Dunn’s River Falls is a 600 foot fresh water fall that cascades down the mountain side spilling into the ocean. We were on an excursion from the cruise ship which included our entrance to Dolphin Cove so I’m not sure what the cost for the Falls alone would be. In the parking lot as we got off the bus we received a bracelet from our tour company and were told if we didn’t have a bottle of water we should get one now because it would be needed. There were a couple of people standing around holding out bottled water and trying to give 2 bottles to each person. After everyone who was going to take it had their water they announced that it was $5 for the 2 bottles. After paying up our group was rushed across the parking lot and through the entrance gate where we were told everyone must have water shoes for the climb. The shoes rented for $5 or they could be purchased from several booths set up along the walkway. Then we were off to rent lockers to store our belongings since you were only allowed to take a waterproof camera with you and nothing else, not even the bottled water they just insisted you really needed. The locker rental fee was $8 but you got $3 back when you returned the lock. Lockers were located just below the rental office and were large enough to hold quit a bit, we put in 2 full beach bags, towels and clothes and still had a lot of room left. The path lead from there to the bottom of the hill where we meet our guide, Raphael. He took us on to the beach at the bottom of the falls and lined us up. He double checked with everyone that any cameras they had with them were waterproof, then offered to carry the ones that weren’t. About that time Curtis showed up and told us he would be video taping our groups climb. He had everyone in line talking and the couples kissing. He generated a lot of energy and excitement in the group throughout our trip. Raphael instructed us to hold hands and form a chain for the climb up, this lasted about 2 seconds. It was around 9 am so when we first stepped into the water it was pretty chilly. We stopped where the water pooled at the bottom of the falls and they wanted everyone to sit down under the flowing water for a picture. This was probably a good idea as the water didn’t seem near as cold afterwards. Our climb was one of the highlights of our whole trip. It was so much fun and everyone in our group was laughing and cutting up as well as helping others up the rocks. We stopped several times at pools formed along the fall for pictures. The guides gladly snapped shots of us with our cameras, and at one spot their photographer took photos which were for sale after the climb for $8, I believe. The terrain wasn’t too bad, there were people of all ages and sizes in our group and no one had any real problems getting up. However my daughter, who did not join in the climb, has a slight handicap and while I think she would have been o.k. for most of it there were a couple places that would have been difficult for her to navigate. It took about an hour to reach the top where we would exit the water. They kept us moving along but we weren’t rushed and it seemed like we stopped frequently. Curtis left us at some point during the trip and was waiting for us at the top to direct us where to purchase the video he made. The cost was $40 for one or $60 for 2 DVDs. After retrieving our bags and turning in the lock for our $3 refund we headed to pick up our video. It was located in the market place at the exit to the parking lot. We had read a lot about how pushy the people were about selling their wares, so my plan was to try and rush through. We were approached by 5 or 6 different people who were pretty persistent but I didn’t think anyone was rude and the whole experience was not nearly as traumatic as reviews on the internet lead to believe. We did meet one sly sales lady, we thought she was kindly showing us where to pickup our video, as we came out from getting it there was an exit gate just a few feet away. She, however, insisted that would not take us to the parking lot and we should follow her for the best way out. Just so happens her route lead by a booth where she was selling souvenirs. The prices on some things seemed reasonable others seemed high but I believe they were expecting us to barter with them.
Dunn’s River Falls was absolutely gorgeous and it was a fabulous experience. It was well worth the cost and I would love to back.
From journal First Carnival Cruise 2009