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Heritage site and horseback riding · Ocho Rios

Seville Heritage Park, St Ann's Bay: a local's guide

Researched by Michael RainfordPrices & hours checked Sources

No car?

Route taxis run along the coast road between Ocho Rios and St Ann's Bay; ask for Seville, by Priory. For the Chukka tours, the combo passes include pickup from Ocho Rios, Runaway Bay and Falmouth.

On this page
  1. My local take
  2. How to get there
  3. What to expect
  4. Local tips
  5. Before you go
  6. FAQ
  7. Sources

My local take

Seville is where a lot of Jamaica’s story starts, and most visitors drive straight past it on the way to Ocho Rios. The estate holds the remains of Maima, a Taino village, then Sevilla la Nueva, the first Spanish capital, founded in 1509, then an English sugar plantation worked by enslaved Africans until emancipation. The Jamaica National Heritage Trust, or JNHT, runs it as a heritage park, with a museum in the 18th-century great house and reconstructions of the Taino and African villages. Every year on the night of July 31 into Emancipation Day, the JNHT holds the Emancipation Jubilee vigil here, and that is what many Jamaicans know Seville for.

Chukka runs its horseback ride and swim on the same coastline. Chukka says it started the first horseback ride and swim in Jamaica back in 1983, and today it runs it from its Seville outpost, along with ATV tours across the estate. My take: if you’re booked on the horseback ride anyway, give the great house an hour on a weekday. It is one of the few places on the north coast where you get real history, not a show.

Nearby guides: Green Grotto Caves, which Chukka sells in a combo with Seville, and Dunn’s River Falls, east toward Ocho Rios. For the wider area, see our Ocho Rios guide.

How to get there

Seville is on the north coast road just outside St Ann’s Bay, near Priory, between Ocho Rios and Runaway Bay. From Ocho Rios, allow roughly 20 minutes west along the coast road. From the Mammee Bay and St Ann’s Bay side, including Hotel Riu Ocho Rios, it is a few minutes. From Runaway Bay resorts such as Franklyn D. Resort, it is a short drive east. From Montego Bay, allow roughly an hour and a half.

Chukka’s basic Seville Horseback Ride & Swim does not include transport, so you make your own way to the Chukka Seville Outpost. Its combo passes include pickup from Ocho Rios, Runaway Bay and Falmouth.

What to expect

The heritage park centers on the Seville Great House, built in 1745 and now a museum. The JNHT describes its collection as artifacts showing the lives of the Taino, Africans and Europeans who lived here. The grounds overlook the sea, with the relic of a water wheel from the old sugar mill, the overseer’s house and a barbecue (the stone floor once used to dry crops). Guided tours are offered, and the JNHT says the grounds are good for picnics. Archaeology magazine notes that the remains of the Spanish town, including a governor’s house and an early church, are not on the regular tour, but staff try to help groups who call ahead.

Chukka’s Horseback Ride ‘n’ Swim takes you along shaded coastal trails on the estate, past ruins, then into the sea on horseback. Chukka sells it on its own from US$109 per person without transport, as a sunset ride with champagne, and in combos with its ATV safari, Dunn’s River Falls, a zipline, Green Grotto Caves or a catamaran sail. The ATV safari runs over dirt trails across the old Spanish settlement and British plantation lands. Prices change often, so check Chukka’s site.

Local tips

  • Go to the great house on a weekday. The JNHT lists Monday to Friday hours only, and the park is closed on public holidays.
  • Call the JNHT at Seville before you go, (876) 972-2191, to confirm hours and the current fee. The fee list on its site is several years old.
  • For the horseback ride, wear closed-toe shoes or water shoes. Chukka makes them mandatory and asks for photo ID at check-in.
  • To drive an ATV you need a valid driver's license and must be at least 16, according to Chukka's combo pass rules.
  • If you're in Jamaica for Emancipation Day, the Seville Emancipation Jubilee on the night of July 31 is the most Jamaican night out on the north coast.

Before you go

  • Chukka’s Seville tours have a 230 lb maximum weight and a minimum age of 6, are not suitable for pregnant women and are not wheelchair accessible.
  • Water rides depend on the weather and can be suspended on rough days.
  • The heritage park keeps weekday hours, so a weekend ride doesn’t guarantee you can see the great house.
  • Grounds are open and sunny with uneven paths. Bring water, sunscreen and insect repellent.
  • The JNHT doesn’t publish current fees online, so call ahead for the price.

Questions people ask

What is Seville Heritage Park?

It is a national heritage site run by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust near St Ann’s Bay. The estate holds the remains of the Taino village of Maima, the first Spanish capital, Sevilla la Nueva, and a later English sugar plantation. The great house is now a museum.

How much is the entrance fee for Seville Heritage Park?

The JNHT doesn’t publish a current fee list online, so call the park on (876) 972-2191 to confirm the price. Chukka’s Horseback Ride & Swim at Seville is sold separately, from US$109 per person without transport, per chukka.com.

Where can you ride horses in the sea in Jamaica?

Chukka runs its Horseback Ride ‘n’ Swim at its Seville Outpost near St Ann’s Bay, on the heritage park’s coastline. Chukka says it started the first horseback ride and swim in Jamaica in 1983. It sells the ride on its own or in combos with ATV, Dunn’s River Falls and other tours.

Is Seville Heritage Park open after Hurricane Melissa?

Yes. The Jamaica Tourist Board’s reopenings list shows Seville Great House and Heritage Park and Chukka Seville as open, and the JNHT held the Emancipation Jubilee there on July 31 to August 1, 2026. Chukka is selling its Seville tours on its official site.

How long does the Chukka horseback ride and swim take?

Chukka doesn’t list a fixed length on its Seville tour page. Plan on half a day with transfers, and longer for the combo passes.

Sources & updates

Update log

  • — Written as a researched guide to the heritage park and the Chukka tours on the estate; facts checked against JNHT and Chukka.
  • — Moved source citations out of the text

Spotted something out of date? Tell me and I’ll check it.

Where to stay nearby

Where to stay in Ocho Rios