Costambar · Puerto Plata
The 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua
Forty minutes from Costambar, and the best day out on this coast. You climb a river, then come back down it by jumping.
What it is
A river that comes down a limestone gorge in a series of falls and pools — charcos — near Imbert, about forty minutes from Costambar. You walk and climb up alongside the water, and then you come back down through it, jumping and sliding from one pool to the next. It is the thing everyone who visits us talks about afterwards.
Seven, twelve or twenty seven
There are three routes and you choose at the entrance:
- Seven falls — the short one, a couple of hours, and what most people do. Plenty.
- Twelve falls — the middle.
- All twenty seven — a serious half day with a lot more climbing. Go in the morning and do not plan anything for the afternoon.
A guide is not optional
Everyone goes with a certified guide, in a helmet and a life jacket, both handed to you at the entrance. You cannot turn up and do it on your own, and that is a good rule — the jumps look easy from above and the safe entry point is not always the obvious one.
What to bring
- Shoes you can swim in and do not mind wrecking. Not flip flops.
- A swimsuit, worn under your clothes, and a dry set for afterwards.
- Cash for the entrance, the guide and the tip.
- A strap for your phone or, better, leave it in the locker. Plenty of phones have gone into those pools.
Getting there from Costambar
A taxi or a rental car, forty minutes. Tour operators will collect you, which costs more but takes the arranging out of it. If you are staying with us we will tell you who is running trips that week — it changes. See the Costambar page for the other days out on this coast.