When I visited my first waterfall in January 2016, I didn’t realize this would become the start of a new hobby (some would say obsession based on my Instagram account and I learnt recently that ‘waterfall girl’ is the name I go by in a few of my colleagues’ minds). I fell in love with Jamaica that much more, finally seeing the side of the island only tourists or the very adventurous post about.
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Our Taino ancestors didn’t name Jamaica ‘Land of Wood and Water’ for nothing, and there’s a lot to learn from our waterfalls too as I already wrote about here. Jamaica has at least three dozen waterfalls, a number which is subject to change. That’s not because Jamaica is spawning new waterfalls as we speak, but rather, many of these gems are still thankfully hidden, wild and free. Besides lists such as these, the only way you’ll ever hear about some of them is via word of mouth, or maybe social media. A few are tiny trickles while others are luxurious cascades with a large pool beneath for swimming. What can I say? Jamaican beauties come in all shapes and sizes (hehe). Do, I beg of you. If you visit an uncommercialized waterfall because you heard of it from me, don’t spoil it for successive visitors.
Kingston & St. Andrew
1. Cane River Falls in Nine Miles, Bull Bay ❤ (admission: $200, 5 minute walk through a cave down steps involved)
2. Falling Edge Falls in Bowden Hill, Stony Hill (now $500 pp, tipping may be required, 15 minute walk from closest parking spot in front of Bowden Hill Primary & Junior High School).
3. Unnamed waterfalls in Penfield, Gordon Town (free, 10 minute walk from Penfield square).
4. The ones hidden along the Holywell trails (a trickle in low rainfall, about 45 minutes’ hike necessary)
5. Unnamed waterfall in Maryland, rural St. Andrew
6. Orchid, Lion, Fern Fever and Governor Falls at Pretty Close 876 in Gordon Town (located on private property).
7. RafJam B&B Waterfall in Irish Town (located on private property).
St. Thomas
8. Roselle Falls by well, the roadside quite literally (driven past but never stopped)
9. Reggae Falls in Hillside (free, tipping may be necessary, walk length and difficulty varies based on where you park)
10. Sunning Hill River and Waterfall in Sunning Hill (the river which supplies this waterfall was popularized by Jamaican dancehall artiste Popcaan)
Portland
11. Fish Dunn Falls in Silver Hill (free, can drive or cycle right up to it)
12. Cascade Falls in Cascade (free, 1 hour hike from Holywell or 15 minute uphill hike from B1. Contact JCDT for details + obtaining a guide. Contact info is in my blog post)
13. Scatter Falls in Berrydale (rafting along the Rio Grande is involved)
14. Reach Falls in Manchioneal (commercialized) ❤
15. Somerset Falls in Hope Bay (commercialized) ❤
16. The waterfalls from Spanish River in Chepstowe
17. Nanny Falls in Moore Town
18. Nonsuch Falls
19. Sacred Site Falls
20. Millbank Waterfalls (10+ cascades)
21. Ceston Spring Waterfall, Comfort Castle
22. Dry River Falls, Comfort Castle
St. Mary
23. Tacky Falls in Islington (free, a guide is necessary so tipping may be involved, steep 15 minute trail).
24. Kwame Falls near Robin’s Bay (free, a 2 hour hike from the community or 20 minute walk by boat if you dock at the black sand beach. Also, one of my favourite places in Jamaica).
25. Johnny Falls in Highgate (free).
26. Stewart Mountain Falls (free).
St. Ann
27. Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios (commercialized, one of my favourite places in Jamaica) ❤
28. Little Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios (free).
29. Konoko Falls in Ocho Rios (commercialized, one of my favourite places in Jamaica) ❤
30. Turtle River Falls in Ocho Rios (commercialized, currently closed).
31. Island Gully Falls (now popularly known as Blue Hole, commercialized of late).
32. Laughing Water Falls, Mammee Bay (commercialized)
Trelawny
33. Liberty Falls (free)
34. Joe Hut Waterfall (free)
St. James
35. Kaleechi Falls- part of Chukka Caribbean Adventure’s safari tour out of Sandy Bay (on the border of Hanover & St. James)
Hanover
36. Discovery Falls
37. 5 Finger Falls by Copper River, Maryland
38. Bayson River Falls, Pondside District
Westmoreland
39. Mayfield Falls (commercialized)
40. Benta Falls (community river and waterfall, admission $500jmd for locals, $20US for foreigners)
41. Roaring River Waterfall
St. Elizabeth
42. Breadnut Valley Falls (free, tipping is necessary, about 10 minutes’ walk from closest parking spot)
43. YS Falls (commercialized, on my list of favourite Jamaican places) ❤
Manchester
44. Unnamed waterfall in Christiana (free)
45. Noisy River Falls (also known as the Oxford River, free)
Clarendon
46. Sanguinetti Falls (free)
47. Brae Head Falls, north Clarendon (free)
St. Catherine
48. Mountain River Cave Falls (free)
If the waterfall name is hyperlinked with pictures below, it means I’ve already been and you can read all about it (my experience, directions, the cost etc.) in a separate post. Check back often for updates as I visit and write about new waterfalls.
Which waterfalls have you visited from this list, and which are your favourites? Tell me below in the comments. 🙂 If I missed any waterfalls too, don’t be selfish. Drop the name of the waterfall and its location in the comments. Or keep it to yourself. I understand.
Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time. Keep nothing but memories.
-John Muir
‘Til next time. ✌🏽
❤ = favourite.
*** June 2022 Update: This list has doubled in size since the original time of writing, and I’m sure there are still other falls waiting to be discovered! Jamaica is truly a blessed and beautiful nation.
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Special thanks to the work of other bloggers in bringing attention to many of these waterfalls, namely @downdiroadja, @simplylocal.life and @naturessweetescapes. Check them out. 🙂
Adventures from Elle 
[…] an islander by birth, I have a healthy appreciation for waterfalls in Jamaica. Still, none of them are comparable in size to Niagara Falls. The falls are massive, water surges […]
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3 years later & the list still going strong!
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You know it! Thanks for all the support over the years 😊
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excellent, adding to knowledge and a hint of awareness of the gift nature has given us. Should we consider using this as a start for a museum of Jamaican waterfalls to which readers can add content, however we would need expert help for layout etc. Cathy Lyn
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That’s a lovely idea! It would be great to have a general resource on all things nature and waterfalls for Jamaica
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