Rincón Rush

The Spanish word 'Rincón' literally translates as 'corner'. The area originally served as a crossroad between the North Coast and the first capital of Trinidad andTobago, San José de Oruña (St.Joseph).

The Majestic Rincón Valley on Trinidad’s North Coast, is conveniently located just a couple kilometers after the Maracas Bay Beach Facilities.

The history of this rural community goes back to the late 18th Century when just over 1000 acres of land was granted to the Spanish Treasurer Jose Ramon Muxica. With this, he established the Las Cuevas estate. This estate encompassed the Rincón Valley and spanned all the way from the sea to the foothills of the enigmatic El Tucuche peak.

Shortly after, it was sold to Valentin de Basanta and was used for sugar cane cultivation. With the slave amelioration act of 1824, it quickly faced bankruptcy, put on the market and was eventually developed as a cocoa estate. Exploring this valley today, cocoa tress can still be found deep in the forest; a tell tale sign of its history… and of course, a tasty snack offering while making your way to lush water features.

The Rincón Valley is boarded by two rivers, Quebrada De Hierro on the east and Curaguate or Rincon River on the west. This makes it ideal for a few expedition options (see our listing).

As far as some of our river explorations go, this particular one is short, but it does pack a solid punch! The perfect option if you are in the mood for some early morning excitement.

THE TREK

From our start point, the 2.5km/1.6mi approach to the Rincón Waterfall base does involve an ascent and a steep descent. Here the male Bearded Bellbird (locally known as Campanero) usually motivates you along the way with his calls for a female. These calls also serve to ward off any nearby rivals!

This waterfall has an altitude of approximately 75m/245ft (T&Ts 2nd highest), with its source coming from El Tucuche.

When we get to her base, this is when things start to get interesting, for we now start making our way to the very top. The gradient of this intense segment will surely challenge the best of us!

Eventually we reconnect to the river and get ready for the main event; the Rincón Rappel. This is an action packed 75m/245ft descent back down to the Rincón main pool.

Put yourself to the test!

N.B.
* If you do not have previous experience using rappelling / rock climbing gear and not familiar with the
techniques used for this activity, you will be required to participate in the CoolBlue Adventures Rock
Climbing/Rappelling Experience (see our listings), prior to embarking on this expedition.

* This activity is highly dependent on weather conditions and is typically only available as an option during
our ‘Dry’ Season; January – May.