So High Up!
Today we hike to the tallest waterfall in Trinidad situated in the northern range of mountains. The hike is relatively easy with just a few minutes of steep inclines through lush thick tropical forest that just takes the breath away. I show you the awesome things along the away as well as explore the heights and lows of the waterfall with the drone in an amazing adventure!
We arrived in Maracas valley situated between two mountains in north Trinidad on a beautiful clear morning. The air up here was crisp and clean and as soon as we started the walk to the beginning of the trail, the sounds of nature's symphony of animals and bugs filled the ears. It was so relaxing!
As you can see from the photo above, we had not yet even started the trail and continued onwards till we got to it. It felt like we were already fully immersed in the thick of nature itself though even though there was still a roadway and power lines!
Finally, as the roadway changed from paved to dirt, there was the Maracas Waterfall sign! It seemed to be brand new and recently placed with sponsors and nice photo of the falls itself.
Here is a close up view of the sign itself so you can take a gander. I like that they put that one should take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints and kill nothing but time! An apt message for Trinidadian people who tend to litter and kill things that should not be a lot!
Just after the sign was the beginning area another more older sign and what seemed to be a resting place for eating and refreshment. There was even a mango tree that was bearing very ripe and sweet fruit right there. The area was quite empty as it was a week day but I assume It would be quite populated on the weekends and holidays!
Not far away, as the hiking trail began, there was this natural spring that produced the most refreshing and amazing tasting water I had ever had the pleasure of drinking! There was this bamboo set up that re routed some of the water from the rocks to a small elevated basin where you could drink from!
It was so pristine and clear and the temperature was cool and crisp. Just thinking about it now makes me want some! I immediately felt invigorated and energized and I guess it was amazing that it was situated just at the start of the trail!
The trail soon became a bit difficult with steep inclines as we began to scale the valley sides up the mountain amidst beautiful thick forest. The lighting was a bit dim as the canopies above shaded a lot of the sunlight. It felt so cosy and cool!
There were large rocks and slippery roots that forced you to be very cognizant of where exactly you were going to place your foot next! Here and there the sunlight peeked through making the whole view along the way so magical and just relaxing!
As we were trekking along, we came across this little paved area that stood out from amidst the thick jungle. It turns out that there was a smaller (but not tiny) waterfall right here on the side of the trail!
You can see it in the photo above trickling down from such a height! There was a cool refreshing breeze coming down as the water fell and it was exactly what we needed after that steep climb! We paused for a moment to take it all in and moved on!
Further along, the thick lush canopies above began to open up letting in more sunlight. This was by far my favorite along the way and it was even more magical and radiant. Even the trees and shrubs had a more beautiful look to it!
The beauty of this part of the trail was unmatched, it felt as if it was getting more and more beautiful as we went along. It felt like we were in a video game or a movie of the sort and this meant that we were quite close to the end of the hike where the waterfall was!
Just as I was thinking this, I looked up and through the trees like some celestial thing, there it was! The Maracas Waterfall in all its magnificence and beauty, peering through the canopies where you would expect to see the sky! It is the best part of the hike as it is so tall, it is literally overhead directly and you have not even reached as yet! The photo is wide angled so it distorts everything but imagine it being overhead!
We finally got to the clearing where the base of the waterfall was and you can actually bathe under it! It feels and looks like an opening in the mountain shielded from the sands of time! It looks so beautiful and pristine and like something out of Jurassic park!
Here is a better view of the clearing with the base of the waterfall in the top right. You can see there were a great many people already there having the time of the their lives with a large hiking group. In the bottom left, you can see the flag of Trinidad and Tobago flying proudly where you can take selfies of it with the falls behind you!
This is a glorious view of the tallest waterfall in Trinidad as we saw it up close and personal! This is a wide angle shot so imagine it being even taller! The falls seems so high but as you will see soon, it is even higher than that!
The people who were there before us were already bathing and enjoying the cool refreshing waters. It can also give you a scale of how large the stream is! The force of the water is pretty hard but not so much that it can damage you and it feels great on the back!
I just needed to see what the top of this thing looked like and so I launched the drone and began the flight upwards. the photo above is the first shot I took not too far up. This is the rock face that the falls hit before finally hitting the base.
The rocks you see at the bottom there in the shot above are the same ones you saw before where the people were bathing and I need you to remember them for scale and sense of height. It will also be your sense of direction.
It seemed like I was ascending for so long and I still had not yet reached the summit of the falls! Still you can see the rocks below how small they look now, and you can't even see bodies of people any more, that's how high up this was!
Finally I got to the top of the falls itself and the drone was so high up even the rocks looked like specks! It turns out that what looked like the tip of the falls from ground level was just a ledge and the top of the falls was a little higher than that!
This is what the top of the falls actually looked like and it was so beautiful with it cascades and different tiers of rocks. To think that people never see this part of the falls was mind boggling! This beauty hidden all the way up here!
I tried to get the whole falls in one shot from top to bottom but it was quite impossible and I did not have the lateral spacing. This shot is one of my favorites as it shows the top and a lot of the upper part of the falls.
I tried again to get a whole shot of the falls but this time but being directly overhead. So the rocks I told you to use as a sense of direction is in the middle of the shot and the top of the falls is to the right. So essentially this is a top down shot. See how small those rocks are? You cannot even see the people!
When I was satisfied with the amount of footage and photos of the never before seen top of the falls, I began a slow but careful descent back down to the base below. While doing so, I captured a rainbow formed as the sunlight was refracted by the water fall itself!
Maracas Waterfalls are without doubt the most magical and breathtaking falls in Trinidad. It is so high but also gives off those magical paradise vibes that you see in movies. The hike itself was filled with so much beauty and wonder that you just leave feeling so relaxed and satisfied. Thanks a lot for coming along, Cheers!
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I'm really crazy about waterfalls, I love hunting them, hehe.
Maracas waterfall is amazing, thank you for sharing such a wonderful place with us.
Sounds like an awesome hobby! I am just now getting into waterfall hunting! It definitely was, my pleasure!
Indeed it is, nature has so much to offer us, all we have to do is respect it and we will surely have some amazing moments.
Thanks so much!
Wow how do you manage to Hike on the mountain, I thought is slippery.
I flew the drone up to the top of the waterfall, the trek through the hilly jungle was mostly forest bed and not slippery until we had to walk over rocks!
Ohhh am sure is an awesome experience.
Amazingnature and real beauty of nature
Thanks a lot for reading! It definitely takes the breath away!
What stunning images. A beautiful waterfall, it must have been an unforgettable visit!
So glad you liked the photography! It was without a doubt, still feeling to revisit!
I like the shots! What a productive hike. The Maracas falls is spectacular. It is a wonderful sight to behold.
Glad you liked the pictures! Definitely a must visit!
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Thanks so much!
Wow, this jungle is amazing! I enjoy this nature, if only through photographs. I am always in awe of this wonderful jungle and greenery! They enliven the whole picture. I would like to walk through this jungle!
The waterfall is so spectacular! Do you take photos from a drone? The photos turned out just gorgeous. All this water falls so skillfully! You conveyed everything in photos just like in real life! At least I think so! I would like to visit this waterfall too!
Thanks a lot for reading and coming along for the adventure, so glad you liked the photography! Yes I do use a drone and hopefully you do get a chance to visit Trinidad at some point!
What impressive views, lots of nature and relaxing vibes. Was the climb up there very tiring? Actually it does look like a movie ride and scenery 😍
It was definitely relaxing, glad that it could be conveyed! It was quite tiring for us who don't hike as often but it is considered to be on the easy in terms of hike ratings here in Trinidad!
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