Reach Falls vs Dunn's River: Which Jamaica Waterfall Wins

Reach Falls vs Dunn's River comes down to this: Dunn's River in Ocho Rios is the famous, crowded, climbable one, and Reach Falls in Portland is the quiet, green, swim-through-a-cave one. If you have one day near Ocho Rios, do Dunn's River early. If you have a car and a free day, Reach Falls is the better waterfall.

There are two waterfalls every Jamaica guide pushes. On paper they look similar: tiered falls, green pools, guides, water shoes. In person they are almost opposites. Dunn's River is the postcard, the one cruise ships bus people to in matching life jackets. Reach Falls is the local one, with a small car park, no chain of climbers and a river you wander up at your own pace. Both are run by the Urban Development Corporation, so the prices and hours below come straight from the operator.

Dunn's River Falls, tested

Dunn's River is a travertine waterfall a stone's throw from Ocho Rios in St. Ann that flows straight into the Caribbean Sea, one of very few rivers anywhere that do. The park gives its length as 183 metres, which is about 600 feet, of climbable terraces that keep growing as the river lays down limestone. You go up in a human chain behind a guide, stopping in the pools cut into the rock, and there is a dry path beside the falls for anyone who would rather watch. It is undeniably beautiful. It is also the single most crowded natural attraction on the island, and it has been famous since it appeared in Dr. No.

On a cruise-ship day the park opens at 7am and the coaches follow. The chain moves at the speed of the slowest person in it, and you can wait a long time just to start the climb. Go at opening on a day without ships and it is a different place: a fast, fun, wet 45 minutes of climbing with room to breathe.

• 01Hours: 8:30am to 4pm daily; 7am to 4pm on cruise-ship days, which the operator lists as Wednesday to Friday.
• 02Admission: US$25 per adult and US$17 per child for non-residents.
• 03Climbers must be at least 36 inches tall, and the park strongly recommends water shoes. Rent them there or bring your own.
• 04Extras add up: lockers, water shoe rental and the site photographers are all on top of entry.

Reach Falls, tested

Reach Falls is at Manchioneal in east Portland, where the Driver's River drops through the montane forest of the John Crow Mountains into an emerald pool. The operator puts it about 45 minutes east of Port Antonio, and the drive is half the appeal: banana farms, cliff-hugging corners, the river beside you. The falls are lower than Dunn's, but the setting is wilder and the water is a colour you will not get on the north coast.

The visit includes a guided walk and swim upstream along the Driver's River to the underwater cave, which is the thing people come for: you duck under a rock lip with the guide and surface inside. There is a natural heart-shaped pool the site calls its jacuzzi, more than 23 species of fern on the walls, and if you are lucky a wild pig crossing the road. Scenes from Cocktail were shot here. On a weekday morning you can have the main pool to yourself for a while.

• 01Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 8:30am to 4:30pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Open on public holidays except Good Friday and Christmas Day.
• 02Admission: US$10 per adult and US$5 per child aged 4 to 12 for non-residents. Parking and the picnic area are free.
• 03Bring swimwear, water shoes, a towel, a camera and cash for the guide's tip.

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Dunn's River is a show. Reach Falls is a place. One is something you do, the other is somewhere you go.

Getting there from Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril

This is where the comparison is decided for most people. Dunn's River is a short drive from any Ocho Rios hotel, about 98 km and an hour and forty minutes from Montego Bay, and around 173 km and three to four hours from Negril. Reach Falls is on the far side of the island: about 133 km and nearly three hours from Ocho Rios, roughly 234 km and four and a half hours from Montego Bay, and more than 300 km and over five hours from Negril. Those are map times, and Jamaican roads are slower than the map.

In practice, Reach Falls is a day trip from Port Antonio, or from Ocho Rios if you leave early and do not mind a long day. From Montego Bay or Negril it needs a night in Portland, which is a fine idea anyway. Dunn's River works from every north coast base and from Montego Bay, and it is the one you can fit around a flight.

The verdict, side by side

• 01Crowds: Reach Falls wins by a mile. Dunn's River is overwhelmed on cruise-ship days.
• 02Drive time: Dunn's River wins from every resort town. Reach Falls is a full day from Ocho Rios and needs an overnight from Montego Bay or Negril.
• 03Beauty: Reach Falls wins on scenery. Dunn's is longer and more dramatic to climb, but less pretty up close.
• 04Difficulty: Dunn's is the more strenuous, a real climb over wet rock in a chain. Reach is mostly wading and swimming, with one duck under a rock for the cave.
• 05Cost: Reach Falls entry is US$10 against US$25, before extras, but transport will cost more unless you are already in Portland.
• 06Hours: Dunn's River is open every day. Reach Falls is closed Monday and Tuesday, which catches people out.

The verdict: if you only have one day and you are staying on the Ocho Rios strip, do Dunn's River at opening on a day without ships and pair it with the Blue Hole in the afternoon. If you have any flexibility, and especially if you are anywhere near Port Antonio, go to Reach Falls. Make a full day of it with Frenchman's Cove beach and a jerk lunch in Boston Bay on the way back.

Tips for either waterfall

• 01Reef shoes or strapped sandals, never flip-flops. Both falls are wet limestone.
• 02Wear swimwear under your clothes and bring a dry change and two towels.
• 03A waterproof phone case or a dry bag. You need both hands on the Dunn's climb.
• 04Go early. At Dunn's that means opening time on a day without ships; at Reach it means arriving before the lunchtime tour vans.
• 05Heavy rain can close either falls. Have a second plan for the day.

Reach Falls is in Portland, which is outside the parishes we drive, so we will not pretend to run it; our Portland guide covers the east end properly. What MAPL Tours Jamaica does run is the other side of this comparison: the Dunn's River Falls climb with hotel pickup and a licensed falls guide, or Dunn's River and the Blue Hole in one day, five to six hours from an Ocho Rios hotel and $192 for up to three people, which runs the falls first to stay ahead of the ships. If you are landing at Montego Bay for an Ocho Rios stay, a private airport transfer is 90 to 120 minutes and one flat price per vehicle. Either way, bring reef shoes. No problem.