To be honest, I had never heard of Dunn’s River Falls prior to our Jamaica trip. But when I heard about the number one tourist destination that was even featured in a James Bond film, I did my homework (watched Dr. No) and decided that it was worth a visit.
Dunn’s River Falls
Dunn’s River Falls is made up of spring water that is fed into by four rivers (not eight as the name, Ocho Rios, suggests). Though the falls are walked over by thousands of people each year, they are self-regenerated through travertine rock that continuously deposits calcium carbonate. The falls are surrounding vegetation are wonderfully intertwined. Large trees shoot up from various spots throughout the falls.
There are several areas where water pools up, creating nice little spots where you can take a break and a quick dip into the water. How do you know you’re at the top? Well, there’s a nice little sign congratulation you at the end. Perfect spot for a photo!
Break Free (If you want)
Like any major attraction, there are aspects to Dunn’s River Falls that can make it into a tourist trap if you let it. We set up our visit through our resort. That morning, a bus came to pick us and several other tourists up. We collected more tourists from resorts on the way and were packed full by the time we got to the falls.
When you get off the bus, you get herded into groups, each with its own guide. If you decide that you want to walk up through the falls (the popular choice, by far) you are put into a long line of people, holding hands to create a chain of humans. This chain slowly makes its way up through the falls, stopping for photo ops along the way which you can purchase after your hike and before your departure back to your hotel.
It was quite a slow moving chain of people. My husband and I are well versed in waterfall walking and we had proper footwear (swimming shoes are a must!). I grew up in the mountains hiking through creeks and my husband spent all his youth barefoot climbing trees and gullies. We felt stuck with a slow group, which was sort of deflating our own private experience with the beautiful Dunn’s River Falls. So, we broke free.
Now they will tell you that you cannot break free, but you can. There is no regulation that you must go with a guide up through the falls. If you can handle it, have proper footwear, if you are used to wading up waterfalls, and if you want to, you should break free as well.
We ran up the falls in a quarter of the time, and had all this extra time to visit the park at the top before catching our bus back to the hotel.
Dunn’s River Falls Park
In 1972, Dunn’s River Falls and the immediate vicinity were given to the Jamaican government and designated as a recreational park. There is a trail that follows alongside the falls that you can walk along to make your way back down.
Picnic facilities, beautiful Caribbean flowers, wonderfully interesting trees, and vendors greet you at the top, making this park worth so much more than just a visit to the falls. There’s just so much to see! I honestly loved my trip down as much as I loved my trip up.
Where is it located?
Dunn’s River Falls is located in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on the north side of the island.