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Montego Bay Honeymoons: Top 5 Resorts and Planning Guide

Jamaica is a magical island filled with natural beauty, featuring a lush mountainous rainforest interior ringed by white sand beaches and turquoise Caribbean waters.

Jamaica is a top Caribbean honeymoon destination due to its breathtaking beaches and lush rainforests, plus delicious local cuisine, fun music, a wide range of activities and nightlife, and affordable prices.

If you’re dreaming of a honeymoon in this tropical paradise, you might wonder what part of Jamaica is best for honeymoons. One of the top areas to honeymoon in Jamaica is Montego Bay.

And if you’re looking for information about honeymoons in Montego Bay, Jamaica, you’ve come to the right place! We will tell you all you need to know to plan your Montego Bay honeymoon, including the best times to honeymoon in Montego Bay, the best Montego Bay honeymoon resorts, and whether Montego Bay is safe for honeymoons, and what to do on your Montego Bay honeymoon. 

Montego Bay is famous for its beautiful beaches, but there’s so much more to this vibrant Caribbean city.

Montego Bay Honeymoon Quick Picks

  • Best Time to Plan a Montego Bay Honeymoon: November to mid-December
  • Best Montego Bay Honeymoon Resort for Luxury: Iberostar Grand Rose Hall
  • Best Montego Bay Honeymoon Resort for a Destination Wedding: Sandals Montego Bay
  • Best Adult-Only Montego Bay Honeymoon Resort: Secrets St. James Montego Bay

About Montego Bay

Is Montego Bay good for honeymoons? Yes! Montego Bay is one of the top honeymoon spots in Jamaica for good reason. There’s so much to do on a Montego Bay honeymoon, from visiting some of the most popular tourist attractions in Jamaica to water sports to rainforest excursions to touring historic and cultural sites to shopping lively markets to enjoying the exciting nightlife.

Montego Bay is the second most visited city in Jamaica after Kingston. Located on Jamaica’s northwest shore, it has long been a popular destination for honeymoons, destination weddings, and romantic vacations.

There’s something for everyone in Montego Bay, making it a great place to honeymoon for couples who like to do different things. Plus, Montego Bay is a convenient honeymoon destination in Jamaica since it’s home to Jamaica’s main international airport and it’s centrally located for easy day trips to various activities.

5 Best Honeymoon Resorts in Montego Bay

For the most relaxing and stress-free honeymoon, stay at an all-inclusive resort in Montego Bay. There are quite a few to choose from; here are some of our favorite Montego Bay honeymoon all-inclusive resorts.

Iberostar Grand Rose Hall

For a luxurious and indulgent honeymoon in Montego Bay, Iberostar Grand Rose Hall offers a gorgeous setting, lavish amenities, and excellent service—including your own butler. There’s a golf course next door, a full spa and fitness center, multiple pools, and a beautiful beach. Swanky oceanfront room options include swim-out suites.

The upscale adults-only hotel promises honeymooners the perfect romantic setting to enjoy each other’s company. Pamper yourselves with relaxing spa treatments, indulge in mouthwatering local and international dishes at any of the five restaurants, and sample perfectly made cocktails at the four bars, including a cool swim-up bar.

Google Rating: 4.7

TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5

Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall

Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall is a romantic, adults-only honeymoon all-inclusive resort in Montego Bay, located on the gorgeous grounds of the historic Rose Hall Great House. Amenities include a large, secluded pool with a swim-up bar; a beautiful beach with comfortable loungers, umbrellas, and butler service; and waterfront dining.

There’s a tranquil, oceanfront spa for restorative treatments, as well as a fitness center with cardio and strength training equipment along with spectacular ocean views. Fitness classes—including yoga, Pilates, boot camp, and cardio mix classes—are available daily.

Luxurious accommodations include spacious swim-up suites with ocean views as well as oceanfront suites with private balconies.

Enjoy gourmet dining at 3 restaurants, savor cocktails at 4 bars, or head next door to the sister resort Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall for additional options. Honeymoon extras available include a candlelight dinner for two served in a private beachfront gazebo and a romance package with sparkling wine, chocolate-dipped strawberries, a sensual bubble bath, flowers, and spa treatments.

Google Rating: 4.6

TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5

Sandals Montego Bay

One of seven beachfront Sandals Resorts in Jamaica, Sandals Montego Bay has been completely renovated to become what many consider the best all-inclusive resort in Montego Bay. Incredible new facilities like an Over-the-Water Chapel make this adults-only resort an excellent choice for the perfect destination wedding in Jamaica. Overall, the opulent renovation makes Sandals Montego Bay one of the top resorts for a honeymoon in Jamaica.

Sandals Montego Bay is set on a long stretch of private, pristine white sand beach along the glorious turquoise Caribbean. While this is where the Sandals brand started—the original location—the resort feels modern and fresh after its renovation.

Couples will appreciate the lavish and spacious suites, a vast array of complimentary watersports, delicious cuisine, and a lively social scene. There are 9 restaurants and 6 bars (including an overwater bar).

If you get married and then honeymoon at Sandals Montego Bay, or if you come here within 30 days of your wedding date, you’ll get Sandals’ complimentary honeymoon package. This includes a bottle of chilled sparkling wine, a special turndown service with flower petals on your bed the first evening of your honeymoon, fresh flowers, and a decadent breakfast in bed one morning of your choice.

A bonus to staying at Sandals Montego Bay is that you get complete access to all the amenities and restaurants of the nearby Sandals Royal Caribbean (easily reached via a free shuttle service). Check out our full review of Sandals Montego Bay honeymoons here.

Google Rating: 4.5

TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5

Sandals Royal Caribbean

Sandals Royal Caribbean offers an intimate ambiance plus amazing Over-the-Water Bungalows on a private island, for the ultimate honeymoon hideaway. Some of the overwater bungalows at Sandals Royal Caribbean even have private infinity pools, and all of them come with personal butler service.

Sandals Royal Caribbean has been recently renovated and is a luxurious resort with a private feel, nestled on a stunning beach. This resort showcases Jamaica’s British heritage with a Georgian-style Great House and activities such as afternoon tea and croquet. It offers a wide variety of complimentary watersports and land activities as well as 12 restaurants and 6 bars.

Something that truly sets Sandals Royal Caribbean apart is the private offshore island. Even if you don’t stay in an overwater bungalow here, you can take the short boat ride and enjoy a beautiful beach lined with thatch-roofed cabanas, a pool with a swim-up bar, a Jacuzzi, and two dining experiences including an authentic Thai restaurant. At night you can enjoy bonfires, “island-style extravaganzas,” and dancing on the sand.

You can get the same Sandals honeymoon package that’s available at Sandals Montego Bay (see above). With prices starting at $280 per person per night, this is an affordable honeymoon resort in Montego Bay.

A bonus to staying at Sandals Royal Caribbean is that you get complete access to all the amenities and restaurants of the nearby Sandals Montego Bay (easily reached via a free shuttle service).

Google Rating: 4.4

TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5

Secrets St. James Montego Bay

Secrets St. James Montego Bay is an adults-only honeymoon resort set on a stunning peninsula with white sand beaches surrounded by the Caribbean. Honeymooners here enjoy gourmet dining options, unlimited drinks and cocktails, live entertainment, complimentary activities, and poolside or beachside butler services.

All rooms here are suites and offer ocean or tropical garden views. For a luxurious honeymoon, book a swim-up suite. No reservations are required at the 7 resort restaurants, and room service is available. A full-service spa provides restorative treatments and massages as well as salon services.

All guests can also enjoy the amenities and facilities at Secrets Wild Orchid, next door, and Preferred Club guests also get access to Breathless Montego Bay, which has five additional bars, seven restaurants, and two pools.

The Unlimited-Luxury® here includes gourmet dining options, unlimited international and domestic top-shelf spirits, natural fruit juices and soft drinks, pool and beach wait service, mini-bar with soft drinks, juice, bottled water, and beer, daytime activities, and nightly entertainment.

Google Rating: 4.4

TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5

Romantic Things to Do in Montego Bay

You’ll have plenty of choices for things to do on your Montego Bay honeymoon. Here are just a few options; for a detailed list, check out our article Top 20 Things to Do in Montego Bay.

Relax on the Beach

First up, of course, is to enjoy some relaxing beach time. Montego Bay features beautiful white sand beaches lined with palm trees and that gloriously vivid warm Caribbean water. Your Montego Bay honeymoon resort will likely have a gorgeous stretch to enjoy, but here are some other options to check out.

One of the most popular beaches in Montego Bay is Doctor’s Cave Beach. This world-famous beach is known for its clear turquoise waters and white sand beaches. Supposedly the waters here are fed by mineral springs and have restorative effects—or at least, that’s what a famous British doctor claimed in the 1920s, making this a tourist hotpot.

Visitors to Doctor’s Cave Beach in Montego Bay can enjoy plenty of activities such as swimming, sunbathing, and snorkeling. There are also restaurants and bars nearby. Another lovely beach in Montego Bay is Dead End Beach; it tends to be less crowded and is an excellent spot to watch the sunset.

Enjoy Some Water Sports

Water sports in Montego Bay are a popular honeymoon activity due to the area’s clear and calm waters. If you stay at a Montego Bay all-inclusive resort, you’ll likely have all sorts of water activities included. Otherwise, there are plenty of companies that offer snorkeling, scuba diving, parasailing, jet skiing, and banana boat rides. You can also take a glass-bottom boat tour to get a glimpse of the vibrant marine life that inhabits the waters around Montego Bay.

You can snorkel right off the beach in Montego Bay along thriving coral reefs that are just offshore. Or visit the Montego Bay Marine Park, which allows snorkeling and scuba diving in its protected waters that are home to a wide variety of marine life.

Play a Little Golf

If you like to golf, Montego Bay has several excellent and beautiful golf courses, including the White Witch Golf Course and Cinnamon Hill Golf Course.

Visit Some Historical Sites

If you like history, there are several historic sites in Montego Bay and nearby that you can visit, such as Rose Hall Great House and Greenwood Great House. Rose Hall Great House is a former sugar plantation built in 1770 that has been restored and is now open to the public as a museum.

The Greenwood Great House is another historic site in Montego Bay. You can tour the grounds and learn about the history of the plantation, which is one of the best-preserved such homes in Jamaica.

Get a Little Adventurous

Romantic things to do on your Montego Bay honeymoon include taking a sunset cruise, river rafting down the Martha Brae River, or having dinner at one of the city’s many fine restaurants. A sunset cruise is a great way to relax and enjoy the stunning views of the Jamaican coastline.

You can also go on a huge variety of excursions from Montego Bay, including ATV tours of the rainforest, ziplining, horseback riding, hiking, waterfall tours, visits to Bob Marley’s home and studio, and more.

Rafting down the Martha Brae River on a bamboo raft is also a peaceful and romantic experience. Sit back and relax as a local steers the raft for several miles down the river through the lush jungle, passing old plantations and pointing out interesting tropical plants and wildlife. There are bars to stop at along the way for a cool drink, and rope swings in case you want to get adventurous.

Swim in Luminous Lagoon

A unique Montego Bay honeymoon experience is going on the Luminous Lagoon, about 45 minutes from Montego Bay where the Martha Brae River meets the Caribbean. Tour boats glide along the lagoon’s waters, which glow when disturbed due to the presence of millions of dinoflagellates (microscopic organisms that glow at night). You can even jump out and swim in the glowing waters during your tour.

Plan a Romantic Dinner

If you’re looking for a romantic dining experience, Montego Bay has no shortage of fine restaurants to choose from. Some of the best restaurants in Montego Bay are the Sugar Mill, Delmare, the HouseBoat Grill, and Marguerite’s Seafood by the Sea.

Do Some Shopping

Shopping in Montego Bay is a must-do activity, especially if you’re looking for the perfect memento of your honeymoon. The city’s Craft Market is the perfect place to find unique handmade items such as wood carvings, jewelry, and paintings. You can also find plenty of duty-free shops in Montego Bay, where you can purchase alcohol, tobacco, and cosmetics at tax-free prices.

The Shoppes at Rose Hall in Montego Bay are a popular shopping destination as well, as is the “Hip Strip,” as Gloucester Avenue is known. This bustling street near Doctor’s Cave Beach is lined with shops, art galleries, cafes, and bars, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Montego Bay.

Experience Montego Bay Nightlife

Montego Bay has a vibrant nightlife scene, with plenty of clubs and bars that stay open late into the night. Whether you’re looking to dance the night away or simply enjoy a few drinks with friends, you’ll find plenty of options. The best bars in Montego Bay are located in the Hip Strip area.

Best Times to Plan a Montego Bay Honeymoon

In Jamaica, the peak season is mid-December to April, as the weather is cooler than in the summer, but still warm and beautiful (lows of 70 to highs of 84 degrees Fahrenheit).

This is the most popular time for tourists to visit, so if you want fewer crowds (and lower prices), schedule your Montego Bay honeymoon outside of that time frame. However, Jamaica is also in the hurricane belt, so take that into consideration.

The hurricane season (and low season) is June to November, and there are two rainy seasons: May to June and September to December. However, even during the rainy seasons the rain rarely falls all day, and only occurs on some days.

Dry seasons are July to August and December to April. The hottest temperatures in Montego Bay are in July and August, with an average high of 91 degrees.

Shoulder season in Jamaica is mid-April to May and November to mid-December. Many people recommend November to mid-December as the best time to visit Montego Bay, for gorgeous weather and good deals on hotels and flights.

The water temperature averages around 82 degrees year-round, making Montego Bay a great winter honeymoon destination.

Is Montego Bay safe for honeymoons?

While there is crime in Jamaica, it is a safe destination as long as you use common sense and take precautions while visiting.

Avoid going to unknown and dodgy places alone, especially at night. Choosing the right neighborhood can also contribute to your safety. Always be aware of your surroundings. Therefore, it is very important that you only join authorized groups and arrange transfers to and from your vacation spot.

Safe places to visit in Jamaica are usually located in well-developed resorts, including the 7 Sandals Resorts, and gated communities. 24-hour security officers are on-site to keep you safe.

When you are exploring the city of Montego Bay, take safety precautions. Be alert for pickpockets; don’t wear expensive jewelry, and don’t carry valuables or too much cash on you. Avoid using public ATMs.

A great way to be extra safe is to put important items like cash, identification, credit cards, and passports in a zippered pouch that you can hang around your neck or waist, under your clothes.

Tip: Make copies of all important documents and credit cards (including customer service numbers) and keep one in a safe place in your room in case anything is lost or stolen.

Be sure to take tours only from authorized operators—your honeymoon resort will be able to give you recommendations. The same goes for taxis. Ask your hotel for their guidelines on any areas you should avoid.

When going out at night, travel in groups of at least two. Stay on main roads and in well-lit areas, and limit your drinking so that you maintain control and awareness of your surroundings. Be sure to keep an eye on your drink at all times.

What to Pack for your Montego Bay Honeymoon

On your Montego Bay honeymoon you’ll want to bring warm weather essentials like lightweight clothes, sandals and flipflops, several swimsuits, and sun protection including high-SPF sunscreen (that’s reef-safe if you plan to snorkel or dive) plus sunglasses and a sun hat.

Bring any special shoes, clothes, or equipment for activities like golf, hiking, snorkeling and scuba diving (depending on where you stay, they may provide equipment for you).

As with any international trip, you’ll need your valid passport (be sure it’s at least 6 months away from expiring) and identification like a driver’s license.

Be sure to bring a credit card and some cash. You will also want to pack some medicine, like any prescription drugs you take plus over-the-counter treatments for stomach issues, pain, bug bites, etc. as well as a small first aid kit just in case.

Extras could include a camera or waterproof camera, a waterproof bag, beach towels, and any items that will help make your honeymoon extra romantic.

For detailed packing lists and advice, check out our articles How to Pack for Your Trip to Jamaica and The Ultimate Honeymoon Packing List.

Now that you’ve read all about Montego Bay honeymoons, are you ready to plan yours? We have plenty of other resources to help you, from Top 20 Things to Do in Montego Bay to 7 Best Montego Bay All-Inclusive Adults-Only Resorts. Enjoy planning your romantic honeymoon in Montego Bay!