Climb Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios Jamaica
On our honeymoon, we had the opportunity to check out Dunn’s River Falls in on an excursion in Ocho Rios Jamaica! We stayed at the Sandals Ochi Beach Club Resort and loved every minute of it. In fact, we had planned on going back for our 5 year anniversary (which is May 23) but we are stuck in quarantine due to Covid-19. I thought I would write this post and reminisce about the amazing time we had instead of being sad about it. Please enjoy!
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Dunn’s River Falls was one of the BEST excursions in Ocho Rios we went on during our honeymoon stay. Sandals partner company, Island Routes was the facilitator of the tour- they were amazing! Known as one of Jamaica’s national treasures, Dunn’s River Falls has been a top tourist destination for many years. At the base of the falls, Dunn River flows into the Caribbean sea, making it one of the only Travertine waterfalls in the world!
A Brief History of Dunn’s River Falls
The Spanish called the Dunn’s River Falls, “Las Chorreras”, which translates to, “the waterfalls or the springs”. Over the years, the meaning has been reduced to, “Ocho Rios”, which means eight rivers. Ironically, there are only four rivers in the area, Dunn’s River is one of them.
Dunn’s River Falls is said to be the site of the battle “Las Chorreras”, which took place in 1657 between the Spanish and the English who were fighting over the island of Jamaica. The English were victorious in taking over the island and Charles Pryce became the first “owner” of the falls. The site later became part of the Belmont Property. Many years later, the property was turned over to the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), which now manages the falls and keeps it open to visitors.
Getting There
We traveled to Dunn’s River Falls, by the best way possible, via Catamaran! We booked a boat tour/falls climb through our resort and it worked out really well. You can also get to the falls by booking a land tour, taking the bus or a taxi. Make sure to check with your resort as many of them offer transportation and tours to the falls. Check out some tour ideas HERE! Travel times from other locations around Jamaica are below:
- Falmouth to Ocho Rios: 1 hour, 10 minutes’ drive
- Kingston to Ocho Rios: 1 hour, 15 minutes’ drive
- Montego Bay to Ocho Rios: 1 hour, 45 minutes’ drive
- Port Antonio to Ocho Rios: 2 hours’ drive
- Negril to Ocho Rios: 3 hours’ drive
Our Experience Climbing Dunn’s River Falls
Our catamaran left Sandals about mid-morning and took us for a cruise around the area before heading towards the falls. We also had an opportunity to get out and snorkel! When we got to Dunn’s River Falls, we disembarked the boat and were divided into small groups for the climb. Each group had a guide to show them the way and WOW did we need them. The falls are roughly 600 feet long and 150 high from the bottom all the way to the top! They also made the adventure really fun, always keeping the energy up and our group excited.
We started our journey with the standard safety explanation including the dos and don’ts of climbing. Then we got on our way to the falls. My first reaction to the falls was WOW was it gorgeous! The beautiful trees surrounded the crystal clear river water along with amazing river stones made the setting just perfect.
The Climb
We decided to participate in the Wet Climb- which meant we were actually hiking up the falls right in the water! We were pumped! The water was cold and the rocks were slippery but it didn’t matter- it was an adventure! Along our hike up the falls we encountered lots of little pools of water that could be explored or relaxed in. Also, some really fun little water slides!
The entire climb from top to bottom took us about 1.5 hours- wow were we tired! At the top there is a large pool with a waterfall and a photographer there waiting to capture the memories for you. We took the steps back down and got to enjoy the falls all over again- just a little less wet. 🙂
After the exhilarating climb, we boarded the catamaran once again and headed back towards our resort. We were treated to cocktails and munchies on the return trip. 🙂 The crew of the ship also put on a hell of a party! Lots of dancing and loud music- it was a blast! See some of those photos below- ha! It felt more like a drinking cruise on the way back! This was our favorite excursions in Ocho Rios, Jamaica!
Insider Tips
- Climbers should be physically fit enough to climb the falls. If you feel like you don’t want to climb in the actual water there is a staircase that runs right along side the falls for easy access/viewing-this would be the Dry Climb option. There are several access points along the dry climb where you can take a dip in the water- so refreshing. 🙂
- Children under 7, pregnant women, anyone who has a medical condition that could be aggravated by the climb (high blood pressure, heart issues, joint pain, etc…), or anyone under the influence of drugs/alcohol are not recommended to climb Dunn’s River Falls.
- Lockers are on-site for rent- Cost is $10 USD but you get $5 back when you get your items
- Try not to go when cruise ships are in port- it’s super busy!
- There is a restaurant, gift shop and bathrooms on-site
- The beach area by the water is lovely for swimming!
- For the kiddos: there is a splash pad and mini water park to enjoy
- Enjoy beautiful, lush gardens at the Central Garden
What to Pack for Dunn’s River Falls
- Water shoes or other easy to walk in shoes- I wore water-proof Teva Sandals and they worked perfectly. 🙂 Check them out HERE!
- Waterproof camera
- Extra Cash
- Change of Clothes (for changing after)
- Towel
- Sunscreen
- Bug Spray
- Bathing suit
- Cover-up or Romper (for the ladies)-I wore one and I was SOOO happy I did! There are lots of opportunities for the water to whisk away that cute bathing suit. Check out one of my favs- HERE!
Contact info and Location
Dunn’s River Falls & Park
Ocho Rios, Jamaica, W.I.
Tel: 876-974-2857/ 5944/ 4767
Fax: 876-974-5197
E-mail: dunnsriver@udcja.com
Hours of Operation and Admission Cost
Dunn’s River Falls Park is open daily, including holidays, rain or shine. (Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic the falls are currently closed)
Regular hours of operation: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cruise ship day hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost of Admission (Non-Resident)
Adult – $25 USD
Child – $17 USD (age 4-12)
A falls guide is included with cost of admission. You are NOT allowed to climb Dunn’s River Falls without a guide for good reason.
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Interested in more WanderMoore adventures? Check out some of my other posts below:
Ride a Donkey to the Acropolis of Lindos
Explore the Cliffs of Moher
Marietas Islands Excursion in Puerto Vallarta
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Book your own Ocho Rios tour:
Dunn’s River Falls and Ocho Rios Shopping Tour
River Rafting and Dunn’s River Falls Tour from Ocho Rios
Dunn’s River Climb and Zipline Over the Falls
Private Tour from Ocho Rios to Dunn’s River Falls
About the Author
Hi my name is Sara and I am the creator of WanderMoore! 🙂 I started WanderMoore in early 2020 after leaving a full-time job in the Communications/Marketing field to stay home and raise my kiddos, Mila and Liam. I wanted something fun to work on in my free time and WanderMoore has become one of my biggest passions! Thank you for reading my post! I can't wait to share more of my travel adventures with you 🙂
Awesome article lots of great information. Thank
The wet climb sounds so fun! I bet it added that little bit more excitement to an already thrilling hike.
Oh wow! Climbing in those falls looks like so much fun and quite beautiful! I’ve never been to Jamaica but I’m ready to go!
The wet climb sounds scary, but amaaazing! Was the water freezing, or just a bit cooling? I guess even if it was cold I’d want to give it a go.
I’ve heard a lot about Ocho Rios, but I never knew any of the background info on it! My favorite part of travel is learning little bits of history on popular itinerary items! I’m a pretty quiet person, so in general I don’t like guides, but it’s nice that they’re included with the ticket price! Takes the stress out of trying to find one yourself!
Those water slides sound like fun! I don’t know about that wet climb though, I am so accident prone, I can totally see myself slipping on the rocks and knocking myself out somehow! The falls look absolutely gorgeous, what a great honeymoon activity!
So glad to see these falls are open for a wet climb! We did that when we went 30 years ago, and it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Then I’d heard they closed the wet part and only allowed people to climb the stairs. It’s a great excursion! Makes me so happy it’s open.
Dunn’s River Falls looks amazing and right up my alley – I’m all for adventure activities. I’d love to do this with my kids one day when they’re a bit older.
What a great place, I have never heard of it before.
Dunn’s River is so much fun! I did it as a kid and again as an adult – both completely different experiences haha! Such a unique experience that I recommend to a lot of people. Even better you had a catamaran to get there and back!