Bob Marley was born on February 6th, 1945. He died on May 11th, 1981. Visiting this small town is a priority for all tourists, cruise ship and stopover passengers alike from Ocho Rios, Falmouth, Montego Bay and from as far as Negril in the west. Nine Miles is a tiny town in St. Ann where the reggae legend, Bob Marley was born, and fittingly, the place he’s now laid to rest. Although Bob Marley moved to Kingston at age 13 to live with his mother and to advance his music career, he would often return to Nine Miles to get away from the fast pace life of Kingston. Home is where the heart is and Bob Marley wrote several of his hit songs when he was in St. Ann. Nine Miles Jamaica was always his home and to have the full experience of Bob Marley; you will have to visit this town. A tour of this settlement will leave you with a greater understanding of the legend Bob became; in fact, the community today is pretty much how it was in Bob Marley’s early days. A Rastafarian tour guide will be on hand to guide you around the property and answer all your questions. You will have the opportunity to view the room he slept in as a young child and as an adult when he would return on his many “cooling out” visits. The rock that he used as a pillow, on which he would often times relax to draw inspiration to write his songs is still in the very spot. Quite a few guests have said that they have felt the presence of Bob Marley. The Nine Mile Tour includes his birth and resting place, what he liked to do and Mount Zion, the spot where he drew his inspiration from to write his songs. Visit the nearby Ethiopian church where his body was laid to rest with his guitar. Please remove your shoes before you enter as a sign of respect. Feel free to look around.

The Greenwood Great House (Plantation home) was constructed in the early 18th Century. Like most, if not all the other Great Houses in Jamaica, the Greenwood Great House was built at high elevation. One could say that this was a strategy used back in the plantation era as a means of overlooking the plantation and also for security purposes. This house, unlike the Rose Hall Great House, is not haunted but of a more peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. The history and the architecture of the house is what will blow you away. As you pass by, feel free to take photos when your tour guide slows down.

The town of Discovery Bay is where you will find Columbus Park. It was originally named Puerto Seco “Dry Harbour” by Christopher Columbus in 1494 when he and his men landed on the Island. It is said that could not find fresh water to drink. They later found fresh water in another area about 5 miles west of the town. The water was so good that they named the location where it was found Rio Bueno (“Good River”). However, the town of Puerto Seco was later renamed in 1947 to Discovery Bay because Discovery Bay is where the Spanish, lead by Christopher Columbus landed when they invaded the Island on May 4, 1494. There is a park with several old relics and artifacts on display (Park temporarily closed for renovations). There will be a brief stop to take photos and capture the rich history of this historic town.