It gets clearer to me with each adventure why Jamaica’s first inhabitants named the island Xaymaca which translates to Land of Wood and Water. Much of Jamaica is comprised of mountains and karst topography, giving rise to numerous caves, springs, sinkholes and rivers. It’s no wonder then that after eight years of intentionally exploring Jamaica, I still discover new hidden gems fairly often. After hearing about the C-Pond Waterfall in Gordon Town, St. Andrew for the first time last year, it went on my local bucket list. Now that I’ve finally visited, today I can tell you all about it!
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Where is the C-Pond Waterfall?
C-Pond Waterfall is located in the Sugar Loaf district of Gordon Town, St. Andrew. Gordon Town contains an important part of Jamaica’s history, serving as a transit point for Blue Mountain coffee which was first planted in 1728. However, the town wasn’t formally established until 1811 on lands bought by Dr. John Gordon, for whom the town is named. The land was previously used as a botanical garden. The Alberga Bridge, an old stone bridge which crosses the junction of the Hope and Mammee Rivers, and St. Joseph the Grove Anglican Church, bear testament to Gordon Town’s rich history.
After years of visiting the nearby Penfield Falls in Gordon Town, I had no idea that more waterfalls were hidden close by. Park by the tiny Penfield square and take the right trail; the trail which slopes upward on the left carries you to the more popular Penfield Falls. Overall walk time from Penfield to C-Pond Waterfall took about 30 minutes. The trail to C-Pond is mostly uphill until you stop seeing houses and pass an old stone wall with a pipe (easy to spot if you’re paying attention). After this, it’s a steep trail down to the falls. Well-thinking residents left behind two makeshift wooden ladders to help one get up and down easily. The only other amenities we found at C-Pond were a makeshift changing room and cooking facilities.
Getting to C-Pond Falls may sound simple enough, but it wasn’t a walk for the faint-hearted. That’s because the trail gets very narrow in parts and is comprised of mostly loose rock– my best guess is shale, a kind of sedimentary rock found in Jamaica’s river valleys, besides limestone. This makes it difficult to get a steady footing, so proceed to C-Pond Waterfall with caution. We hiked without a guide, calling out to two residents along the way for confirmation that we were still on the right track. However, if you’d prefer a guided visit to C-Pond Falls, check out Sugar Loaf Hikes on Instagram. Their tours include an introduction to Jamaica’s medicinal herbs, as well as riverside cooking and dining too!
Exploring C-Pond Waterfall
I made it! It looked as if no one had been there in a while because C-Pond is actually a twin waterfall but the lower falls had a lot of fallen tree debris. The pool gets deep closer to the waterfall, so tread with caution. C-Pond has the coldest water temperature I can remember swimming in for a long, long time; nature’s own ice bucket challenge. Nonetheless, we stayed inside for as long as we could, enjoying the beauty of the surroundings. I love discovering these wild gems hidden not even an hour from Jamaica’s capital city. That’s one of the reasons why I still call Kingston home.
Wrap Up
This adventure felt shorter than any of us had expected, so we made the spontaneous decision to hike to another waterfall in the vicinity that same day. Stay tuned for part two of the adventure next week. Did you enjoy learning about C-Pond Falls? Have you visited before, or would you like to visit? Sound off in the comments section below!
If you enjoyed this post, you would also like:
- Pretty Close in Gordon Town
- Penfield Falls in Gordon Town
- Guide to the Jamaica’s Blue Mountains
- 6 Rivers You Can Visit in Kingston & St. Andrew
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