5 Best Waterfalls in Dominica

Dominica is considered the Nature capital of the Caribbean and is one of my favorite places I’ve ever visited for adventure travel. It’s one of the first few Caribbean islands I’ve been to and I also have some family members living here as well.

Pro Tip: Before you start chasing waterfalls, buy a Site Pass. You can pay $5.00 per site, but a **$12.00 Week Pass** covers almost all the falls on this list plus the Boiling Lake trail. You can buy these at the Forestry Office in Roseau or the entrance to Trafalgar Falls.

With lush green rain forests, towering cliffs, some of the best waterfalls in the Caribbean and over 365 pristine rivers, Dominica has no shortage of adventure, nature and things to do. If you love doing things outdoors, nature, relaxation, or a family fun time, these are my recommended 5 best waterfalls in Dominica.

Thinking about driving in Dominica? here’s a guide on renting a car in Dominica. And look here for my guide on where to stay in Dominica.

Trafalgar Falls: The iconic twin peaks

Located at the end of Paillotte road lies the entrance to Trafalgar falls. This is one of the most visited tourist attraction in Dominica. This waterfall is very accessible for any hiker and adventure seeker. There are two sides of the waterfall; the upper fall called the father and the lower one called the mother.

The park here includes parking and bathrooms. There are locals here offering tour guides to the falls. But, I don’t recommend using any of the guides as it’s not necessary due to how easy and accessible it is.

The cost to visit Trafalgar falls is $5.00 USD per person. I recommend planning to visit these falls early in the morning to avoid crowds of tourists and also the blazing sun. Walk with lots of water and maybe a camera or phone to take cool pictures. I recommend packing water clothes, a hat and hiking shoes for the trek and when you want to take a refreshing dip in the cold natural pool.

How to Get to Trafalgar Falls

You can reach these well-known twin waterfalls via the Visitor’s Center. Located about 20 minutes from Roseau, just head toward the village of Trafalgar and stay on the main road until it ends. You’ll arrive at a large parking area with vendor stalls and the visitor center.

Middleham Falls: Tallest waterfall in Dominica

Middleham falls is located within the Morne Trois Pitons National park. To reach Middleham falls, you’ll need to hike through some rainforest for about an hour. The starting point for Middleham falls is located near Laudat village. You can drive here from the capital Roseau in about 20 minutes. Just like all hikes in Dominica, you will have to pay an entrance fee at the Forestry, Wildlife, and National Parks Division office in Laudat. This fee helps support the maintenance and conservation of the national park.

This trail is well marked and easy to follow, we didn’t use a hiking guide and it was fine. The trail is steep and often wet and slippery, so use shoes with ample grip. The distance of the hike to Middleham falls is about 1.5 miles (4.8km) round trip. I recommend not rushing through the actual hike to get to the falls. It’s best to treat the entire journey, including the hike as part of the overall experience, not just the waterfall. Along the hike you’ll see scenic views of the surrounding rainforest, lush vegetation, and occasional glimpses of wildlife.

When you arrive at Middleham Falls, after hiking for so long, I just wanted to get into the water, no mater how cold it was. The towering 200 foot waterfall is an amazing sight for all travelers alike. I also advise bringing lot’s of water on this trip and packing light. The smaller your backpack the easier the hike will be.

How to Get to Middleham Falls

This towering waterfall is accessed by a scenic one hour hike through dense rainforest. You can reach it via trails from either Laudat or Cochrane, with the Laudat route being more accessible by car. The trail starts with a steep uphill section but soon levels out into an easier walk through dense jungle. Near the end, you’ll need to scramble over some rocks to reach the base if you want to actually swim in the pool.

Emerald Pool: A Jungle oasis

To reach Emerald Pool, you’ll need to drive to Pont Casse in the Roseau Valley, Dominica. I’ll always recommend renting a car and driving for yourself. It’s easy to do, it gives you loads of freedom and the ability to manage your time better. You’ll need to pay the entrance fee of about $5.00. If you pay in US dollars you’ll receive change in EC currency.

You’ll have to hike your way to the Emerald pool waterfall, through the rainforest for about 15 minutes. The trail is very easy but, there are some steep inclines and bumps here and there. The round trip is about 1.2 miles in distance.

When you finally arrive at Emerald Pool, this amazing pool is emerald colored that is fed by a cascading waterfall and surrounded by lush rainforest. You can Take a refreshing dip in the cool waters of the pool, relax on the nearby rocks, or simply admire the beauty of the waterfall from a distance.

Just like every hike I go on, I recommend taking plenty water, sunscreen, good hiking shoes, extra clothes to replace your wet ones and take lot’s of pictures. Enjoy!

Jacko Falls

To arrive at Jacko falls, you can drive from the capital Roseau east, up through Imperial road for about 30 minutes. You’ll meet a roundabout where you can go left (to Salton waterfall), straight to Jacko falls or right, to…I have no idea. Head straight for about 5 more minutes until you get to the trailhead, there should be a clear sign saying Jacko falls.

You must pay an entrance fee to enter the area of about 10ec per person. There is a little vendor/bar selling snacks and drinks at the entrance as well. The hike down to Jacko falls is easy and short. It can take about 15 minutes. There is a concrete staircase with about 80 steps, with railings to hold onto. This eventually leads down to the waterfall. These falls are not one of the popular and well known ones but extremely rewarding and easy to get to.

Salton Falls

To get to Salton falls, we drove to Roseau, the capital then North east up through Imperial road. From there you’ll see a roundabout and 3 exits. Take the first exit on your left, which leads to Salton Falls. Drive for about 5 minutes to a house with a sign saying “Entrance to Salton Falls”. Salton waterfall is on private property and we had to pay an entrance fee of 10ec per person. We parked in the home’s front yard easily. There were only one other couple there also visiting the waterfall.

How to get to Salton Falls

From the trailhead to the actual waterfall is about a 15 minute hike. The terrain can be slippery and sloped downwards kind of steep, so be careful. On this hike there are really two waterfalls. You’ll come upon a path leading up to the left and one leading down to the right. Make sure to visit both of them to maximize the experience as they are just about 5 minutes apart.

The waterfall at the bottom was the larger and colder of the two. You can relax on the rocks and enjoy the scenic view or take a dip in the water if you like. The other waterfall on this hike was a softer stream above the other one. This means that the waterfall was falling slowly onto the rocks instead of crashing down into the pool that sits below. So, we were able to see lots of life in the pool. There were fish, crabs, Crayfish and taters. This was my favorite waterfall because of how easy it was to access, no crowds of people, two falls and I got to enjoy the critters.

If you’re really thinking about booking that Dominica trip, my Dominica travel guide can make that real easy.