Grenada, heavily forested and fragrant with the lingering aromas of abundant spices, is laced with veins of water gushing down over mountains and through valleys. A hike through the rainforest at the heart of the island will lead you to the Seven Sisters Waterfall, Grenada’s incredibly beautiful family of seven cascading waterfalls.
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Skip ahead:
- What is the Seven Sisters Waterfall Grenada
- Book a tour to the Seven Sisters Waterfall Grenada
- How to get to the Seven Sisters with public transport
- The story! Our own tale of hiking the Seven Sisters
- Jumping from the Seven Sisters Waterfall
A brief introduction to the Seven Sisters Waterfall Grenada
Like the more well-known islands of St Lucia, St Vincent and Dominica, Grenada’s origin story is a lava-filled and very much volcanic one. Unlike some of its volcanic neighbours, however, Grenada’s volcanos have been extinct or dormant for a long long time. (The only exception being an underwater volcano off the northern coast of the island, which is brilliantly named ‘Kick ‘Em Jenny’. Jenny is very much active.)
So whilst there’s no danger of an eruption on Grenada itself, the landscape has clearly been moulded by its volcanic past, with steep mountains, valleys, and amazing crater lakes holding beautiful pathways for the network of rivers, streams, and crucially, waterfalls, running across the island. It is an absolute stunner, and not only is the island of Grenada one of my favourite in the Caribbean, the Seven Sisters Waterfall is undoubtedly the most incredible place I visited during my time there.
Why is it called the Seven Sisters? Well, the clue’s in the name. Seven waterfalls cascade one after the other through the rainforest, creating a Fern Gully-esque atmosphere as well as several wonderful pools to cool down in along the way. We only saw the first two falls, as these are the easiest to get to and don’t involve any jumping into the water (unless you really want to.)
(The world just seems to have a thing with sets of seven sisters, doesn’t it? There’s a Seven Sisters Cliffs in England, and Seven Sisters Waterfalls in Norway and India as well.)
How to get to the Seven Sisters Waterfall Grenada with a tour
For complete ease, especially if you don’t have so much time on your hands, you might want to pre-book transportation and entry to the Seven Sisters Waterfall Grenada.
Here’s a trip which includes all transportation, entry, and a hiking guide.
Of course, the other option is to take a taxi; there are always plenty of drivers waiting at the terminal in St George’s, and the drive should take around 20-25 minutes. Pay in cash, and make sure you negotiate a price with the driver before you get in the car.
How to get to the Seven Sisters Waterfall Grenada by local bus
Like many of the smaller Caribbean islands, buses in Grenada are not like your average European or US bus. That’s why I kind of love them. The bus station in St Georges is only two minutes walk from the cruise terminal- just turn left as you exit the terminal building- and there are always plenty of people to ask if you’re not sure where to find the right bus.
Read my full guide to St Georges Grenada for more ideas of what to do.
To get to the Seven Sisters Waterfall you’ll need the number 6. Tell the driver where you’re heading and they’ll make sure you get off at the right stop. Pay the driver as you leave the bus, and although Eastern Caribbean Dollars are better, most drivers will accept US dollars too.
The Bus
The woman at the bus station took one look at all ten of us standing by the empty minibus, and immediately went to find a driver. Buses in Grenada don’t tend to run by a fixed schedule; they just go when they’re full. And with ten of us to kick-start the filling of the seats, this little vehicle was well on its way to being at capacity.
Our rag-tag band of crew members had grown steadily as word spread that we were heading off to hike to the Seven Sisters Waterfalls, and although ‘the more the merrier’ is a great philosophy in theory, in practice it can make planning a little trickier. My pal Steffi and I marched at the front of the group towards the bus station, determinedly ignoring the one member of the group who was attempting to persuade everybody to get a taxi or maybe just head to a beach. We were women on a mission, and we would wait for nobody, even the dawdlers at the back who weren’t quite sure what they were signing up for.
The bus station was crowded and busy with minivans weaving in and out of each others pathways, and people winding in and out of those pathways, but we located the stop marked ‘Number 6’ and let everybody know that we were at the right stop. Our Taxi Fan colleague clearly didn’t trust our judgement. He looked around, declared that he would find out which bus we needed to get, and went off in search of a member of staff, returning two minutes later to say that we were waiting at the right bus stop, and we would need to catch the Number 6.
Good one, sir.
The bus driver arrived, ushered into his seat by the bus stop lady, and we all piled in to the little vehicle with some locals who were also waiting. Even when the buses in Grenada appear to be full, more fold-down seats appear from nowhere, allowing literally every available space to be occupied. (But also, the seemingly non-available spaces.)
Then we were off, careering around bends and up steep roads into the mountains. Past colourful painted houses, dogs wandering along the road, bright tropical flowers blossoming at the roadsides and humungous fruits hanging like baubles from trees overhead.
Prepping for the hike
Twenty minutes later, we were all standing at the entrance to the Seven Sisters Waterfall, being instructed by a jolly lovely woman who stood in the doorway of a wooden hut, about the rules of the hike. We had all handed over our entrance fee (which was in the region of a couple of US dollars per person), and then she informed us that we would definitely need to take a guide. For such a big group, it was the only way it would be possible, she said. For our safety, because the ground was slippery.
I wasn’t convinced she was telling the truth, but we agreed to go with a guide anyway, because, why not? The local lad, who looked like he was in his early twenties, was wearing a pair of rubber flip-flops for the hike to the waterfall. (As much as travel blogs and Tripadvisor will tell you to wear sensible footwear, in my experience locals always seem to wear sliders or flip-flops for even the most challenging of hikes; I had a similar experience when trekking through the mountains in Vietnam.) He handed sticks around for us to walk with, and the Greek member of our group- who was very used to all manner of outdoor activities- scoffed and said he’d be fine with his own two legs, thank you very much.
I can understand the aversion to a walking stick, but I was actually quite glad to have it when we reached the steeper parts of the trail. Also, truth be told, it made me feel like a Real True Explorer, even though we’d all arrived on a cruise ship. Let’s face it, second only to coach tours, cruise ship travel is traditionally one of the least adventurous forms of tourism, so I’ll take whatever I can get to convince myself that I’m actually some kind of secret pioneer.
As we left the vicinity of the little hut, the woman called out several times- “And remember, there is absolutely no jumping allowed from the Seven Sisters Waterfall!” She had the essence of Red Riding Hood’s mum about her, because as much as she’d repeated her warning (Don’t talk to strangers! Don’t jump from the waterfall!), it was very obvious that certain members of the group had every intention of leaping into the water as soon as they caught sight of it.
As a goody-two-shoes since birth, I was very concerned.
The hike to the Seven Sisters Waterfall
Grenada has plenty of stunning waterfalls to visit, and up until this point I’d only ever visited the nearby Annandale Falls– which is beautiful, but in all honesty is mere footsteps from the road. The hike to the Seven Sisters Waterfall, although only about 45 minutes in length, was much more challenging- and therefore, much more rewarding.
Walking sticks and all.
Our guide stopped here and there to point out different flowers and plants near the pathway, stretching up to show fruits overhead and explaining that we were actually going to be first of all walking past private property and farmland. We marvelled at bananas and pineapples and papaya, and spotted a solitary cow tied up amongst the foliage of palm trees and woody vines.
Leaving the road and the cultivated fruit trees behind us, we followed our trusty leader into the trees, to march single file along a narrow track through the rainforest. At some points, steep steps were laid into the muddy path, super slippery and sometimes seemingly endless. Up and down and over and around. We held on to tree trunks, pulled ourselves up with hands on rocks or vines or each other, and occasionally felt our feet fall out from beneath us as we fell flat onto the ground.
It began to rain, a soft pattering of heavy raindrops, as we crossed over several streams, hopscotching from rock to rock using our wooden sticks to pole vault onwards. The rain didn’t matter; we were drenched in sweat anyway.
Swimming at the falls
The really great thing about the Seven Sisters Falls is that as the hike is moderately challenging, this is not a spot which tends to overfill when cruise ships are docked down in St George’s. Although there were a few other visitors while we were there that day, we were mostly alone. (All ten of us.)
We reached the highest pool that we could get to, and swiftly decided it was time to get in. This was the reward for the sweaty sweaty hike, and although the sky was still fairly cloudy, the rain had stopped and the atmosphere was still humid. Water shoes were donned (oh so sexy and oh so necessary in my opinion), and into the chilly but completely clear water we went- some of us plunging headfirst, and others- like myself- creeping timidly in an attempt to ward off hypothermia. (Before being dragged in deeper by the brave ones.)
It was cold but so much fun- as long as you kept swimming- and a great way to pause before we made our way back through the rainforest.
Can you jump from the Seven Sisters waterfalls?
“Do you want me to show you where to jump from?” our guide asked.
I am not a cliff-jumping kind of a gal, so I most certainly did not. Especially as this particular drop is somewhere between 25-30 feet. No thanks. But four of the guys were very much up for it, so off they went behind the guide, scrambling up a very steep and narrow track that led uphill at one side of the pool. On this slightly soggy day, there was a lot of water running across the ground as well, so although it’s definitely possible to make this trek without a guide, it’s probably quite helpful to have somebody with you to show you the way.
We waited below and five minutes later the little group reappeared on a solitary rock at the top of the gushing water. Our guide explained that this was the safest spot to jump from, but they’d be perfectly fine. And off he went, careering over the top and plunging into the deep pool with an almighty sploosh. We all cheered: good lad.
Next up was our Taxi Fan friend from Montenegro, who was determined to be the first one to jump. As concrete evidence of how much of a man he is, we presumed. He stepped up to the edge, beat his chest like an actual gorilla and prepared for take off.
After forty-five minutes , he was still stood in the exact same place. He hadn’t moved an inch.
We had tried everything. Encouragement. Cheering. Countdowns. Looking away and pretending not to see him. Most of us were shivering by this point, and some of the group had even given up and decided to start the walk back already. Two of the four jumpers had made the tricky climb back down the steep side of the waterfall, as it became clear they would not be allowed to jump: either the Taxi Fan wanted to jump first, or nobody would be jumping at all. Nobody could pass. Unfortunately- evidently- his ego depended on it.
He had also tried everything, in fairness, to trick his mind into letting him jump. But when your body won’t move, it won’t move. And I actually think it’s quite logical to not feel an urge to hurl yourself off the top of a cliff, as fun as it may be. There’s no shame in it, folks.
The third jumper retreated as well, leaving the Taxi Fan alone to think about what he’d done. After a few more minutes of solitude while the water continued to cascade around him, he clambered back down to where we were waiting and slowly got dressed, hanging his head like a puppy. It was all a bit of an anticlimax, and I felt bad for everyone involved: the jumpers, the Taxi Fan, and our shivering selves who were turning slowly but surely blue.
Is it actually allowed to jump from the Seven Sisters Waterfall Grenada?
When we arrived back at the hut, the lady tutted: “Some people told me that you ignored my rule: you were jumping. This is not allowed!” We all shook our heads, and told the complete honest truth that in fact nobody had jumped at all.
As a stickler for the rules, particularly when I’m a guest in another country, there is no way that I would have personally gone against what this lady said. However, I’ll admit that it was a grey area.
The guide- who had been assigned to us by this lady- offered to show us how to get to the top, and where exactly to jump from. He had then jumped himself. I had already read so much online about ‘jumping from the Seven Sisters Waterfall Grenada’ that I was almost certain there’s no rule against it. So I’ll let you come to your own conclusion on that one, folks.
Getting back to St George’s
Under normal circumstances, I try to only used public transport on the smaller Caribbean islands when travelling in a small group; however on this occasion we had spontaneously been joined by a small international gang of colleagues. Featuring- in case you’re interested- representatives from Austria, Montenegro, India, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, Greece, and little old me from England. (And a lovely day we had all together, too. In fact it was one of the best days I had in Grenada.)
But buses are small, and seats are first come first served. I was almost certain that up at the top of a mountain range, halfway through the route of the number six bus, there would not be very many seats available. Definitely not ten seats (plus two more for the father and son pair who happened to be leaving at the same time as us.) We waited outside on the road until a number 6 appeared, and then disappeared again over the horizon. Full.
Luckily a man with a minibus happened to be dropping off some people, and we managed to all get a ride back down to the city with him for a few dollars each. Thank goodness for serendipity.
Is it worth the hike?
This whole excursion to the Seven Sisters was chaotic but hilarious, despite the slightly sour ending for some of the group. I loved every second of our hike, and getting to experience the beauty of Grand Etang National Park, to swim in the refreshing-until-you’ve-been-in-there-too-long waters of the Seven Sisters, and to briefly experience Grenada instead of just viewing it from a tourbus, was altogether glorious. This island has so much to offer, and our hike to the Seven Sisters waterfall is just further proof that the Caribbean isn’t just a destination for the sun worshippers and resort-lovers.