St. Vincent day tours, waterfall walks
| country: | St. Vincent & The Grenadines |
| location: | St Vincent |
| departures: | Tours depart daily throughout the year (minimum 2 people) |
| price: | From US $75 - US $85 (1 day) excluding flights. Price depends on group size. Includes tax, lunch, drinks (rum punch, soft drinks, water), snack, transfers and a knowledgeable guide. English is spoken, but German, French, Italian and Spanish translators are available |
the amazing things you'll be doing
We offer two days tours exploring waterfalls on St. Vincent
Dark View Falls: Escape and enjoy our twin falls, an experience uncommon for one site. Travelling along the Leeward coast gives our guides the opportunity to share tales of the colonial days in St. Vincent’s history – from the profits made from the sugar industry at the site of the Rutland Vale Sugar Works, to the influence of the French, which is evident from the names of the villages we pass. Chateaubelair, home of Dark View Falls, lies at the southern foot of the volcano. The coast here is rugged and photogenic with dramatic hill and mountain outlines, cliffs and beach.
Dark View Falls is a unique attraction not yet fully explored. The geology and hydrology giving existence to the falls and the vegetation are also part of the site’s heritage. Lava and pyroclastic flow produced the rock formations that sustain the cascading waters of the falls.
There are two trails to both the upper falls and the lower falls. The trail leading to the lower falls is relatively flat and easily accessible with a footbridge constructed of bamboo. The lower falls is a shower falls, very refreshing to sit under. The trail from the lower falls to the upper falls is 520 ft long with a little more hiking. This one has a larger pool for swimming. Come and experience two falls in one day.
Trinity Falls: Travelling along the Leeward coast gives our guides the opportunity to share tales of the colonial days in St. Vincent’s history – from the profits made from the sugar industry at the site of the Rutland Vale Sugar Works, to the influence of the French, which is evident from the names of the villages we pass (Petit Bordel, Chateaubelair). The coast here is rugged and photogenic with dramatic hill and mountain outlines, cliffs and beach.
As we approach Richmond, the Leeward Highway ends. We turn inland on Trinity Road and see tropical ferns, trees and cultivated land before driving down a rugged road that crosses small streams before we reach our point of hiking.
A 45-minute hike through lush rainforest brings us to one of the natural wonders of the island. A 40 ft. waterfall descends in three cascades into a circular pool, then falls another 10 ft. into a second pool, which is used for swimming. You can swim in one of the warmest and cleanest rivers in St. Vincent. The hike back out is a bit challenging for about 10 minutes but gradually levels out. You can relax or take a nap on the drive back.
Dark View Falls: Escape and enjoy our twin falls, an experience uncommon for one site. Travelling along the Leeward coast gives our guides the opportunity to share tales of the colonial days in St. Vincent’s history – from the profits made from the sugar industry at the site of the Rutland Vale Sugar Works, to the influence of the French, which is evident from the names of the villages we pass. Chateaubelair, home of Dark View Falls, lies at the southern foot of the volcano. The coast here is rugged and photogenic with dramatic hill and mountain outlines, cliffs and beach.
Dark View Falls is a unique attraction not yet fully explored. The geology and hydrology giving existence to the falls and the vegetation are also part of the site’s heritage. Lava and pyroclastic flow produced the rock formations that sustain the cascading waters of the falls.
There are two trails to both the upper falls and the lower falls. The trail leading to the lower falls is relatively flat and easily accessible with a footbridge constructed of bamboo. The lower falls is a shower falls, very refreshing to sit under. The trail from the lower falls to the upper falls is 520 ft long with a little more hiking. This one has a larger pool for swimming. Come and experience two falls in one day.
Trinity Falls: Travelling along the Leeward coast gives our guides the opportunity to share tales of the colonial days in St. Vincent’s history – from the profits made from the sugar industry at the site of the Rutland Vale Sugar Works, to the influence of the French, which is evident from the names of the villages we pass (Petit Bordel, Chateaubelair). The coast here is rugged and photogenic with dramatic hill and mountain outlines, cliffs and beach.
As we approach Richmond, the Leeward Highway ends. We turn inland on Trinity Road and see tropical ferns, trees and cultivated land before driving down a rugged road that crosses small streams before we reach our point of hiking.
A 45-minute hike through lush rainforest brings us to one of the natural wonders of the island. A 40 ft. waterfall descends in three cascades into a circular pool, then falls another 10 ft. into a second pool, which is used for swimming. You can swim in one of the warmest and cleanest rivers in St. Vincent. The hike back out is a bit challenging for about 10 minutes but gradually levels out. You can relax or take a nap on the drive back.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
We generally take small groups into this area, and limit cruise ship passengers, to avoid a negative impact on the environment and the communities, as well as providing better interaction between our guides and their guests. Guides encourage guests not to litter, but will pick up trash from their group and others in reusable bags along the trails and beaches. ‘What you carry in, you carry out’. They also inform visitors of the fragility of coral reefs; no touching or anchoring near them. We attend workshops and support all government wildlife preservation and conservation policies and are government custodians to Polly, an indigenous and endangered St. Vincent Parrot, (Amazona guildingii), born in captivity. Community: In our on-going effort to help the local economy and individual entrepreneurs, lunches (sandwiches or rotis - spices, potatoes, meat and/or vegetables in a flour dough), are made primarily with local products (the bread or dough, meat, etc.), with fresh fruit snacks from our organic orchard or roadside vendors. The water comes from Vincentian springs, and it and the soft drinks are bottled on the island. The rum punch uses alcohol made at local distilleries, plus fresh and other tropical fruits. In keeping with our stance of responsible tourism, our guides are local Vincentians, frequently from Leeward communities, who have extensive knowledge of the flora, fauna, culture and volcanic nature of the area. The guides outline to visitors ways to reduce negative impact on the environment, and they carry reusable bags to pick up litter left by others. Primarily we use locally grown and manufactured products. When not supplied from our own organic orchard, we buy fresh fruits for snacks from roadside vendors. We encourage visitors to buy locally made souvenirs and use locally handcrafted walking sticks for the hiking tours. This season we will implement the use of locally made coconut bowls, forks and spoons. We aim to give visitors insights into the history and culture of our people and encourage tourists to attend local sporting and cultural events. We provide in-house manual and regionally certified training to local guides. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |