Trinidad's Edith Falls: an unmissable eco adventure

Trinidad Carnival has come and gone... and now it's time to cool down (or warm up, depending on your level of fitness!).

Trekking through the forest on the way to Edith Falls I remembered the movie Land Before Time. Not that the trail was so hard that it resembled a journey of survival, but because I felt we were all alone in the middle of undiscovered land on a path to the unknown. I myself had never been to Edith Falls so in a way it was a path to the ‘unknown’ to me.

Walking through the lush vegetation that encompassed the trail, I was serenaded by a musical composition of twittering birds, creaking bamboo and rushing water flowing down the river. As the sense of solitude and serenity washed over me, I really felt I was deep in the 'bush', miles away from civilisation. This is really one of Trinidad's finest and most accessible eco adventures.

The falls are located in Chaguaramas, an area in the northwest corner of Trinidad that boasts beautiful scenery and many sightseeing options. Before you reach the clubhouse and parking lot for the Chaguaramas Golf Course, you will see the sign to Edith Falls on your left. The easy hike, through an old Cocoa and Tonka Bean plantation, takes about 20–30mins. The 250-foot fall is best visited during the height of the rainy season otherwise it’s more like a trickle that produces a mist of water at the bottom.

Even though I was looking forward to a quick swim at the falls (not a light misting) I was not disappointed by the low water pressure that met us because the height of the rock face and cliff above me and the surroundings impressed me immensely. If I wanted a dip, there were a few small pools along the river that would have been fun to splash in. As we walked back along the trail the sound of Red Howler monkeys that frequent this area accompanied us but we weren’t lucky enough to see them.

I am looking forward to returning during the rainy season and would probably arrange for a tour guide to point out and name the colourful flora and fauna that inhabit the area. Below are a few photos from my trip.

Along the trail to Edith Falls

The 250-foot fall

A light mist of water at the bottom of the fall

Along the trail to Edith Falls

Ti Marie growing at the beginning of the trail

All images are Copyright 2010 MEP Publishers/Ariann M Thompson

Ariann is ready to reacquaint herself with and in some cases ‘meet’ Trinidad and Tobago. Follow as she travels to different places and interacts with a multitude of faces while ‘Discovering T&T’.