If you’re a waterfall person, we have another one for you — Chorros del Río la Planta in Arecibo. While not a destination in itself, this waterfall is a great quick stop while visiting something else in the Arecibo area.

I like waterfalls, so whenever I see a picture of one I don’t recognize, I send it around to all my "local" friends. Someone always knows where it is, and we get to go off exploring.

This pretty, man-made waterfall is located on the Río Tanama, in the Río Honda and La Planta sectors of Arecibo. It was originally built as part of a hydro-electric, but it is no longer used in the generation of electricity — it’s just a pretty waterfall. The remnants of the defunct hydroelectric plant (built in 1923) are still there, it’s actually where you park to get to these falls.

We parked at the end of the road (near the old hydroelectric plant), where there seems to be parking for about 10 cars. To get to the falls, walk past the old electric plant, and along the river-edge. We brought our lunch and had a picnic on the sandy area on the left side of the falls.

Some local teenagers were there, swimming and playing on the rocks, but be very cautious of the river. Watch the water level — as with all rivers, flash floods happen unexpectedly, with rapid currents, and people are washed away in a flash.

It should be noted that getting to these falls (on a dead-end road) was a little tricky. The roads are very narrow. Locals like to go here on weekends for picnics. I would hate to see this area with lots of traffic. I can’t imagine that 2 cars would actually be able to pass each other on these roads!

You can use this map to help find your way, but if you get lost ask a local. They will all tell you how to get there. We had to ask a number of people, and everyone seemed very friendly and helpful. I would suggest avoiding the weekends and only going here during the week.

Safety Note: never go in the rivers during a rain (flash floods happen a lot ) or even a day or two after a rain, since the current can be too strong to be safe. People have been hurt/killed while playing in rivers, jumping from the rocks and climbing around the rivers. Respect nature and be safe. And don’t litter.

What Else is Nearby?

Like we said, visiting this waterfall is not a trip in itself. Other things that you might want to visit in the surrounding area include Cueva Ventana, the Arecibo Radiotelescope, Rio Camuy Caves Park, Lago Dos Bocas, Cueva del Indio, Fun Valley Park, the Arecibo Lighthouse park, take an Ultralight Flight, or even Outlet Shopping in Barceloneta.

Details

Driving directions from Route 22 or Route 2 in the Arecibo area … Take Route 10 south. You’ll eventually see a sign to the right for the Arecibo Telescope/Observatory. Once you see that, continue on Route 10 south for about another 2 miles. Then you’ll see a sign to the right for Río Honda. That’s where you turn.