Adventure · Puerto Plata
27 Charcos de Damajagua: jumping and sliding the waterfalls
A limestone canyon of pools and chutes above the Damajagua river.
- The activity
- A canyon of 27 waterfalls, pools and natural slides in the hills behind Puerto Plata, climbed on foot and descended by jumping and sliding. It has been a protected Natural Monument since 2004.
- Location
- Near Imbert, roughly 40 minutes to an hour from Puerto Plata and an hour from Cabarete and Sosúa.
- Duration
- The seven-fall circuit takes about two and a half hours; the full 27 takes four to five hours in the canyon.
- Best time to arrive
- At opening, around 8.30am. Water levels are steadiest in the morning and the queues at the jumps are shortest.
- Admission cost
- Gate entry is about $11 to $21 depending on whether you do 7, 12 or 27 falls, and includes the mandatory guide, helmet and life jacket. Organised tours with transport and lunch run $60 to $95: about $60 to $75 from Puerto Plata, $75 to $90 from Sosúa and Cabarete.
- Important rules
- You cannot enter without a certified local guide, helmets and life jackets are compulsory, the ticket booth takes cash only, and the last entry for the full 27 falls is 1.30pm.
- Requirements
- Reasonable fitness and confidence in water. The climb up is a scramble on wet limestone with fixed ladders.
What to expect
This is the most physically committing excursion on the north coast, and the best. The ascent is a scramble up wet limestone with fixed ladders and guide assistance; the descent is the reward, a sequence of natural slides and jumps of varying height into deep pools.
The number of falls is a choice made at the entrance, and it changes the day completely. Most packaged tours from Puerto Plata and the cruise ports cover seven falls in around three hours, which is the version the majority of visitors actually do. Twelve is the middle option. The full twenty-seven is four to five hours of climbing, sold only to fit, confident swimmers, with a strict 1.30pm cut-off for the last entry.
The honest takeaway
One of the highest-rated activities in the Dominican Republic, with the caveats concerning fitness and crowding.
What visitors praise
- Genuinely exciting. The slides and jumps are the real thing, not a manufactured attraction.
- Beautiful canyon. Clear water, smooth limestone and dense forest above.
- Well guided. The community association trains its guides and safety is taken seriously.
- Scalable. The choice of seven, twelve or twenty-seven suits mixed abilities.
What visitors find difficult
- Physically demanding. The climb is steep and slippery, and not suitable for everyone.
- Crowded in high season. Cruise groups from Amber Cove and Taíno Bay arrive mid-morning and queues form at the popular jumps.
- No cameras without a mount. Anything not strapped down will be lost.
- Weather closures. Heavy rain raises the river and stops access.
Drawn from the recurring themes in public visitor reviews of the activity and the tours that reach it. We do not reproduce individual reviews or aggregate scores; for current ratings, check Viator or another booking platform directly.
Getting there
The entrance is near Imbert on the road between Puerto Plata and Santiago, around forty minutes from Puerto Plata. Tours include transfers from Puerto Plata, Sosúa, Cabarete and the cruise port.
Independent visitors can arrive at the gate and hire a guide there, which is the cheaper option.
How to make the most of the day
- 1Do all twenty-seven if you are fit. The upper falls are the best and the least crowded.
- 2Arrive before 9am. The canyon fills with cruise groups from mid-morning, and the full 27 must be started by 1.30pm.
- 3Wear secured footwear. Water shoes or trainers you can swim in; sandals come off in the pools.
- 4Leave valuables in the locker. Everything in the canyon gets soaked.
- 5Follow the guides on the jumps. Entry points matter and they know the depths.
- 6Bring cash and small notes. The ticket booth does not take cards, and a tip of $5 to $10 per person for the guides is customary.
A little more background
The falls are managed by a local guides' association formed in the 1990s, and a share of the entrance fee funds the surrounding community and the protection of the canyon. Declared a Natural Monument in 2004, it is frequently cited as one of the better community tourism models in the Caribbean.
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