Quick Facts
Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 60′ / 18 m
Length of Hike: 0.4 miles / 0.6 km round-trip
The Record
The Caribbean Islands are so stunning that I’m not sure why Dark View Falls is making me ponder so much…I should be looking at the sea in front of me! I’ve slowly been reorganizing this blog/website. With many more resources available now than when I first started this blog, I’ve been able to update, condense, or expand on many waterfalls. I used to post multiple times about waterfalls that are on the same river. While some of the waterfalls on the same river are distinct enough to warrant a separate post, others don’t seem that way.
On the island of St. Vincent, there are a significant number of waterfalls. That information wasn’t as available ten to fifteen years ago, but now I feel like there are hidden treasure troves. Dark View Falls wasn’t unknown then, but now it’s “easier” to find info about. In Grenada, we were able to see five different waterfalls easily, and by that I’m saying they were accessible, whether easy or difficult to hike. On St. Vincent, the road system is different, and that makes it more difficult to see some of the interior waterfalls.
The two falls you can easily access are Dark View Falls and Owia Falls, both not terribly far from each other as the crow flies, but on opposite sides of the island, driving-wise. We decided against a rental car on the Caribbean islands, and that was extremely wise, in my opinion. It was immensely helpful to have someone who knows the driving customs. Horns are used as a form of communication about blind curves on the Caribbean Islands. On St. Vincent, the roads hug the coastline, are very winding, and require confidence. Hire a guide to visit Dark View Falls. You’ll stop at a few other points of interest, like where they filmed parts of The Pirates of the Caribbean films.
The drive takes longer than the hike. Once you arrive at the Dark View Falls parking lot, there is a small entrance fee and a hut that sells drinks and trinkets. From there, you cross a stream using a bamboo bridge, which is really fascinating. For those scared of heights (like me sometimes), the bridge isn’t too far above the river. After a very short distance, you’ll arrive at this waterfall, Lower Dark View Falls. It’s a beautiful waterfall, about 60 feet tall. I didn’t know beforehand that there was an upper waterfall, so that was a bonus! Circling back to the start of the blog, I’ve decided to post about each drop separately because seeing the upper falls requires a different exertion level than the lower falls, and each of them is tall enough to be described separately. Definitely worth the trip, no matter how winding or curvy!
Directions
- First, I’d recommend going with a tour guide! (They’re often referred to as taxis.)
- Getting to the falls is simple in theory: Drive along the Leeward Highway from Kingstown to where it ends in Chateuabelair. But that drive is winding and curvy, sometimes with steep inclines, so the drive isn’t as simple as it seems.
- And after looking at the map, I think there were signs indicating where to go for the falls, but there aren’t distinct road names on Google Maps for Chateaubelair. Our tour guide knew where to go, so I wasn’t paying as much attention. You’ll turn right onto some road to get to the falls…that’s what I can be certain about, but not much else. (Go with a tour guide!)
Waterfall Record 
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