12 Stunning Waterfalls in Dominica

Looking for the best waterfalls in Dominica? Let me help you! I spent a month living in Dominica as a digital nomad, and one of my favorite things to do after work was explore the many Dominica waterfalls.

If you love spending your days chasing waterfalls, then you’ll love traveling in Dominica. Known as the nature isle of the Caribbean, Dominica is home to over 365 rivers and dozens of waterfalls scattered throughout the island.

There are waterfalls hikes in Dominica for all levels, whether you’re looking for something quick to access or a challenging trek. These are my 12 favorite waterfalls in Dominica!

Best waterfalls in Dominica

1. Trafalgar Falls Dominica

Trafalgar Falls is a twin waterfall in Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the easier waterfalls to reach in Dominica, just a 20-minute drive from the capital city, Roseau.

Trafalgar Falls is easy to access as there is a series of stairs from the parking up to the base of the waterfall.

It’s just a short 10-minute walk through the path, which is surrounded by beautiful flora and fauna. At the end, there’s a wooden gazebo where you can get a gorgeous panoramic view of both Papa Falls (85m) and Mama Falls (40m).

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can actually hike up to the taller waterfall on the left. It’s not an actual path – you’ll need to boulder up the large rocks!

It took us a while to figure out a route, but eventually, we made our way up to the base of Papa Falls and to our surprise, found hot springs just below them! Swimming here was so magical, and the views overlooking the valley are breathtaking.

@explorewithlora

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♬ Aesthetic Girl – Yusei

2. Syndicate Falls

Located in the northern part of Dominica, the Syndicate area is an excellent place for hiking and spotting the Sisserou Parrot (the national bird of Dominica). The road up here is very bumpy, so you’ll definitely want a 4×4 vehicle if you’re renting a car.

The Syndicate Falls trail is a 25-minute hike through the lush rainforest. It involves crossing a few rivers but isn’t overly challenging.

We had a guide with us as we visited during one of our safe-in-nature tours while in quarantine, but I would have been comfortable doing this hike on my own.

At the end of the trail, you’ll reach the magnificent 100-foot waterfall. You can go swimming underneath, but it’s frigid.

If you drive further up the same road, there’s also the Syndicate nature trail. This is an easy one-hour hiking trail that offers gorgeous views of the rainforest and various flora and fauna in Dominica. The two hikes combined make for a wonderful morning or afternoon adventure!

You don’t have the power to make rainbows or waterfalls, sunsets or roses, but you do have the power to bless people by your words and smiles. You carry within you the power to make the world better.

– Sharon G. Larsen (find more waterfall quotes here).

3. Sari Sari Falls

Sari-Sari Falls is one of Dominica’s most beautiful waterfalls and one of the most challenging to reach! It’s a 90-minute hike that crosses the Sari-Sari River several times. To get there, you’ll have to wade through and river and climb over large rocks, so expect to get wet!

The falls are incredible to see at the end. We weren’t able to swim there as it had been raining a lot and the current was powerful, so we just admired them from the ground.

We were recommended to get a guide for this hike but didn’t listen and ended up getting lost in the jungle as we ran out of daylight and couldn’t find our way out.

Based on my experience, I do recommend getting a guide. Or, at the very least, ensure you have enough daylight and hiking supplies in case this happens to you!

4. Victoria Falls Dominica

Victoria Falls is one of the most unique waterfalls in Dominica on the east coast of the island. It’s different from all the other falls because the river that runs through, known as the Riviére Blanche, is this gorgeous, milky blue color that comes from the mountains near Boiling Lake.

The hike weaves in and out of the jungle, crossing the river several times. The water is deep in a lot of places, so you will get absolutely soaked. I don’t recommend taking anything you aren’t comfortable getting wet. I took my camera and had the bag above my head in several places to avoid it from getting wet. 

It took us about an hour to get to Victoria Falls, where you’ll get a gorgeous view of the 200-foot (61m) waterfall that drops down to a large milky-white pool. We did swim under it briefly, but the falls are very powerful!

A guide is highly recommended for this trail. We went with friends who had hiked it before, so we didn’t get one as they knew the way.

But we ran into trouble when a man told us we couldn’t cross his property without a guide. His wife was bathing in the river nearby and started yelling at him when she realized what was happening. He then changed his tune and happily let us go by. Sometimes you need a woman to put you in your place!

5. Emerald Pool Falls Dominica

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Emerald Pool is one of the most popular waterfalls in Dominica. It’s in the center of the island, near Jacko Falls and Spanny Falls, so the 3 combined make a great day trip.

There’s also a great French restaurant near them called Zeb Zepis Bistro, but it’s only open from 12-3, so plan accordingly!

Emerald Pool trail is well-marked and easily accessible via a 15-minute path. Once you reach the falls, you’ll see a gorgeous grotto called Emerald Pool, named so because of the green hue due to the tree-filtered sunlight.

6. Spanny Falls Dominica

Spanny Falls is another easy-to-access waterfall near Emerald Pool.

It’s on private property, so you need to pay an admission fee of 10 ECD at the local store there (it’s marked with a sign). Once you pay, it’s a 10-minute hike down to the small waterfall, which you can swim underneath. Similar to Emerald Pool, it has a beautiful turquoise color. 

7. Jacko Falls Dominica

Jacko Falls is another easily accessible waterfall near Spanny Falls. It’s just a two-minute walk down a well-maintained stair set to the small waterfall and pool, which you can swim in. There’s a flat rock sticking out in the water here, so this one makes a fun place to take photos!

Jacko Falls is on private property, so you will need to pay a few dollars to get in.

8. Middleham Falls Dominica

Despite having done this hike in the rain, Middleham Falls was one of my favorite waterfalls in Dominica.

It’s an intermediate hike that will bring you right into the heart of Morne Trois Piton National Park. It took us about an hour and 15 minutes to get to the falls, although we were slow due to the terrain being so slippery.

It’s a 600-foot climb to reach the falls, and much easier coming back the other way. 

I couldn’t believe it when we reached the 200-foot waterfall in the middle of the jungle. With no one else around, it felt like I was Indiana Jones discovering it for the first time! There’s a variety of trees and plants around that make this trail very scenic.

If the water levels are low enough, you can swim underneath Middleham Falls. Unfortunately for us, that wasn’t the case!

Many people get a guide for this hike, but we did it on our own. The trail is pretty obvious except for the very end of the path, when you will have to climb over some rocks.

9. Wavine Cyrinque Falls

I really wanted to visit Wavine Cyrinque Falls, but locals advised me that it wasn’t safe to do at the time due to erosion on the path.

From what I understand, you have to climb down a steep cliff via rope to a beach on the east coast of the island. There, you’ll find the waterfall which overlooks the ocean!

Hopefully, they will repair the trail so tourists can come here in the future. Please check with local tour guides before attempting this hike.

10. Salton Waterfalls

Salton Waterfalls are a privately owned waterfall in the middle of the island, near Emerald Pool.

There’s no sign marking the entrance to this waterfall. We just followed Google Maps, which brought us to a teal-colored house. A woman was sitting outside, so we talked to her, and as it turns out, she owns the property the waterfall is on. We paid her 26 ECD (9 USD) for two people, and she gave us directions.

You can either walk or drive the road to the waterfall to a certain point, but you’ll definitely want a 4×4 as this road is full of rocks. Eventually, the road got too bad to drive on, so we parked the car and walked another 10 minutes down to the waterfall.

There’s a wooden viewing platform, and you can also swim here, although the current is powerful!

11. Titou Gorge

Titou Gorge is one of the most incredible natural attractions in Dominica. It’s in Morne Trois Pitons National Park, across from the entrance to the boiling lake trek.

To explore Titou Gorge, you can join a canyoning tour or swim through the canyon (life jackets are required, which you can rent there). Swimming through the canyon is a magical experience, as the canyon walls are mesmerizing. At the end, there is a waterfall that you can get near!

12. Cathedral Falls Dominica

Cathedral Falls is not a well-known waterfall, but one worth visiting! You can get to it via a canyoning tour or a 15-minute hike.

It’s quite an adventure that involves climbing through the rainforest, over rocks, and down into the canyon. As the trail is not marked, you need to go with a guide. I recommend using Chadi, who you can reach on Instagram.

Once you arrive, there’s a gorgeous turquoise pool of water to go swimming in, with a small waterfall flowing into it. It’s such a tranquil spot!

FAQ: Waterfalls Dominica

Final thoughts: Dominica waterfalls

Chasing waterfalls is one of the best things to do in Dominica, so be sure to check out some of these incredible waterfalls while visiting.

From the twin cascades of Trafalgar Falls to the enchanting Middleham Falls and the hidden gems like Victoria Falls and Sari-Sari Falls, each waterfall in Dominica offers a unique experience.

As you immerse yourself in the island’s lush rainforests and pristine landscapes, let the soothing sounds and breathtaking sights of these cascading wonders rejuvenate your connection with nature.

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