Through the guided hike offered by Strawberry Fields Together, there was an option to walk from the property to Kwame Falls, or to take a boat then walk from a black sand beach to the waterfall. Option #1 was chosen for a few reasons:
- to indulge in all the picturesque views
- to make up for neglected exercise
- it was cheaper
Due to the unspoiled scenic views leading to the towering waterfall, this is considered 1 of the top sites to visit in St. Mary.
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Hike to Kwame Falls
Starting the trek to Kwame aka Kwaamen Falls includes passing a few cook shops, bars, and houses within the Robin’s Bay community before the asphalt makes way for a dirt road. After maybe 15 minutes of walking, the dirt road ends and reveals paths seemingly only fit for footmobiles. The foliage gets thicker, and though there was a lot of shade, it can be anything but cool. Me, being someone who nuh know how fi act in humidity, had to expose my abdomen as my way of tolerating the condition better.
Scenic Route to Kwame Falls
The shady area eventually introduces a short-length but full-width bed of mud which loosely hugs shoes and feet. Following the sticky mud and a few more minutes of walking comes the first hill ascension, which insisted on testing my (un)fitness. This soon brings the first glimpse of a scenic view, as water can now be seen through the small trees beside you. The view had me briefly forget that we had to continue walking into the greenery’s shadow, with a considerable distance left to go.
The next time you’ll step into sunshine would be at the top of the hill, with an even grander panoramic view! From here, the furthest point of land seen behind us wasn’t as far as the distance we had traveled, our guide said. The next hill to climb hosts a wide area of unspoiled, green land facing the sunshine; it’s one of those pieces of land you look at and hope future development never destroys its beauty.
Upon reaching a rocky black sand beach, a stream that meets the sea can be observed (and jumped over). This is the furthest point of the boat ride option mentioned earlier. I thought, “Surely we are almost there”… NERP! Maybe another half hour from here, you will find Kwame Falls.
Kwame Falls River Trail
Continuing through some narrow paths while transitioning between bright sunshine and completely shaded regions, and negotiating big river stones become more frequent features of the trail. Our guide, Sochi, eventually turned to us and said, “Your shoes will get wet”, before approaching an ankle-deep river. You’ll walk through and cross different points of the river 6 times to connect the path to Kwame Falls.
After the final cross, you can vaguely hear the falls in the distance and soon see the magnificent beauty beyond the trees and shrubbery. Relief covered my naturally-lazy body as the path ended, but I quickly realized the waterfall in the distance… was still in the distance. You now have to walk along the side of a hill to actually get to the waterfall. The trees were my best friends at this point, as I held onto them to pull myself up and add security while traversing the muddy surface.
Take a Dip in the River!
Finally, you can breathe a sigh of relief after reaching Kwame Falls! The formation of the rock following years of the water’s force is magnificent, I spent some time just gazing at it as random thoughts of reflection flooded my mind. The water could get very deep, so non-swimmers are advised not to submerge beyond the chest. Recent rains in the area may cause the water to be not as clear as usual, so always exercise caution.
Meanwhile, Sochi set up a fire and prepared roast fish and plantain for lunch…I sh!t you not, best roast fish I’ve ever had! If you’re taking up this hike through Strawberry Fields Together I recommend choosing the lunch option. Relaxing by the river and a delicious lunch were enjoyed for maybe an hour and a half before heading back; you definitely don’t want to be undergoing this hike in anything other than bright daylight.
A full, tiring day indeed; another adventure conquered.
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We’ve been there too last year, but we did it by boat from the Port Maria side. That was not as stressful as walking. But the view from above the sea probably worth the effort. However, it’s a nice and mostly quiet place and we loved it much there.
Oh yes, the boat trip would’ve been much simpler, but in the end, no regrets 🙂 It truly is beautiful.
Yayy reading a post about Kwame falls makes it sound much more doable now. I love hiking too so I’ll put this one higher up on my J’can waterfall list 🙂
This was probably my first real hike to be honest, so I definitely wasn’t prepared physically haha. Despite the small challenges, I’m glad I did it.
I love the blog so far! That list you have coincides with one I have as well and also has some places on it that I hadn’t heard of! Looking forward to more!