With a landmass of only 5,131 km², Trinidad & Tobago does not possess gigantic waterfalls like Angel Falls, Venezuela; Tres Hermanas Falls, Peru or Olo'upena Falls in Hawaii. But while those three are the tallest drops of water and are among the world's picturesque sites, they are dangerous to take on for a bit of leisure.
For instance, the water at Angel Falls takes a plunge of 3,212 ft, while Maracas Waterfall in St Joseph, Trinidad, the tallest in the country, is just 298 ft. But while our heights cannot compare to the world's mega falls, we here in T&T and those who visit our shores can revel in the many massaging and beautiful water drops, bathe in the basins and take easy treks up their rivers.
Last Sunday, teams of hikers took the expedition to the unique Zorro Waterfall in Las Cuevas. Children and the elderly were among groups walking the 15-30 minute, mostly river trail that begins at the end of Zorro Trace.
Hikers do a bit of rock climbing.
Kevon Felmine
For the most part, the water reaches you under your knees, but there are some gorgeous gorges which tend to have at least five to eight feet of water. Life jackets come in handy, but you can use a bit of muscle and climb over the rocks where there are ropes to guide you.
After that mildly challenging part, you come to Zorro Waterfall: a small but eye-catching water drop and not too deep basin. You can climb up the waterfall and see a majestic cascading waterfall behind. A good tip for hikers is to invest in water shoes. These range from around $100 and up and provide a better grip on slippery rocks you will encounter here. They will also dry quickly, so there will be no squishiness like wearing a wet pair of sneakers.
But with too many people crowding the small basin, our group of adventure seekers made an extra hour-long journey to reach Trinidad's own Angel Waterfall.
Heading down to pool two at Angel Waterfall.
Kevon Felmine
It requires you to walk down the river for about five to ten minutes, and you will see the coloured markers on the right-hand side, just before a fallen tree, signalling the start of a new journey. As the team of experienced and newcomers began this trail, quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves were under strain. We used the method of having a scout ahead of the team to ensure a clear passage and a sweeper, so no one gets left behind.
Kevon Felmine taking a rest after the hour-long trek to Angel Waterfall.
The protein and chocolate bars came in handy as getting to Angel Waterfall requires you to walk mostly up hilly terrain. It is beautiful through this trail: cool breeze, a variety of flowers, the view of the river, and the many mini waterfalls are treats.
It gets a bit challenging as you get closer as there are some narrow pathways with wires to hold. But once you get to Angel Waterfall, you will realise that it is worth it. When sunlight hits the crest, it creates mesmerising scattered rays. The water drops on rocks where bathers sat under for wet massage. It then flows into a mini pool, perfect for swimmers and non-swimmers, before flowing downhill to a deeper pool, accessible by light rappelling.
After recharging in the cooling, clean and clear waters, the trip back might be tricky as you are heading downhill, faster but easier.
If you have not been to Zorro or Angel, the time is now.