I love everything I’ve done in the Dominican Republic but THIS IS MY NUMBER ONE!  Schedule a trip to the Dominican Republic now and thank me later because you won’t regret experiencing the Twenty-seven Waterfalls.

It takes about 30 minutes from Puerto Plata into the mountains to reach Rio Damajagua. At the entrance, you’re given a choice: 7 waterfalls, 12 waterfalls, or 27 waterfalls. My advice: GO BIG OR GO HOME!  You do not want to live your life wondering about the waterfalls you missed. That’s no way to live. Even if your guide gives you a disparaging look while the ticket agent explains there’s a 45-minute hike.

The hike is mostly straight up, so it’s a pretty rigorous hike. But keep moving because it’s worth it!  At one point a guide suggested that we unstrap our lifejackets to cool down. Debbie wondered why we all laughed. Her body literally let off steam and the guide proclaimed “you’re on fire!”

Arriving at the base of the 27th waterfall triggers a minor celebration. Or in our case, a major celebration. You’re invited to plunge into the pool at the base of the waterfall–which was delicious.

Now the fun begins. You follow the stream down the mountain until you arrive at the next waterfall. You jump over the waterfall. And then proceed to the next waterfall, where you SLIDE down the waterfall. Rinse and repeat twenty-six times!

I couldn’t decide which I liked better, jumping or sliding. Then we’d float on our backs, gazing at the verdant green canopy. It was like looking through a kaleidoscope.

At the highest waterfall, about fifteen feet, our guide explained there was a walkway so we could avoid the jump. ARE YOU KIDDING?  Why would we want to miss out on the best jump?!?  Deb paused at the brink of the jump and took a minute to mentally prepare, so our guide was surprised when she took the leap. There were hearty high fives all around and our guide beamed with pride.

WE DID IT!!

The bad news is all the pictures are on Deb’s water camera. But the website, Twenty-seven Waterfalls, has great pictures. We were exhilarated and exhausted.  I hope you have a chance to experience it!