Cascada Gozalandia — Attraction in San Sebastián

Absolutely perfect. We’re staying in Rincón and were going to go to El Ultimo Brinco waterfall, but the reviews said it was full of trash and smelled bad, so we decided to do the 45 min drive northeast to Gozalandia, and it was SO worth it! Don’t let the parking lot fool you - This place is clean, pristine, short paved walkway from the parking lot to 2 absolutely breathtaking waterfalls. We went on a Sunday day, so the larger waterfall (2 min walk from parking lot) was packed, but still gorgeous, so my sons climbed up and jumped off of the top of the big waterfall while I swam in the refreshing cool swimming hole below, and then we decided to go check out the slightly smaller waterfall (7 min walk on clean, smooth paved pathway from parking lot), and we were SO glad we did. The smaller waterfall was an absolute paradise, 10 times less crowded than the big one (maybe 10-15 people on a crowded day vs 75ish people at the big waterfall). Rope swing for us slightly more adventurous, great swimming, you can swim or climb up and stand in the waterfall. Tiny little clear freshwater shrimp jumping off the rocks, fish swimming around your feet. The only downside of the smaller waterfall (which isn’t really small at all) was that the rocks on the bottom when you first walk in were slightly sharper than the other waterfall, but not sharp enough to cut you, so if you have kids or elderly with you, they should wear water shoes. Our whole family had a blast at this little slice of heaven, and then we stopped at the snack bar next to the parking lot and had some of the best mojitos, pina coladas, quesadillas, empanadas, and platanos fritos that we’ve had on our whole trip, for better prices than you’ll find in Viejo San Juan or in Rincon. Literally the only downside here was that the bathrooms were super dirty, which honestly didn’t faze us at all after we had such a great time and everything else was so clean and pristine. Probably my family’s favorite day trip we’ve ever done anywhere...

My family and I went today. You pay a guy $10 on your way in to park. So take cash.

Caution, it's slippery, so wear appropriate footwear. Those concrete stairs are steep in some areas, and tall. I had to work my legs just to get back up to the top and I was about out of breath going back to the car. I'm not sure what more could even be done about that that wouldn't destroy the beautiful nature scene. That's on me for also being a bit out of shape.

We had lunch before heading to the waterfall and were greeted by some friendly kitties and a black dog. So sweet! The dog had just gotten back from taking a dip in the water somewhere.

Food was pretty good - I went full spoiled tourist and got the cheeseburger and fries. Massive burger. My husband got the steak quesadilla. Kids got a cheeseburger and a cheese pizza. All nice sized meals. Margaritas are on point! So good.

Then we made our way to the waterfalls. The walk down wasn't so bad, just a few steep steps and it got slippery as we went. Rickety railings, and in one spot there isn't any railing at all, so good luck. There were a lot of people. There's a spot or two by the waterfall that you can jump in from, but you have to climb the slippery surface. Another area to the right of the waterfall has a rope to help you get up. With some guts, you can find yourself at the higher points and jump in.

For me, this was a once in a lifetime thing. I wouldn't necessarily go back just because of the steep stairs, haha! But it's nothing against them. Just my preference. It was beautiful though. I just wish I had on better shoes and they had an easier way...

Cascada Gozalandia is a great place to spend a day cooling off from the hot afternoon sun. It is within close driving distance from San Sebastián and easy to get to.

When you arrive you need to pay $10 (July 2023) to park. Right near the parking lot there is a small pond with a deck in the middle for the DJ. Surrounding the pond are tables for a place called Sha’s. (We did not try that place though). Below the pond you will see a sign that says “Waterfalls”.

You will take a small set of stairs down to the trail. After that you can decide to go left or right at the fork in the trail.

If you go left you will come upon a steep set of stairs that will allow you to go down into the main falls area. The view is spectacular as you descend the stairs and start to catch your first glimpses of the falls. There are a couple of areas where you can step off and catch a better view of the falls before descending the rest of the way.

Be careful once you reach the canyon floor as the moss covered rocks can be quite slippery. As you arrive in the continuing floor you see the waterfall rising high above you. Note: Recently a large chunk of the limestone from the main waterfall has collapsed and fallen into the pool below. If you look closely at the photos you should be able to see this in more recent photos. If you plan on jumping or diving off of the rocks be aware of this.

If you take a right at the fork above it will lead you to other areas of the river where you can relax in smaller pools. If you take the trail to the end it will bring you to another...