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A Tour of the Original Mayfields Falls and Mineral Springs
Sep 15
We had the chance to take a trip to Mayfield Falls with a group of local children and some guest from Heartbeat Resort courtesy of one of the guests named John. It was his last full day in Jamaica after 4 beautiful weeks and he wanted to give something back to some of the neighborhood children that had brought him so much joy in his last days here.
With a little planning we decided that it would be 5 adults and 5 children piling into our van for the 1 1/2 hour drive to Mayfield Falls via Sav La Mar. We booked a tour guide and lunch package with the Original Mayfield Falls and headed off for the park early that morning. We were given directions to Mayfield Falls by the office staff when we purchased our tour package but we missed a turn and ended up taking an alternative route which ended up being a pretty bad road. There are some potholes on most of the roads in Jamaica but on this trip much of the road was gone and I certainly advise you to take this trip with an experienced guide of some sort because getting stuck or lost out there would be no fun. Eventually our bad road meets up with the road we missed or the good road but then both f them get horrible, the entry road to Mayfield Falls is in horrible condition and extreme caution is advised. I could not understand how they could let the road deteriorate to such poor conditions for one of the nicer natural attractions in the Negril area but things became a bit more clear once we arrived on scene.
There are now two attractions on the Mayfield River. The Original Mayfield Falls is where we chose to go based on local advice that the falls and river are much nicer here. The newer attraction is named Riverwalk at Mayfield Falls and they have strategically placed themselves on the roadway before Mayfield and overwhelmed the place with signage to make it seem they are they one and only attraction and the one everyone has come to see. You can see this is having an effect on the Original Mayfield Falls and is certainly costing them a lot in lost business and revenue. I have not decided whether we’ll stop by the other one next time or not. I think it’s kinda wrong whats being done and its apparent to me anyway that they are stealing their business by being somewhat deceptive in using the name Mayfield Falls instead of Mayfield Riverwalk or something and the signs are misleading.I think the staff and management needs to clear things up by creating some nice new signage of their own letting everyone know there are two places to see. I understand that Riverwalk is a newer and nicer facility but somewhat overpriced when compared to the Original. I cannot of course confirm this yet so I guess I should then huh? Settled then, I’ll go to Riverwalk next and compare them for you. Hows that?
Anyway the Original Mayfield Falls has some very beautiful scenery and we ended up having an incredible day hiking up the river to the main falls. I have to say here that without the wonderful services of Gary the Wonder Guide who with three kids hanging from his arms and neck was still able to skip up the river like a stone over the water it would not have been so nice a trip. If you go you simply must have a guide to help you navigate your way to the top or you’ll simply never make. The trip up is about an hour hike over some pretty tough terrain but well worth the effort. It’s an awesome nature walk through towering forests up the river with tons of great spots to swim in the cool mineral waters. You can drink the water direct from the river and it’s like drinking bottled water before they bottle it. It’s very refreshing and cold. The kids were good in the water but a few of us adults took a minute getting used to it. It’s definitely invigorating and according to many locals the mineral waters have healing powers and can aid in all sorts of ailments.
The goal of our hike was to reach the largest waterfalls at the top of the trail where we were able to slide behind the waterfall for a cool pic with Mathis, one of the local youths we took for the trip. It was a great accomplishment for us as a family to make it up there together and we all had a great time hiking the river. Both my kids and the local kids had fun and a new experience and there have been almost daily requests to return ever since we got back. We’ll certainly be taking more trips to Mayfield and for sure we’ll got to Riverwalk at Mayfield next so we can compare.
Our tour package included lunch at the on site restaurant and we were served a delicious meal of Jerk Chicken, Rice and Peas and Veggies along with a cool glass of fresh squeezed mango juice which was perfect. You certainly have the option of bringing your own lunch if you prefer but it’s not worth it. For the price paid the local food was awesome and not having to worry about was even better. We enjoyed our time at the river and left the work up to the very capable and friendly staff for the day. If you’re interested in more information on tours to Mayfield Falls please contact us for more details.
More pics from Mayfield Falls in the Jamaica photo gallery
Jamaica MAX says Make your Jamaica Vacation Tours Reservations Now!!
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