El Salto del Limon: Tallest waterfall in the Dominican Republic
“Refreshing bath in front of a beautiful backdrop” and “beautiful waterfall” write some, “an impertinence for people and animals” and “sheer horror” mean the other.
Especially the latest reviews about the trip to “El Salto del Limón”, the highest waterfall in the Dominican Republic, make you sit up and take notice. “When we drove into the parking lot, we saw the half-starved horses,” it says. There is also talk of impudent behavior on the part of the guides and energetic demands for tips.
Reason enough to see for myself what it’s all about during my trip along the Dominican north coast.
In the interior of the Samaná peninsula, well hidden in the lush green tropical thicket, there is a true natural jewel. That’s what the internet teaches me in my preliminary research. Fresh water constantly rushes into the turquoise-green pool from a height of 52 meters.
Men and women jump into the cool water, Google image search tells me. Splashing children seem to squeak with happiness – and not only do the daredevil bathers get soaking wet, but also the surrounding observers are sufficiently supplied by the spray. El Salto del Limón – what a paradisiacal place that must be!
The approach to El Limon
From the tourist center of Las Terrenas on the north coast, Route 7 leads across the peninsula to the provincial capital of Santa Barbara de Samaná. About halfway there is the town of El Limón. Along Route 7 south of the town center there are a total of 13 ranches from which you can start your trip to the waterfall. They are numbered: 13 is the northernmost ranch, 1 is the southernmost.
The higher the number, the further the path to the waterfall. Therefore, the operators of the upper ranches use horses for the way. At the lower ranches you will be accompanied by a guide on a 20- to 30-minute walk to the waterfall. In return, I learn from a conversation with a guide on Ranch 3 that he would like a tip of 300 to 400 pesos, a fair six to eight euros.
I park my car at Ranch 12 and get my first look at the horses. On the Internet there is talk of some desolate health conditions of the animals, these here make an acceptable impression. A quick chat with the ranch owner reveals that the whole trip takes about three hours, with enough time at the waterfall, and costs 1,000 pesos, just under 20 euros.
“Todo incluido?” I consciously ask again. Previous visitors have complained that this money is only for the ranch operator and that the guide later requests an extra tip for himself on the return trip. “Sí, todo incluido,” confirms the man.
It has rained heavily in the last few weeks, so the brown, muddy river water is correspondingly high. The guide, his name is William, is partially standing in water up to his chest. “Just awesome,” calls out a German holidaymaker who meets me on the way. He seems to be experiencing the adventure of his vacation. I, on the other hand, am not quite sure about my previous verdict.
Outside of the water, the path is sometimes very steep, uneven and rocky, the horse has to regularly touch up before its hooves are stable. If the animal doesn’t immediately react the way William wants, it gets hit on the buttocks or between the legs. “Stop it,” I ask William several times.
Later, another German vacationer will try to explain to me that one or the other correction is absolutely necessary. He is a rider himself, he says. Nevertheless, my common sense does not want to see that an animal has to be beaten so that the comfortable tourist can cross the river dry-shod.
No question, the destination of this excursion is definitely worth it. El Salto del Limón is incredibly impressive – only the turquoise-green color was missing a bit during my visit. But the real problem is the way. My guide kept asking for a tip on the way back. He wouldn’t be paid by the ranch—and if I didn’t give him anything, his three hours would have been for nothing.
So what have I done? Gave him another 500 pesos. You might think in good faith, maybe naive – but he’s probably just a poor tourist guide who urgently needs the money. Be that as it may, the visit did not give me a good feeling. That’s why:
Tips for the trip to El Salto del Limón
- If you really want to ride a horse, take the time to look at the horses carefully beforehand. You can see at first glance whether they are being treated well. And: Be prepared that your guide will ask for an extra tip at the end. It is not clear to me why this is not simply communicated directly in advance. Ultimately, this only creates dissatisfaction on both sides. Accordingly, it is better to include this fact in your financial planning from the outset.
- My personal recommendation is to skip horseback riding altogether and walk to the waterfall from one of the lower ranches (numbers 1-5). The tour is cheaper, the guides (whom I spoke to) are friendlier and the conscience is a bit clearer. The waterfall itself is just as gorgeous without a ride.
