Feel the buzz of modern Jamaican life as you wander through the sunny port town of Lucea. On the edge of a bay on the popular north coast, the town features luxury beach resorts alongside colonial homes. Sit on the white sandy beach and look out to an aquamarine sea.
Lucea, the capital of Hanover Parish, is halfway between the vacation town of NegrilOpens in a new window in the west and Jamaica’s second-largest city, Montego BayOpens in a new window. Find the amenities of luxury vacation accommodations alongside real Caribbean life. Enjoy this country’s natural beauty and its rich history, with many surviving buildings.
The town looks so appealing that it has served as a film set. Constructed around a natural harbor and backed by green hills, Lucea offers gorgeous beaches: the main beach, the public beach and Sunset Cove. Enjoy swimming, sailing, windsurfing, snorkeling or diving in the sparkling sea.
The town is a great shopping destination. Pick up unique souvenirs. Visit the Cleveland Stanhope Markets, particularly on Saturdays, to find local riches including seafood, produce and handiworks. Try local Lucea yams, which have smoother texture than other yams.
Established for the sugar trade, Lucea remained a busy port until the 1980s. Lucea’s Hanover Parish Church is one of the country’s oldest, built in the early 1700s. Legend says that the church has a tunnel leading to nearby antique Fort Charlotte on a peninsula jutting into the ocean. The fort is very well preserved as it was never used in combat. Check out the period architecture of the Old Lucea Courthouse.
Lucea’s old jail was turned into the Hanover Museum, with a workhouse on site, which tells Lucea’s story as a banana and sugar port. Drive less than 30 minutes from the town center to several beautiful local waterfalls: Kempshot Falls, Paradise, Mayfield FallsOpens in a new window and Dry Hill. Take a daytrip to Dunn’s River Falls, a famous Jamaican piece of natural beauty. Visit Lucea, for now a hidden gem between other popular Jamaican destinations.
