For the architecture or heritage buff, the coastal town of Falmouth in Trelawny is a virtual gold mine. In the late 1700s, when sugar was king and the profits from the sweet gold made the fortunes of men, families and nations, Falmouth was considered to be the most cosmopolitan city in the western world, the “Paris of the Indies.” The town had five newspapers, an active literary and fine arts society and – arguably its most distinctive attribute – fresh running water. It was also home to a vast number of merchant shops and traders selling slaves, sugar, rum, fine furniture and logwood, as well as the Albert George Market, the largest and most popular coastal market at the time. Now the sugar money is long gone, but many of the splendid original buildings remain, some in ruins, others masterfully restored to their former glory. In recognition of its rich historical legacy, Falmouth has been declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations, and is a Jamaican National Monument.

The Luminous Lagoon stretches along the marshlands of Trelawny from the small community of Rock to the town of Falmouth. In the 18th century when sugar was king, Falmouth was one of Jamaica's most pivotal ports. Located at the eminent point where the Martha Brae River meets the Caribbean Sea, the lagoon housed a wharf where large vessels from England unloaded goods onto smaller ships to be delivered inland up the river. Once inland, these boats would reload with sugar, rum and other Jamaican exports and carry them back to the harbour. Years after the decline of the sugar trade, scientists discovered the lagoon's geographical location was important for another reason. It was the single best place to observe and study microorganisms called dinoflagellates, which thrive in the layers where salt and fresh water combine and glow the brightest in shallow, warm water.

Rio Bueno, a small seaside village on the border between the parishes of St Ann and Trelawny, owes its importance, history and livelihood to the magnificent Rio Bueno Harbour. The Rio Bueno Harbour is the deepest in Jamaica, perhaps one of the reasons why Columbus dropped anchor there on his first visit to Jamaica. The village sprung up during the early days of English Colonialism as a way stop for both maritime and overland visitors, and it traditionally housed highly acclaimed taverns, guesthouses and inns. By the late 1800s the town was almost deserted, a shadow of its former self, but was then resurrected by the construction of a bauxite-shipping wharf in the mid-1900s. Through it all, the village remains a picturesque gem steeped in history, with its old fort, warehouses and churches set against the water’s edge with the green hills of Trelawny as its backdrop.

Visit Nine Miles, Birthplace of the “King of Reggae” Tucked away in the beautiful hills of St. Ann is a quaint little village called Nine Miles. This is where the legendary “King of Reggae” was born on February 6, 1945. Hear little-known insights about Bob Marley’s childhood, his musical career, the meaning and inspiration behind many of his most famous songs.