Discover the Salto Quebrada Grande in Mayagüez
I was headed out west in Puerto Rico for a few days, so I did some research to find my favorite things … waterfalls. I have been told by many Mayagüez locals that there aren’t any waterfalls there, but I had found a couple videos from years ago that showed one in the Caño Majagual stream, so I was on a quest! With a little effort, I found not one but two waterfalls, and the whole place was really nice and lush! I am very surprised more people don’t know about it! So I will share what I found.
Quebrada Grande is a small area located in the town of Mayagüez on the west coast. We parked by the ballpark, off the road, in the driveway of an abandoned building that the Caño Majagual runs around. We did not find any trails that lead to the stream, so we made our own way. You could always just walk up the river, starting at the bridge on the road.
The stream was maybe ankle deep in most areas, but you do need to walk in the river. We walked about 10-15 minutes until we found the first waterfall. The stream did get a little deeper as we got closer to the waterfall, but nothing deeper than mid-calf the day we went.
This first waterfall must have been some sort of dam at one time. It is a stone wall that has windows in it, and a small “tunnel” that probably regulated water flow at one time. Today, the dam has broken and the tunnel is clogged on the upriver side. The waterfall was maybe 8-10 feet high. But it made a pretty picture. I would love to know the history of this, so if anyone knows, shoot me a message!
Onward and upward – One needs to climb and scramble over this area and continue walking just a little more and you will find the real salto. This one is 2-tiered, the large lower falls is maybe 20-25 feet high, with some additional smaller falls above it. There is a little pool that it falls into, but it didn’t look very deep, maybe mid-thigh or more. The sun was shining just right on the water, it was a very pretty waterfall!
A couple things to note – While this stream was mainly only ankle-deep, obviously during rains it floods tremendously. The walls of the stream were cut about 6-8 feet high from water flow. So if the weather is not good or threatening upriver, don’t risk it! Also, there is a lot of garbage, car parts, and plastics thrown out upriver that ends up in this waterfall area, and in the stream (probably during those flash floods). I am not sure how clean/pure the water actually is, so swim with caution.
Details
Visit these falls during daylight hours, when there is little chance of rainfall.
Park off-road on Camino Quebrada Grande, near the baseball field. Enter the river, and walk up-river for about 15 minutes.
Click on a placename below to view the location on Google Maps ...
PuertoRicoDayTrips.com assumes no responsibility regarding your safety when participating in the activities described in this article. Please use common sense! If your mother or that little voice in your head tells you that you are about to do something stupid … then don't do it!
