Significant work has been completed on the Reach Falls Attractions in Portland ahead of the summer tourist season through a J$25 million upgrading contract by Portland General Contractors. Painting work as well as the installation of cabinets and fixtures are currently being done in the administrative offices, sanitary facilities, food and beverage hut and nurse’s station.
Reach Falls is operated by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), and is open to visitors Wednesdays to Sundays and public holidays from 8:30 to 4:30 pm at the affordable cost of J$300 and J$150 for Jamaican residents; adults and children respectively. For non-resident visitors, the cost is US$10 for visitors over 12 years and US$5 for those aged 4-12 years.
Nature lovers can expect a 30 – minute tour of the Driver’s River which feeds the falls, and exposure to rare plants and popular fruit trees. Reach, like other falls, is fed from a watershed area and is distinctive, not just for its cascading and pristine water, but also for the guided tour up the river. In its flowing path, the river has created some of the most breathtaking and dramatic rock pools. These famous features are said to relieve the most troubled minds and provide the ultimate relaxation and renewal of body, mind and spirit.
The UDC reopened Reach Falls to the public in February 2007 after completing interim works on the facility inclusive of improved sanitary amenities, electricity supply and the funding of a pipeline to the attraction. The road leading to the falls was also repaired.