Located 90 mi/144 km northwest of Kingston, midway between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios on the island's north coast, the former sugar port of Falmouth is a charming, unspoiled Jamaican coastal town. It is busiest during the Wednesday market.
Falmouth was the original port of Jamaica and served as the landing point for many slaves arriving in the New World. It was known as the wealthiest New World port south of Charleston, S.C., and was a leading port for the export of sugar and rum.
Shipping activity eventually moved to Port Royale in Kingston, and once shipping ceased, the harbor filled in with silt and later was abandoned altogether.
Today, the town of Falmouth has a new slogan and promotional theme: "Discover a Treasured Past." Many classic Georgian-era buildings, now in disrepair, still line the town's narrow side streets, but the remaining designated historical buildings are gradually being restored.
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