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Botanical garden and waterfall · Ocho Rios

Shaw Park Gardens and Waterfalls, Ocho Rios: a local's guide

By Michael RainfordBorn and raised in JamaicaPrices & hours checked Sources

Status unconfirmed. I couldn't confirm it's open right now. Check before you go; the guide below has open alternatives.

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

Shaw Park is a name with a long history in Ocho Rios. The land was a sugar estate owned by John Shaw, then the Pringle family bought it, and in 1923 the great house became the Shaw Park Hotel. The hotel later moved down to the beach, and Flora McKenzie Pringle Stewart, who inherited the property, built up the botanical gardens on the hillside. Guidebooks have long described about 25 acres of flowering plants, ferns and palms, trails and wooden steps beside a waterfall that drops in terraces, and a lookout over the town and the harbor.

The honest problem: I can’t confirm it is operating. The gardens’ website did not respond when we checked, Shaw Park is not on the Jamaica Tourist Board’s reopenings list after Hurricane Melissa, and we found no recent notice from the gardens or the Jamaican press. A June 2024 trip report from the non-profit United Plant Savers described the heart of the old Shaw Park as mostly walled off and run down. My take: don’t plan a morning around it. Konoko Falls, on part of the same old Shaw Park lands, gives you gardens and a waterfall swim and is open.

Open nearby: Konoko Falls and its gardens, on the same hillside, and Prospect Plantation, the old estate east of town where Yaaman Adventure Park runs a great house and garden tour. For the wider area, see where to stay in Ocho Rios.

How to get there

Shaw Park Road climbs into the hills directly behind Ocho Rios town. From the town center or the cruise pier it is a short taxi ride, roughly 10 minutes, though the road is steep and narrow in places. From the resorts east of town, such as Jamaica Inn, allow a little longer.

From Montego Bay it is roughly a two-hour drive east along the north coast highway, and from Negril three hours or more.

Without a car: Take a licensed JUTA taxi from Ocho Rios town and agree the fare and a pickup time before you leave. Shaw Park Road is steep, so walking up from town in the heat is hard work.

What to expect

When it was running, Shaw Park was a quiet walking garden rather than an adventure stop. Listings described paths and steps through tiered beds of bougainvillea, hibiscus, palms and ferns, a waterfall running down through the garden with spots to cool off, picnic space on the lawns and a viewing platform looking down on Ocho Rios Bay, with guided walks available.

None of that is confirmed as current, and the paths and facilities may have changed. If you do get a clear answer that it is open, ask what the entry fee is and whether a guide is included.

Local tips

  • Ask your hotel’s tour desk or a licensed taxi driver to find out whether Shaw Park is receiving visitors before you set off. Old prices and hours online are not reliable.

  • Don’t mix it up with Konoko Falls or Turtle River Falls. All three sit on parts of the old Shaw Park lands, and drivers sometimes use the names loosely.

  • If you go, wear shoes with grip. Garden steps and rocks near the waterfall stay wet and slippery.

Before you go

  • If you arrive and there is no proper ticket office or uniformed staff, I wouldn’t pay anyone at the gate for a tour.
  • The garden is on a steep hillside with steps, so it is not suited to anyone with limited mobility.

Questions people ask

Is Shaw Park Gardens open?

I can’t confirm it. The gardens’ website did not respond when we checked, Shaw Park is not on the Tourist Board’s list of reopened attractions, and we found no recent notice from the gardens. Check with your hotel’s tour desk before you go.

What is the entrance fee for Shaw Park Gardens?

There is no current official price. Older travel listings quote a small entry fee in US dollars, but they are years old. If the gardens confirm they are open, ask for the current fee before you go.

Is Shaw Park the same as Konoko Falls?

No, but they are neighbors. Konoko Falls, once called Coyaba Gardens and Mahoe Falls, sits on part of the old Shaw Park lands and is open. Shaw Park Gardens is the separate garden around the old estate.

What should I do instead of Shaw Park Gardens?

Konoko Falls offers gardens, a waterfall and a small museum on the same hillside. Dunn’s River Falls is the famous climb, and the old Prospect estate east of town has a great house tour run by Yaaman Adventure Park.

Sources & updates

Update log

  • — New status page. Operating status could not be confirmed after Hurricane Melissa; no hours or prices given.
  • — Link refresh: swapped the resort link in How to get there from Moon Palace Jamaica with Jamaica Inn to spread links across the newer open resort guides. No facts changed.
  • — Link updated after merge
  • — Named the attraction in the "what to do instead" FAQ so it differs from Turtle River Falls'.
  • — Removed repeated advice
  • — Trimmed hurricane references to where they change the advice
  • — Best for: who it suits, not status (status is in the notice)

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

Where to stay nearby

Where to stay in Ocho Rios