Ocho Rios is also famous for Fern Gully, a rocky gorge of tremendous depth which zigzags for about four miles from the Ocho Rios coast up to the central mountain area of the island. Although it has become rather commercialized in recent years by souvenir vendors, it is still well worth a visit to see the profusion of tropical ferns (over 500 species) and the kind of foliage only to be found in a tropical rain forest. In the deepest parts of the gorge, only faint dapples of sunshine penetrate through the thick foliage and the temperature is about ten degrees cooler.

In the last 20 years, Ocho Rios has developed from a small fishing village to a thriving tourist destination. New beach land, hundreds of acres, was dredged to the south and hotels, apartment blocks, shopping centres and a marina were added to the already well-established old hotels like Jamaica Inn and Shaw Park.

A deep water pier with berthing space for three cruise ships at a time has attracted this segment of the tourist industry and it is a rare day when the streets of Ocho Rios do not throng with cruise ship visitors.