A waterfall is always a lovely thing to see. Spouting water attracts anybody’s attention and may keep it for a really long while. Infinitely diverse, falling water will always be as vivid as dolphins, as iridescent as pearls, as calmative as breathing seas… Dominica has all these.
Between Pont Casse and Bells, there are two beautiful waterfalls. They are known as Penrice Falls, both located close to Bells. Each one may be compared to a 7-storey building in height. The one with a deep pool (which is pretty good for bathing) is ten feet higher.
These waterfalls are not widely known. It’s not too hard to get to them, so that is kind of strange. The Penrice Falls are glittering with water sparkles among trees and grass; each one is similar to a silver stream, tight at the top and fluffy at the bottom… Many tourists won’t visit the place because they are not aware of its beauty or even its existence per se. But you are, and directions may come in handy.
When heading from Pont Casse to Bells, you are going to run into a chain of dwellings on the left side at the distance of 2.5 miles. That’s where Spanny’s Bar is located… It’s a good reference point. Twenty yards southward, there is the beginning of the track which leads to a banana plantation. A traveler will not even get tired when he or she reaches it.
When you pass the plantation by, next thing you encounter will be a forest. It’s not a forest you can easily get lost in, but it is neat and thick. Your path will bring you to the cute wooden bridges and stairs with handrails. Watch out when going down. You don’t want to slip, do you?
The next thing you’ll see is the Pagau River pouring over a rock covered by a fern mat and then falling from the heights of 60 feet. It’s the lowest of Penrice Falls. Take your pictures, but don’t stop there!
Don’t be afraid of getting your hands dirty and go ahead. You are going to climb up a little bit… The rope and the tree roots will make a good support. It usually takes 5 minutes (your walk to the first waterfall would take about a third of an hour).
That’s it, you are at the second waterfall, 70 feet in height. Remember I told you there is a pool? It really is good for bathing and swimming, but it’s 10 feet deep. You got to be careful. The best precaution is to get somebody with you.
The waterfalls are worth of visiting. You can just visit them and leave, or you can stay nearby, at Vena’s Paradise Resort (call 449-2001). Or you can do whatever you want. Just don’t overlook these waterfalls.
The journey from Spanny’s Bar to the second waterfall will be almost half an hour long. But it terms of distances, it’s just half a mile. It’s a slow track, even though the trail is made comfortable. After all, visitors have to climb.
Oh, by the way… When you catch those handrails and ropes, remember they did not appear out of the blue. There are people who put them in service and who maintains the track. So, it would be nice if you visited Spanny’s Bar for refreshment or to donate something.
simply beautiful
My husband and I visited Spanny Falls and it’s quite beautiful and not to be missed. It’s worth climbing up the ropes and swimming in the waterfall. There should be a sign so that people will know where it is.
I first visited Spanny’s Falls 10 years ago with a personal tour by Spanny..when this was not in the public domain. We had a group that toured all the mountains and waterfalls…those in the public realm and those lesser known included. At that time there was no public safety items like ropes and rails at Spanny, so kudos to those who put these in place. Yes, and back then we did stop at the bar and made a donation.
There is so much to see in Dominica, above and below the surface (talking about diving). I have been privileged to have had the opportunity to do both extensively, but really..the best sights are always the ones hardest to get there. I hope one day we will find the money to invest in better access to sites. As it is the Emerald Pool for example, is already overcrowded with respect to visitors and though conveniently located, there are many even more beautiful sites that the general public needs to be exposed to.
Dominica is a gorgeous island, our favorite. We visited Spanny’s falls and then climbed the rope to the second falls. The second falls is certainly worth the extra effort to get there…does it have a name?