Montego Bay, commonly referred to as MoBay, is the second largest city in the island nation Jamaica, a member of the British Commonwealth. Montego Bay is the capital of St. James Parish, one of the 14 parishes in Jamaica.
Christopher Columbus sailed into the bay in 1494 and named it "el Golfo de Buen Tiempo" or Fair Weather Bay. The first record of a Spanish settlement here shows it as Monterias. The Spaniards hunted the herds of wild hogs that used to roam the hills and produced and exported hog butter or lard. The name Montego derives from the Spanish "manteca" meaning lard, and Montego Bay is shown on some ancient maps as Lard Bay.
Due in part to its location on the islands north shore, Montego Bay has long since earned the title of tourist capital of Jamaica. It receives the bulk of international flights, and is home to Sangster International Airport, the larger of Jamaicas two main international airports. It is a tourist destination known for its duty free shopping, cruise line terminal, and the sheltered Doctors Cave beach with clear turquoise waters, which is one of the most famous beaches on the island.