Gozalandia Falls

Two falls sit a short walk apart on the same river in the hills of the northwest. The lower one drops into a wide, deep pool with a rock ledge people jump from and a rope swing hanging over the water, and behind the curtain there is space to stand; the upper fall is quieter, reached by a path and a scramble, with its own smaller pool. The water is cool and clear, the surrounding forest is dense, and unlike the sea there are no waves or currents to think about, which is why families come for the day. It is a local place first and a visitor place second, at its best on a weekday morning before the crowd builds.

What you actually see

• The lower fall - the big pool, the ledge jump and the rope swing.
• Behind the curtain - the space to stand under the falling water.
• The upper fall - quieter, up a path and a scramble.
• The forest - dense green along the river between the two.

When to go

Year-round, since the river runs all year, though heavy rain makes the water brown and the current strong. Mornings on a weekday are the calmest; weekends and holidays fill the pools completely. Avoid going after storms, when levels rise fast.

Honest expectations

The path down is steep, muddy and slippery, with rope handlines in places, and people are injured here regularly, most often jumping into water they have not checked. There are no lifeguards. Parking is on private land with an attendant charging cash. It is busy, loud and littered at weekends, which is not the picture the photographs suggest.

Nearby

Rincón and the west coast surf beaches are 45 minutes west; Arecibo is east.