Reach Falls in Portland is a great example of some of the breathtaking natural beauties that Jamaica has to offer. It’s a must visit while in Jamaica and is by far one of the most beautiful places we have ever visited, and because we don’t have the words to describe it, here are some pictures that will do the talking for us.
Reach Falls is an hour ride from Port Antonio’s city center. However, before you get to the falls you will reach a fork where you will be asked by a local whether you’d like to go to the government owned part of the Reach Falls or the locally owned part of the falls.
See, I know your initial thought would be to go with what you think is the “safer and better” option, i.e. the government owned part but you couldn’t be more wrong!
The local tour to the Reach Falls is worth it for several reason:
- You support the locals. The money goes straight to the locals and not the government who won’t give a dime to the locals.
- You get to interact with locals and get a real, authentic experience of the falls. When in Jamaica, do as the Jamaicans do. (Or something like that :D)
- The locally owned part of the Reach Falls is way less crowded with tourists than the he government owned part.
- It can be cheaper than the general admissions fee ($10USD) depending on your negotiation skills. Ben and I chose to go with a local guide and though he initially asked for US$10 per person, he was open to negotiate with us for a lesser price. In the end we decided on $7 bucks each. However, after the tour we felt like $7 wasn’t enough as he did such a great job guiding us and taking pictures, we gave him his $10 after all.
So support the locals and go with a local guide to the Reach Falls. #SupportTheLocals #TravelLikeTheLocals
General Information:
General admission: $10 USD and comes with a free guide (Government entrance). At the local entrance the fee for the guide can be negotiated, though they ask for the suggested fee of US$10 per person.
Please note: If you choose to do the local tour know that you will not have access to the government owned side of the falls where the tallest waterfall is located but no worries you still get to see it :)
Getting there: It’s about an hour drive from Port Antonio to the Reach Falls and the cheapest way to get there is by route taxis. From the Texaco gas station at the city center in Porty, you take a route taxi to the Reach Junction (J$230) and from there grab another taxi to the entrance (J$100) for a total price of J$330 (~$3USD).
What to bring: Swim wear, water shoes for people that have soft delicate feet, mosquito repellent, camera and sunscreen.
Have you ever seen such natural beauty in real life? Any favorite spots? Share with us in the comments below.
Beautiful.
Yes it is!
It’s a beautiful place and I don’t see many tourists in your pictures. This even makes the place more valuable. This maybe one of the last eden !
You are right when we went there was absolutely nobody else around. We had the whole place to ourselves. It was magical ;D
This looks amazing. Thanks for sharing. Just learned I’ll be heading out there in 2017 for a friends wedding. Already starting to plan what all we will do :)
You are welcome Megan. I am sure you will enjoy Jamaica very much.
This place looks amazing. Absolutely beautiful.
It really is amazing. Those pictures barely give justice to how beautiful Reach Falls really is!
Heading to Jamaica for a year! Thanks for the great tip about government versus local tour, cheers!
Hey Emily, no problem and safe travels! I must say I am a little jealous, wish I had a year to discover more of Jamaica’s beauty. Make sure to keep us updated on your adventure, we would love to learn more about JA!
Love, Jazzy
Looks awesome. I will be in Port Antonio this month and plan to go. I was just interested in how you get back to the port after the falls hike. Are the taxis available at Reach Junction or wherever you finish your hike to Reach Falls? I would hate to get stranded.
Hey Jeff, you won’t get stranded since Reach Falls is a popular tourist attraction. When you finish the falls route taxis will be waiting to drop you back at the junction and from the junction you cross to the opposite side of the street and catch a route taxi (usually vans and not cars) heading back to porty. The route taxis run frequently especially since they are coming from another town (Morant Bay) and heading to Porty.
P.s. if you choose to do the Local part of Reach Falls with a local guide, he will call the route taxi to come pick you guys up, so either way you wont get stranded!
Safe travels,
Jazzy
You are so awesome to help like this… thanks! We will be doing this on a Sunday so how does that affect the Taxi availability? And will the taxi drop us off (and pick back up) somewhere on the way (eg. Frenchmans Cove)?
No need to worry. Route taxis also run on Sunday’s :D And the taxis will drop you off anywhere along their dedicated route.
The Reach Falls really are a gem. It’s currently our most favorite waterfall-experience in Jamaica. Ask for Lennart or Randy , they are local giudes.
Who can’t make it to the east, should try to do the Mayfield Falls in the west of Jamaica. We liked them too very much.