Recently reconstructed by the Tourism Authority, the entrance to Dark View Falls looks promising – a nice parking lot, gazebos, bathrooms ... mmm, something we Vincentians could get used to!

Along with my gang of fellow explorers we walk across the bamboo bridge over the river, up a small hill, then down some steps to reach the first fall. Eric, my friend Roy’s son, is the first to jump straight into the water – then out again! It’s cooold. I manage to stand underneath it for a little longer, feeling the biting cold water rush over my entire body until I can feel the chill in my bones. 

The journey to the second fall is accessible by some steep steps up the mountain. On arrival we see a rainbow has formed precisely across the cascading waters. Below, on the opposite side, there’s a large flat rock, perfect for relaxing or sunbathing, but I won’t be doing either. There’s another less well-known fall I haven’t seen yet, but as I look around, all I can see is mountain and foliage – no paths, no steps. I stand puzzled for a while, wondering which direction we should be heading in, when I see Roy suddenly start up the mountain grabbing onto the shrub roots and vines, which he uses to prise himself up. He’s found the way to the final fall.  We’re in!

At the prospect of discovering a new waterfall a new person emerges from within me – one fired up with passion and focused determination.  I clamber up the bank, grabbing every tree root and vine available, pulling my way up the steep incline. I can feel my shoulders and back being scratched by the trees and plants I’ve been battling through, but I’m so intoxicated with enthusiasm that before long I reach the top.  We can hear the water of a new fall not too far away.

This fall is different from the others. It’s higher, with less water, which seems to fall so peacefully it creates little disturbance in the clear, sea-green river below.  We’re surrounded by a mountain with its precipice reaching towards the sky, over 80ft high, lined with green, heart shaped leaves shimmering in the sunlight.

Underneath that fall, where a billion tiny droplets of water fall on my back, all my burdens were washed away, my cares and anxieties dissolved. I was totally free. 

It was an incredible experience – and one we were about to repeat sooner than anticipated… back in the car park we realise we have left the car keys at the third waterfall!

It’s catching on!
Fancy exploring a waterfall for yourself? There are plenty of beautiful ones to choose from…

• Kaieteur Falls Guyana
Kaieteur Falls, located on the Potaro River in the centre of Guyana, plunge down 226m, making them the largest single drop waterfall in the world.

• Concorde Falls Grenada
45 minute’s drive from Grenada’s capital, St Georges, this waterfall is located in the mountains and surrounded by tropical growth.

• Middleham Falls, Dominica
Not for the faint-hearted, it’s a 40-minute hike – much of it uphill – to the impressive Middleham Falls.

• Diamond Waterfall St Lucia
Diamond waterfall is seven metres in height and fed by the Sulphur Springs from which the town of Soufriere got its name. The water is rich in minerals, all of which contribute to the multitude of colours of the rock face behind the falls.

• Maracas Waterfall Trinidad
A refreshing and tranquil atmosphere surrounds this waterfall which is a whopping 91.5m high, making it the highest in Trinidad and Tobago.

• Craig Hall Waterfall Tobago
This is a two-tiered waterfall. The first tier falls into a large bathing pool; the water then spills over the side of the pool and cascades down the solid rock face into the river below.