Jamaica Waterfall – YS Falls
Another day in paradise… That’s what I was thinking as we departed our tour bus and boarded a ‘jitney’, a Jamaican term for a tractor-pulled transport wagon. The jitney took us on a short ride through the beautiful wide-open grounds of this spectacular estate on the way to the beautiful Jamaica waterfall. It was warm and sunny as we surveyed the surroundings from our wagon, which was moving at a leisurely pace. Needless to say, this area is totally different than the tourist filled beaches and the heavily forested landscape of Jamaica’s mountainous regions. It was a ‘breath of fresh air’ to view large areas of flat, grass-covered fields. Massive ‘logwood’ trees providing much needed shade for a few cows, seemingly hanging out and enjoying the good life.
The YS River flows through a former cane plantation and sugar factory. The site was also logged for it’s large trees that provided black dye to the textile industry. The estate now features this spectacular natural attraction, along with operating a horse farm, that has been breeding and raising thoroughbreds for over 60 years.
This was our second of three amazing excursions on Jamaica’s south-west coast, all part of the Black River Safari, YS Falls and the Appleton Estate 3-in-1 tour which we booked through Jamaica’s Amstar DMC and Tropical Tours.
Part 2 of 3 blog posts from the day’s adventures – This chapter focuses on the amazing Jamaica waterfall area known as YS Falls.
I can just imagine how the original natives on the island, as well as the English settlers would have felt as they explored this area. They would have heard the sounds of rustling water as they followed the milky blue-green river upstream. They would have come across a couple of modest waterfalls before realizing that there are in fact 7 different cascades all within a space of a hundred yards or so along the river. I suspect their excitement built as they waded into the deep pools of water below a few of the refreshing waterfalls. Well, that’s the way I felt on this day!
When our jitney ride through the beautiful countryside came to an end, it was just a short walk to the series of Falls. We excitedly came to view the stunning assortment of Jamaica waterfalls – Soaking it all in, we realized that the falls are comprised of multiple levels and a number of pools. There is a boardwalk at the bottom of the falls with stairs and platforms that climb the hill to the right side of the cascading river. As tourists stand in awe of the cascading river falling in front of them, local guides offer their services to assist in navigating the river and it’s sometimes slippery rocks.
We took our shirts off and put down our towels and bags in a little hut on the side of the river. Watching a few others in front of us, we ventured along the rock slabs that make up the top ridge of the lowest waterfall. From there we waded into the natural pool at the bottom of one of the larger and more spectacular falls. The rushing water falls approximately 15 feet (4.5m), across an area about twice that wide. The pool was over 6 feet (2m) deep in the middle and you can get right up under the falls if you want to.
Making our way uphill, the next waterfall’s pool was the largest of the bunch and appeared to be fairly deep in spots. This Jamaica waterfall and pool is sandwiched between much taller falls. This was clearly the play area of the natural attraction, as a couple of ropes hang from the canopy above. One of the ropes allows you a nice-and-easy swing out over the pool, where you can gently drop into the water or let momentum take you back to the rock slab that borders the pool. The other rope, which I didn’t even see at first, allows more daring folks to swing over and dive about 10 feet (3m) into the pool from a platform high up on the side of the river.
There are two other waterfalls above this pool and falls, with the top one being more of your typical tall thin variety. Climbing the stairs on the side of the river, we saw that the pool under the top cascade appeared to be fairly shallow, so we did not venture into it, choosing instead to take in the view of the river flowing down the hillside in front of us.
We noticed another wooden stairway leading up to a platform that is apparently used for zip-lining across the river and it’s falls. Our time almost up, we returned to our pick-up point. While some folks in our group used the change room, I noticed a nice relaxing park and a ‘river-fed’ man-made pool at the base of the falls. I understand that there are two more (man-made) pools as well as a garden elsewhere on the estate grounds. In case you’re wondering, YS is apparently named after the original land owners, John Yates and Richard Scott.
In summary, we really appreciated the majestic charm of the area – The fields, the trees, the park and of course the river with it’s waterfalls. Less crowded than other high profile “falls” in Jamaica, this was a laid back treat – A leisurely exploration of a natural beauty. We could have spent another hour or more on the premises, but we had another excursion to do before heading back on the long journey to the other side of the island
If this Jamaica waterfall excursion appeals to you, you can contact the friendly folks at Amstar by visiting the Amstar DMC website or their Facebook page.
Want to see more? Check out our Natural Beauty of YS Falls video on YouTube!
For an overview of the land of wood and water, take a look at our Jamaica Vacations page
For other great Tourist Attractions on the island, check out our Things to Do in Jamaica blog
If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the island, click on our Jamaica Adventures blog for some other great ideas!
Stay tuned for next week’s write-up on Appleton Estate’s ‘Joy Spence Rum Experience’ in another remote Jamaican location. – More than just a rum tour
