Dunn's River Falls

Dunn's River Falls
Tourists climb the falls, holding hands and following the directions of guides for safety. Guides are wearing blue shirts.
Location	Ocho Rios, St Ann, Jamaica
Coordinates	18°24′57″N 77°08′17″W / 18.4158°N 77.1381°WCoordinates: 18°24′57″N 77°08′17″W / 18.4158°N 77.1381°W
Type	Multi-step cascade
Total height	180 feet (55 m)
Watercourse	River Dunn

Dunn's River Falls is a famous waterfall near Ocho Rios, Jamaica and a major Caribbean tourist attraction that receives thousands of visitors each year.^[1][2]

Appearance

At about 180 feet (55 m) high and 600 feet (180 m) long,^[3] the waterfalls are terraced like giant natural stairs though some incorporate man-made improvements. Several small lagoons are interspersed among the vertical sections of the falls.

The falls empty into the Caribbean Sea at the western end of an attractive white-sand beach.^[4]

Tourism

Climbing the waterfalls is a popular tourist activity^[5] and is often, but not exclusively, performed with the help of tour guides from the park. It takes about 1-1.5 hours to climb with short breaks for photographs and video recordings taken by the guides. There are also stairs, alongside of the falls, for those who do not want to get wet or are unable to manage the rocky, uneven terrain of the actual waterfall.

The falls are bordered by lush, green vegetation that shades the area from the sun and keeps the area, and climbers, cool. The climb can be relatively hard so is often undertaken as a hand-holding human chain led by a guide to make it easier.

History

Dunns River Falls plaque

At the bottom of the falls, a plaque, that states it was placed by the Jamaican Historical Society in 1967 reads: NEAR THIS SPOT WAS FOUGHT THE BATTLE OF LAS CHORRERAS IN 1657, WHEN THE ENGLISH DEFEATED THE SPANISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE FROM CUBA.

Geology

Dunn’s River Falls are fed by spring water, which is rich with calcium carbonate and is depositing travertine. Such waterfalls are described by geologists as "a living phenomenon" because they are continuously rebuilt by the sediments in spring water.^[3]

Dunn's River Falls is one of the very few travertine waterfalls in the world that empties directly into the sea.^[3]

In popular culture

• Used for a location shoot for the 1988 Tom Cruise film Cocktail.^[6]
• Used for location footage in the first James Bond film Dr. No in 1962, where Bond (played by Sean Connery) and Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) are in the river.^[7]
• Used for location footage for the Reality TV show America's Next Top Model Cycle 19, wherein a photoshoot takes place on the falls.

References

1. Wayfaring Travel Guide
2. "Dunn's River Falls Jamaica". dunnsriverja.com.
3. Geocaching. "Geocaching > Hide and Seek a Geocache > Premium Member Only Cache". geocaching.com.
4. "Dunn's River Falls Excursions". timeinjamaica.com.
5. "Jamaica-Tour - Dunns River Falls Tour". jamaica-tour.com.
6. IMDB Locations Page for the film Cocktail (1988)
7. IMDB Locations Page for the film Dr. No (1962)