2 Best Sights in Jamaica

A short drive east of Port Antonio is this destination for lovers of jerk pork. The recipe's origins go back to the Arawak, the island's original inhabitants, but modern jerk was perfected by the Maroons. Eating almost nothing but wild hog preserved over smoking coals enabled these former slaves to survive years of fierce guerrilla warfare with the English. Jerk resurfaced in the 1930s, and the spicy barbecue drew diners from around the island. Today a handful of jerk stands, known as the Boston Jerk Centre, offers fiery flavors cooled by festival (like a Southern hush puppy) and Red Stripe beer.

To combine a cultural experience with lunch, stop by these stalls with names like Johnny Cool No. 1 and Shut's Night and Day, which offer local specialties. For just a few dollars, buy jerk chicken, curried goat, roasted fish, or mannish water (a goat's-head soup and reported aphrodisiac). Faith's Pen, one of several similar roadside places offering jerk, is 12 miles (19½ km) south of Ocho Rios.