengers are allowed to shop in the port.
Eat
Experience the culture of Jamaica by sampling their famous cuisine. Jamaica is known for its signature dish, Jerk Pork or Chicken, and the island's naturally grown fruits. The cuisine is a mix of Western African, English, East Indian, French, and Chinese with a touch of Spanish. Falmouth is famous for its variety of jerk recipes that are cooked locally. There is over 300 variations of the jerk recipes. Try shrimp, lobster, chicken, and pork jerk to experience the signature foods of the city.
Fruit goes great with your jerk foods. Sample the local fruits such as the ackee, breadfruit and star apple. Curried Goat, Callaloo and Salt-fish are also popular dishes. A popular dessert is called Blue Draws, sometimes called Duckunoos, which is a dessert brought over by the slaves of West Africa. It is a combination of sweet potatoes, coconut, bananas, vanilla, and brown sugar that is cooked into a thick puddling and tied in banana leaves and boiled.
- Juici Patties (5-10min walk from the port). M-Sa 7AM-5PM. Jamaican chain (largest in the country) that sells local food like Jamaican patties. For small amounts (<US$5) they don' take credit cards, but will accept USD at an unfavorable exchange rate for foreigners. ~J$300 per patty.
Port of Falmouth:
- Patty Port (yellow kiosk in clock circle). Try one of Jamaica's most popular local foods, patties, without having to leave the port. US$4/patty.
Drink
See Jamaica#Drink
Port of Falmouth:
- Deaf Can Coffee. A coffee kiosk run by deaf Jamaicans that serves Blue Mountain coffee. The port location has prices in USD and takes credit cards.
Sleep
- 🌍 Retreat Guesthouse Luxury Suites, 6 New Court Avenue (Retreat Heights), ☏ +1 876 954-9858, retreatguesthousejamaica@yahoo.com. Located on a breathtaking hillside of Coral Spring overlooking Falmouth harbor. This is a quiet place to reflect and recover. The breezes and sunshine are reviving. US$140 double.
Cope
Falmouth Hospital is available for visitors who become ill. It can provide basic care.
Free open wi-fi is available around Water Square, provided by the university.