Gozalandia Waterfall in San Sebastian: Should You Visit?

When visiting Puerto Rico, seeing the entire island in one go may be difficult. I can understand that. Many unique sites exist, like San Juan, El Yunque National Forest, and Fajardo. If you have time, visiting sites like Gozalandia waterfall on the western part of the island is a must!

After visiting Cayey and similar attractions, such as Charco Prieto and Cerro de los Cielos, it was time to head west.

Places like Rincon and Aguadilla are hotspots for travelers that want to get out of the big city. Sometimes known as the Rincon waterfall, Gozalandia is a fun place to relax and get out of the sun. But is it worth visiting?

In this guide, I’ll go over everything you need to know about Gozalandia waterfall and if it’s worth visiting.

What is the Gozalandia waterfall?

Believe it or not but Gozalandia waterfall used to be a secret. This often seemed to be the case before social media became what it is today. There was a side trail through cow pastures that you had to take to reach this waterfall in San Sebastian.

There are many amazing hikes in Puerto Rico but this one is short and simply for relaxing.

Now it’s a popular attraction that requires payment and even has a restaurant on site. Whether this is a good thing or not is up for debate.

Where is the Gozalandia waterfall?

Gozalandia waterfall is located in San Sebastian. This area of Puerto Rico is East of the famous surf towns of Rincon and Isabela.

It’s easy to find this waterfall now by searching on Google Maps.

How to Get to Gonzalandia Waterfall?

If you’re an adventure enthusiast like myself, renting a car in Puerto Rico is necessary when visiting.

Puerto Rico isn’t like other Latin American destinations with abundant public transportation. You need your car, but with that comes more freedom!

Rincon to the Gonzalandia Waterfall

Rincon is a popular destination when visiting the west coast of Puerto Rico. To get to the town of San Sebastian from here, you’ll want to take PR-115 North until you can take a sharp right onto PR-111.

Keep following this road until you reach San Sebastian. From there, you’ll take a left onto PR-446. Follow the signs until Gozalandia Waterfall.

Things to Know Before Hiking to Gonzalandia Waterfall

Since Cascada Gonzalandia has grown in popularity so fast, there’s a lot you should know before going. After all, it’s better to be prepared so you can fully enjoy your trip, right?

What to Bring

Gonzalandia Waterfall might not be much of a hike anymore, but it’s still a good idea to be prepared. You don’t want to forget something and wish you brought it.

Below are some things that might be helpful to bring with you here and for the rest of your trip to this beautiful island.

• Sun Screen
• Grayl Water Filter
• Insect Repellent
• Water Shoes
• Travel Towel

Payment & Parking

With an attraction growing in popularity, so does its amenities. And this is no different with Gozalandia Waterfall.

There’s a parking lot when you first pull up. The payment for parking here is $10 per vehicle. You might be able to park somewhere on the side of the street, but that’s risky.

The safe thing to do is pay for the parking. There’s even a restaurant onsite where you can grab something to eat if you’re hungry.

Gozalandia Waterfall Death

Unfortunately, there have been some deaths here in the past. When arriving at the waterfall, you might notice many people cliff-jumping.

We saw one guy doing crazy high jumps. You should only attempt these if you know what you’re doing. Please be safe and have proper judgment.

Travel Insurance

If you plan on doing adventurous activities like cliff jumping here at Gozalandia waterfall, I highly suggest purchasing travel insurance first.

There’s no other travel insurance company I trust more than SafetyWing. They’re a trustworthy company that has fantastic benefits for digital nomads.

You might think travel insurance is a scam, but my friend saved almost a thousand dollars last year after being forced to get rabies shots while traveling!

Other Waterfalls/Activities in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is full of adventure and many spectacular water adventures! Below are a few attractions that I highly recommend putting on your itinerary.

• La Zanja Trail
• Infinity Pool Hike in Naguabo (El Yunque)
• Playa Colora
• Juan Diego Falls
• La Coca Trail
• Las Tinajas Falls
• Las Paylas

Best Places to Stay in Rincon, Puerto Rico

Rincon is a surfer’s paradise. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and nightlife options all in town! Below are some of the best places to stay for all types of budgets!

• Rincon Beach Resort: Looking to relax during your Puerto Rico visit entirely? You won’t find a better deal for a resort on the entire island.
• Coconuts Palms Inn: This is one of the most stunning accommodations in Rincon that’s also a great price!
• Sunset Paradise Villas: Does a hot tub overlooking the ocean sound fun to you? Then look no further than this spectacular hotel!

FAQs about Gonzalandia Waterfall

When is Catarata Gozalandia open?

Gonzalandia Waterfall is open from 9 am until 6 pm. Sometimes they might open a little bit later. If you get there early, you can be one of the first ones at the waterfall and have nobody in your photos.

Many people start showing up here at around 11 or 12, so be prepared!

Do You Need to Book in Advance to Visit Catarata Gozalandia?

You don’t need to book in advance to visit Gozalandia waterfall in San Sebastian. If you’re booking a tour, then it’s smart to book this a day or so in advance.

Do You Have to Pay to Go to Gozalandia Waterfall?

Yes, you have to pay to go to Cascada Gozalandia. It costs $10 per vehicle and the parking lot is a pretty big size.

Some people park somewhere on the side of the ride and take a trail down to the waterfall, but I don’t recommend this.

What Movie is Gozalandia Falls in?

Since Gozalandia waterfall is easily accessible these days, its popularity has grown. It’s even been in the movie “A Perfect Getaway”. And I do agree, this is a perfect getaway!

How Tall is Gozalandia?

There are two waterfalls located in the park. The main waterfall, Gozalandia waterfall, is 60 feet tall or 18 meters high. Be careful with cliff-jumping, as some spots can be dangerous.

My Experience at Gozalandia Waterfall

It’s hard not to hear about this amazing waterfall located in San Sebastian. We visited Gozalandia waterfall when we stayed in Aguadilla.

We left our house around 9 am and it took us around 40 minutes to arrive. I knew this location was popular, so I was pretty nervous that it would be packed already.

When we arrived at the parking lot, only about 10 cars were there already but more were piling in. We knew we had to act fast to get some good photos.

You’ll see the restaurant across the pond when you arrive at the parking lot. We didn’t go there because we had already eaten but they have some decent food if you’re hungry!

There isn’t much of a hike anymore down to Gozalandia waterfall. It’s a few steps of stairs and we were all fine wearing flip-flops.

There are actually two sets of waterfalls here at the park. We wanted to get to Gozalandia waterfall first, so that’s where we headed.

Simply keep following the stairs down and take a left when that decision arises.

That’s me jumping from the top middle section of the waterfall. If you go to the right, you’ll see a rope. You can start climbing up and around.

I’m unsure if it was always like this, but footprints seemed embedded in the rock. My guess is from the sheer amount of people who have visited this spot since it became popular.

There’s always that one guy at these waterfalls who goes above and beyond what everyone else is doing. Sure enough, that guy was here at Gozalandia Waterfall.

He seemed like he knew what he was doing but be careful!

There’s another waterfall on the other side of the park. If instead of taking that left to come down to Gozalandia waterfall, you’ll want to have taken a right.

Follow this trail for about 5 or 10 minutes and you’ll arrive at the second waterfall.

This area seemed like a more relaxing spot to hang out at but the waterfall wasn’t as good. There also weren’t many spots to jump off, so if cliff-jumping is your thing, head back.

My Final Thoughts on Gozalandia Waterfall

With its ease of access and sheer beauty, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Gozalandia waterfall. Normally I prefer waterfalls that take a bit more of a hike to reach but I still loved coming here. The cliff-jumping aspect was a good addition. If you want to get here with as minimal crowd as possible, you MUST arrive at 9 am, preferably on a weekday. Even then, there might be a short window of opportunity with nobody.

Thank you for reading my guide on the Gozalandia waterfall! I hope this has answered your questions about this San Sebastian, Puerto Rico spot.