Dunn's River Falls is a famous waterfall near Ocho Rios, Jamaica.[1][2]
| Dunn's River Falls | |
|---|---|
 Tourists climb the falls, holding hands and following the directions of guides for safety. Guides are wearing blue shirts. | |
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| Location | Ocho Rios, St Ann, Jamaica |
| Coordinates | 18°24′57″N 77°08′17″W / 18.4158°N 77.1381°W |
| Type | Multi-step cascade |
| Total height | 180 feet (55 m) |
| Watercourse | Dunn's River |
Appearance
editAt about 180 feet (55 m) high and 600 feet (180 m) long,[3] the waterfalls are naturally terraced like giant natural stairs. Several small lagoons are interspersed among the vertical sections of the falls.[4]
The falls empty into the Caribbean Sea at the western end of a white-sand beach.[5]
Tourism
editClimbing the waterfalls is a popular tourist activity[6] and is often, but not exclusively, performed with the help of tour guides from the park. It takes about 1-1.5 hours to climb with short breaks for photographs and video recordings taken by the guides. There are also stairs alongside of the falls for those who do not want to get wet or are unable to manage the rocky, uneven terrain of the actual waterfall.
The falls are bordered by lush, green vegetation that shades the area from the sun and keeps the area, and climbers, cool. The climb can be relatively hard so is often undertaken as a hand-holding human chain led by a guide to make it easier.
In addition to the falls, a park has developed where there is an area for zip-lining, a kids splash pad, and a merchandise area.[7]
In 1988 the falls were used as a filming location during the Hollywood movie Cocktail.
History
edit
The falls were the location where the Battle of Las Chorreras took place in 1657, when the British defeated a Spanish expeditionary force from Cuba.[8] A plaque placed at the bottom of the falls by the Jamaican Historical Society commemorates the event (see photo).
Geology
editDunn's River, a short stream dropping only 55 metres (180 ft) from its source to the sea, is fed by spring water rich with calcium carbonate and deposits travertine forming a sequence of tufa terraces.[9] Such waterfalls are described by geologists as "a living phenomenon" because they are continuously rebuilt by the sediments in spring water.[3]
Dunn's River Falls is one of the very few travertine waterfalls in the world that empties directly into the sea.[3]
Awards
editDunn's River Falls won the Caribbean's Leading Adventure Tourist Attraction in 2023, 2021, and 2020.[10] The Dunn’s River Falls Zip Line (Ocho Rios) also won Best Caribbean Attraction from the Porthole Cruise Magazine's 2020 Editor-in-Chief Awards.[11]
References
edit
- ^ Wayfaring Travel Guide Archived 2009-07-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Dunn's River Falls Jamaica". dunnsriverja.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-03.
- ^ a b c Geocaching. "Geocaching > Hide and Seek a Geocache > Premium Member Only Cache". geocaching.com.
- ^ "Climb the Falls". The World Famous Dunns River Falls. 2019-09-01. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
- ^ "Dunns River Falls In Jamaica". Know Jamaica Tours. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
- ^ "Jamaica-Tour - Dunns River Falls Tour". jamaica-tour.com.
- ^ "Things to Do". The World Famous Dunns River Falls. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
- ^ Long, Edward (1774). Volume 1 of The History of Jamaica. T. Lowndes. p. 274.
- ^ "Dunn's River Falls". Wondermondo. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
- ^ "Dunn's River Falls & Park". World Travel Awards. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
- ^ Magazine, Porthole Cruise and Travel (2020-01-01). "Editor-in-Chief Awards 2020 | Porthole Cruise Magazine". Porthole Cruise and Travel. Retrieved 2023-12-26.