Caribbean, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Chasing Waterfalls in St. Vincent

I have been spending my days chasing waterfalls, in search of the tallest, most beautiful one. Ideally one that is hiding a secret cave for me to explore.

After a turn in the wrong direction and a hike up the side of a mountain, we finally made it to the main road just north of Chateaubelair. We said hello to the goats, donkeys and cows that we passed by until we reached the sign.

The fact that there is a very obvious sign to Dark View Falls is a blessing. In my experience in the Caribbean even notable tourist attractions are completely unmarked, making directionally-challenged people like myself walk and/or drive around in circles and missing it completely in the end anyways.

After scaling a mountainside in the relentless Vincentian heat the prospect of cool, fresh water was a beautiful invitation. With a small fee of $5 EC, we crossed over the bamboo bridge and raced towards the base of the falls. We wasted no time in stripping down and dunking ourselves into the pool.

Well-maintained, Dark View Falls cascades down the rock face into a pool of water no more than 5 ft. deep and then further into another little pool. With wooden gazebos in the vicinity, washrooms and a snack bar, this makes for a perfect way to spend an afternoon. We brought along with us an assortment of local fruits — mangoes, wax apples, and guava — to snack on after the cool temperatures of the water became too much and we had to find warmth in the sunshine.