Gozalandia Waterfall (La Cascada del Guama)

Aguadilla / Lares, San Sebastian, Puerto Rico

About Gozalandia Waterfall (La Cascada del Guama)


Hiking Distance: 1.2 miles round trip (both falls)
Suggested Time: allow 1 hour

Date first visited: 2022-04-17
Date last visited: 2022-04-17

Waterfall Latitude: 18.36143
Waterfall Longitude: -66.9833

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Gozalandia Waterfall is perhaps the most popular waterfall in Western Puerto Rico (if not all of the island) thanks to a pair of notable falls that are great for families with kids as well as adults who are kids at heart.

The lower waterfall is the more popular one as it featured a tall 30m drop that was also unusually wide with a refreshingly cool plunge pool that was a hit with families, especially if they brought children.

Gozalandia_122_04172022 - The Upper Gozalandia Waterfall
The Upper Gozalandia Waterfall

Conversely, the upper waterfall is a bit shorter and more slender, but it featured a rope swing as well as a deep plunge pool, and this one attracted mainly adults since you have to hike a bit further for it.

Regardless, in my mind, both waterfalls were quite easy and straightforward to visit, and I can totally see why it’s popular.

The Gozalandia Waterfall goes by various names as I’ve seen it called Cascada Gozalandia, Catarata Gozalandia, and Cascada del Guama among others.

In any case, these waterfalls are accessed through private property, where we paid $10 to park.

Gozalandia_057_04172022 - The Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
The Lower Gozalandia Waterfall

There’s also a cantina by the large grassy car park, which served up some pretty fresh local food, including a pretty good mofongo as well as the freshest parcha (passion fruit) mojito that we ended up having throughout our Spring Break PR Trip.

Indeed, this waterfall experience was really all about lazing around in beautiful surroundings as opposed to being an adventure.

Our Gozalandia Waterfall Experience

From the spacious grassy car park, we pretty much followed a concrete path down past a building that appeared to have been damaged from Hurricane Maria before reaching a junction.

At this junction, we could go left and take a short two-minute walk down to the bottom of the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall, or we could go right and take a 20-minute or so walk up to the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall.

Gozalandia_146_04172022 - Descending the steep steps leading to the bottom of the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Descending the steep steps leading to the bottom of the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall

On the way down to the steep steps of the lower waterfall, there were some lookout platforms providing partial top-down views of the main waterfall.

There was also another path that kept going downstream, but that just looped back to the same trail that we were on (perhaps as an alternative if the steps were too steep for the acrophobic).

Once at the bottom of the descent, we could then cross the creek and find a spot to chill out in the shade against the intensifying sun though most people here just went right into the refreshing plunge pool to cool off.

Back at the trail junction above, I also took the paved path further upstream leading past some intermediate waterfalls and swimming holes before eventually reaching the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall.

Gozalandia_091_04172022 - The paved path leading alongside the stream towards the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall
The paved path leading alongside the stream towards the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall

This upper waterfall had a rope swing, and I hardly saw young kids here (if any) during my visit largely due to the fact that I had to hike to get here.

Another thing I noticed about our visit was that there were no boom boxes, no coolers, and no BBQs going on at the Gozalandia Waterfall.

Apparently, the owners here put a clamp down on the ambience of this place as well as perhaps pricing out locals since they did charge $10 to park during our April 2022 visit.

So it was refreshingly naturesque and less ear-splitting compared to say Luquillo Beach.

Gozalandia_110_04172022 - Closer look at the the adults chilling out before the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall
Closer look at the the adults chilling out before the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall

Overall, we spent a lazy 3 hours at the Gozalandia Waterfalls though we easily could have spent as little time as desired or as much time as we wanted here.

Authorities

Gozalandia Waterfall resides in the municipality of San Sebastián, Puerto Rico. Parking and access to this waterfall is on private property. For the latest information, the owners have an Instagram page.

Gozalandia_008_04172022 - Looking across the pond towards the start of the short walk leading down to the Gozalandia Waterfalls
Gozalandia_011_04172022 - Looking back in the direction of the car park and 'Gozalandia' sign from the a viewing area in the middle of the pond
Gozalandia_015_04172022 - Tahia making her way down to the Gozalandia Waterfalls
Gozalandia_018_04172022 - The way down to the Gozalandia Waterfalls was well-maintained and quite easy
Gozalandia_019_04172022 - Tahia continuing to make her way down the well-maintained path to the Gozalandia Waterfalls
Gozalandia_020_04172022 - Tahia about to descend the steep steps leading to the base of the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_022_04172022 - Checking out one of the overlooks at the top of the descent to the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_025_04172022 - Partial view from one of the lookouts over the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_026_04172022 - The other lookout above the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_028_04172022 - Noticing a gecko blending in well with a tree near one of the overlooks of the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_143_04172022 - The initial steps descending towards the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_030_04172022 - Partial look down across the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall on the way down
Gozalandia_035_04172022 - Steep steps leading down to the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_038_04172022 - Context of the steps leading down to the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall and the waterfall itself
Gozalandia_039_04172022 - Looking across the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_044_04172022 - Making it down to the bottom of the descent before the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_049_04172022 - Frontal look against the morning sun at the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_052_04172022 - Another look at people chilling out before the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_067_04172022 - Julie and Tahia joining in on the action at the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_074_04172022 - Going up an alternate set of steps as I started to pursue the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_075_04172022 - More distant and contextual look at the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall as I was starting to head up to the Upper Waterfall
Gozalandia_080_04172022 - The alternate trail skirted beneath the damaged building by the car park (which I suspected used to be the main building before Hurricane Maria damaged it)
Gozalandia_083_04172022 - Continuing along the walkway leading towards the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_085_04172022 - Looking upstream from an attractive pool fronting one of the intermediate cascades on the way up to the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_086_04172022 - Looking across another intermediate waterfall on the way up to the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_090_04172022 - Looking down across another intermediate waterfall on the way up to the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_094_04172022 - Continuing to follow the well-developed path leading up to the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_095_04172022 - Ascending some steps leading up to the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_098_04172022 - Making the final approach to the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_101_04172022 - It was mostly adults chilling out at the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_115_04172022 - Looking downstream from the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_135_04172022 - Last look at the Upper Gozalandia Waterfall before heading out
Gozalandia_136_04172022 - A large garbage bag probably collected by the owners to ensure the complex was litter free
Gozalandia_138_04172022 - Following the path leading back down towards the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall and car park
Gozalandia_139_04172022 - Someone chilling out before an intermediate waterfall between the Upper and Lower Gozalandia Waterfalls
Gozalandia_141_04172022 - Back at the trail junction near the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_142_04172022 - This sign pretty much explained why the ambience at the Gozalandia Waterfalls was actually relaxing
Gozalandia_145_04172022 - Another look back across the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall when I returned
Gozalandia_149_04172022 - By midday, the lighting gets quite harsh at the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_151_04172022 - I noticed fish swimming in the plunge pool before the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_154_04172022 - Last look at the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall before heading back up
Gozalandia_155_04172022 - Going back up the steep steps leading up to the car park from the Lower Gozalandia Waterfall
Gozalandia_157_04172022 - Going back up past the damaged building by the Gozalandia car park
Gozalandia_161_04172022 - This was the freshest parcha mojito that we had on our Puerto Rico Trip in 2022 largely due to the fresh passion fruit that went into it
Gozalandia_162_04172022 - This was a mofongo stuffed with shrimp (camarones) served up at Gozalandia
Gozalandia_163_04172022 - Context of the cantina and car park before we returned to the parked car
Gozalandia_169_04172022 - A heron chilling out at Gozalandia
Gozalandia_170_04172022 - Last look back across the pond at the car park for Gozalandia


Accessing Gozalandia Waterfall is pretty straightforward (at least in my mind).

So I’ll describe how we managed to do the drive both from Arecibo as well as from Aguadilla.

Gozalandia_158_04172022 - Gozalandia's car park was quite busy during our Easter Sunday visit, but it was also still quite spacious
Gozalandia’s car park was quite busy during our Easter Sunday visit, but it was also still quite spacious

From Arecibo, we exited the PR-22 for the PR-129, which we followed for a little over 15 miles to the PR-111 in Lares.

Then, we would take the PR-111 west for a little over 10 miles to the traffic light at PR-446 (note this is 3 miles beyond the colorful Salto Collazo road bridge).

From there, we followed the PR-446 for about 3/4-mile before reaching a residential street turnoff to the right (by now we noticed “Gozalandia” signs), and we followed that road for nearly another 0.7-mile to the gated entrance on the left.

If the gate is open, then we’d drive down over a steep ramp past a concrete ford before going back up the other side before reaching a manned grassy parking area, where we paid the owner to park.

Gozalandia_015_04172022 - Looking back across this pond towards the cantina from the start of the short trail leading down to the waterfalls nearby the car park
Looking back across this pond towards the cantina from the start of the short trail leading down to the waterfalls nearby the car park

From Aguadilla, we’d drive south on the PR-2 before its off-ramp with the PR-111.

Then, we’d head east on the PR-111 for a little under 11 miles to the PR-446 turnoff and traffic light, and then we’d follow the directions as given above to reach the Gozalandia property.

Overall, San Sebastián was about 24km (over 30 minutes drive) east of Aguadilla, about 43km (under an hour drive) southwest of Arecibo, about 31km (around 45 minutes drive) northeast of Mayaguez, around 72km (over 90 minutes drive) northwest of Ponce, and about 122km (under 2 hours drive) west of San Juan.

Find A Place To Stay

Downstream to upstream sweep from the far side of the creek eventually panning to Gozalandia's lower drop


Sweep showing an angled view of the falls as well as the large plunge pool below


Checking out the falls from one overlook before walking past the steps towards the other overlook of Gozalandia


Left to right sweep of the upper Gozalandia Waterfall with rope swing and some people chilling out


Another sweep starting with a rope swinger before the video pans closer to the upper Gozalandia Waterfall and then zooming out

Trip Planning Resources


Nearby Accommodations



Tagged with: gozalandia, family friendly, san sebastian, rope swing, private, western puerto rico, puerto rico



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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