The Dominican Republic is well known for its beautiful beaches, its friendly people, the delicious rum and it’s year-round t-shirt weather. But this island in the Caribbean Sea won’t give away all its secrets so easily. Hidden in the countryside, there is a variety of breathtaking and unique waterfalls ready to be discovered. We at Dominican Expert put together the 5 most remarkable “Saltos” as Dominicans say, in case you get tired of the 27° warm ocean water and you are looking for a cool experience! Our collection includes two well-known waterfalls and three true hidden gems, which hardly any tourist in the Dominican Republic know about.


1. Salto El Limón

The Salto El Limon is definitely the beauty queen among waterfalls, and after looking at the pictures you will understand exactly why! It is not the highest waterfall with its 50 meters, but the beauty of the untouched nature surrounding it gives you the illusion of being hours away from civilization. El Salto del Limon is located on the Samaná peninsula and is best reached by car or an organized excursion from nearby Las Terrenas.

Salto El Limon, Samaná.

How to get there: There are several places to stop between Las Terrenas and Santa Barbara de Samaná. You can leave the car at one of the many local roadside restaurants, such as El Pino or parada Franklin. From there it takes about 40 minutes of walking or about 30 minutes on horseback.


2. Salto Socoa

The beauty of the Salto Socoa is beyond imagination and this small waterfall, surrounded by pristine nature, will exceed your expectations. The landscape is dotted with many small natural pools, which makes it easy for you to find your favorite spot to relax with the sound of the splashing water. There is even a camp site with the opportunity to spend the night on a hillside, drifting off to sleep to the sound of the waterfall. Awesome!

Salto Socoa

How to get there: The Salto Socoa is located on the highway heading from Santo Domingo to Samaná. After passing the second toll station, you will find a sign telling you to take the next exit to the right. From here just follow the road for a few minutes until reaching the small parking lot.


3. El Salto de La Jalda

With 120 meters, the Salto la Jalda is considered the goliath of waterfalls in the Dominican Republic and indeed, the whole Caribbean! Ironically, you rarely see any tourist there and it’s even unknown to many locals. The tour will take you about 4.5 hours by foot or 2.5 hours on horseback.  For those in hurry, there is also the possibility to land right in front of the waterfall with a helicopter. We personally recommend the hiking experience, but if you are short on time and you always wanted to try out a helicopter, pack your bathing suit, buckle your seatbelt and enjoy!

El Salto de La Jalda

How to get there: From Santo Domingo or Punta Cana, you will head towards Sabana de la Mar, where you will take another road to Magua. There you will see a sign directing you to Loma de Magua, which is part of the national park.  We recommend a local guide for an easier experience as the waterfall is very remote and the hiking trail occasionally difficult to follow.


4. Salto Alto de Bayaguana

This one is special! Generally, waterfalls get more intense throughout the rainy season. During this time, the Salto Alto de Bayaguana has 3 streams that fall smoothly into a beautiful natural pool surrounded by lush vegetation. The whole scenery will make you question reality! This waterfall is the closest to the capital of the Dominican Republic and is therefore perfectly suitable for day trips from Santo Domingo.

Salto Alto de Bayaguana

How to get there: This beautiful waterfall is a few kilometers from Bayaguana and about 1.5 hours away from Santo Domingo. It´s just a dirt road so we recommend an SUV.


5. Salto de Aguas Blancas

At about 1,680 meters above sea level, it’s one of the highest altitude waterfalls in the Dominican Republic. The plant life is completely different and temperatures can drop dramatically at night (in winter even below 0°). Be warned! Jumping into this waterfall is only for the brave! Salto de Aguas Blancas makes a perfect stopover while exploring the Cordillera Central from Jarabacoa or Constanza.

Salto de Aguas Blancas

How to get there: The Salto de Aguas Blancas is about 20 kilometers from Constanza in the direction of Valle Nuevo and the pyramid. There are many signs on the road so it’s easy to find. However, we recommend an SUV for visiting this waterfall as it is only a dirt road with many rocks and potholes to navigate.

The Waterfalls in the Dominican Republic are the perfect getaway that can be combined with roundtrips or self-driven tours while discovering the Island (For example our Natural Beauty of the Dominican Republic round trip). There are no entry fees and most of them are easy to find while followings the signs on the road. Some Waterfalls require quite a walk to reach them so make sure to take some snacks with you. If you are interested in visiting some of the waterfalls mentioned in this blog post, ask our travel experts for your customized itinerary.

 

You want to explore some or even all of the top 5 waterfalls of the Dominican Republic? Ask us for your personalized itinerary and get to know the best places of the Caribbean!

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