My boyfriend and I visited Dunn's River Falls as an excursion while visiting my best friend's family in Ocho Rios Jan 09. My friends have been raving about Dunn's River Falls for almost two years before we were actually able to make it down there, so I was really looking forward to it. The falls are very different than anything you would see in the States, as they are smooth rock and you can hike right up them. Visiting the falls was definitely one of the best parts of our trip. 

The most important thing... BRING A WATER CAMERA!! These falls are beautiful and there are many points to stop and take amazing photos of the falls and ocean below. It is pretty impossible to keep a digital camera dry, although my boyfriend managed it with the use of a ziploc, but I would really recommend purchasing a disposable water camera if you want photos and don't want to spend the hour after you get home toasting your camera in the oven! haha

The falls took little effort to climb for someone one in relatively good shape, the biggest obstacles were the chains of people that explored the falls via a tour. We decided to climb the falls ourselves without a tour guide as we wanted to take our time and enjoy the scenery for ourselves. There were a couple of more difficult spots to get up, but mostly because we were trying to maneuver around the groups of 25+ people linked together. I would recommend going when there isn't a cruise ship in town, or earlier in the day when there aren't as many large groups. Once you make your way up the falls, you can head back down to the beach to have a picnic and relax for the rest of the day.

There are some fun spots such as the "natural waterslide" that you may not know about if you're not with a group, but just pay attention to the people around you and you'll probably catch on. 

I saw many small children and older adults climbing the falls with no troubles. It is definitely recommended that you wear water shoes, with good grippy soles as the rocks can get quite slippery in spots. I saw many people climbing barefoot, but I was happy to have my water boots on. They can be rented at the falls for a small fee - I think our friends bargained $3.

Overall, this was one of my favorite parts of our Jamaican adventure. Do yourself a favor and go climb the falls - it's relaxing, refreshing and beautiful! The entry fee is $15, plan to make a day of it, and it's well worth the money.