Highly Recommend 27 Charcos - just went yesterday!
Thank you to those who replied.
I was interested in this waterfall because of the people jumping from it in the picture. Looks like a lot of fun. Heading to a condo in Costambar in 2 weeks with my girlfriend and just looking for stuff to do other then sightsee in PP or head up Mount Isabel (both of which we will do of course). This will be my 6th or 7th time visiting and I have never seen either the whales in Samana or any of the waterfalls.
I have read some of the posts regarding the behaviour of one of the tour guides and should we end up visiting this location I shall keep my eyes and ears open.
As I am not staying in a resort I was wondering if there was a reputable company in downtown PP that I could contact regarding arranging a tour....
As for a restaurant...neither of us are big Lobster fans but aren't picky eaters either...just looking for someplace...should I say with a romantic ambiance...
Thanks again for the help,
Dave
Dave:
We just went to 27 Waterfalls yesterday from Sosua. What a fantastic day trip! There were 4 of us (3 guys, 1 girl, all fairly fit) and I have to say it's worth it to do all 27 falls (you have the option of choosing to complete 7, 12, or all 27 falls. I say this only if you're in pretty good shape, as there are some falls you have to climb up using a rope to pull yourself up while your feet try to find traction through the waterfall itself and lots of places you're doing a lot of fairly taxing climbing.
Rather than spend up to $75 per person using a tour (most tours don't even do all 27 falls - only the first 7 or 12), I would suggest doing what we did. Hop on a GuaGua (in our case it was from Sosua) to Puerto Plata, stop at the Javilla Tours bus stop, and ask for the bus to 27 Charcos. It's easy and only 50 pesos per person from Javilla in POP to the Falls. The bus drops you off on the roadside by the sign for 27 Charcos, so you have maybe a quarter mile walk to the entry. There's a customer counter where you can pay your entrance fee and get your guide. Doing it this way it's only 460 pesos per person to do all 27 Falls.
They'll even put your bag (if you bring a change of clothes) in a locked closet behind the counter for you to pick up when you're done. We didn't have anything of value in it, so left it and retrieved it at the end without any trouble.
Our guide was great - no problems like mentioned in other posts. Hopefully you don't have any fear of heights as one of the jumps is about 30 feet up and another two were in the 15-20 foot range. We didn't see anybody chicken out - everybody seemed game no matter the difficulty level and the guides ensured you always knew where to place your hand or foot while climbing as well as where to jump to ensure your safety (plus you wear helmets and life jackets at all times).
Things to remember:
1. Don't bring anything past the customer counter that you don't want to get wet.
2. Wear comfortable and tough shoes (My husband wore water socks and they were destroyed by the end of the trek. Even our friend's sneakers were coming apart at the seams from all the rock climbing and walking in water)
3. Bring your sense of adventure!
4. Be sure to tip your guide if you're pleased with the tour.
The falls are fantastic and we had a great time. I highly recommend it!
Enjoy your trip!
Amy