Konoko Falls

Konoko Falls (8am-5pm daily, admission US$20 adults, US$10 children 12 and under) is a riverine botanical garden on the Milford River, which flows through the park before descending through town and out the storm gulley next to Moon Palace Jamaica Grande. Konoko was once a banana stand on Shaw Park Estate before the gardens and waterfalls were developed as an attraction in the early 1990s. Previously known as Coyaba Gardens and Mahoe Falls, the attraction was rebranded Konoko in December 2015 under the incoming management of Guardsman Hospitality, which brought endemic and exotic wildlife from the Hope Zoo in Kingston, managed by the same group.

Visitors can see native yellow-billed and black-billed parrots, iguanas, parrots and snakes as well as a pair of American crocodiles, turtle and two couple macaw, among a host of other endemic and exotic birds. Visitors can climb the waterfalls, where unobtrusive guides are on hand to help if needed. Tipping is at. A few small pools have enough space for several persons to be fully submerged and splash around. A Romanesque pavilion next to a bar and restaurant above the falls is used for events and weddings. A small museum features a history of the Taino, Jamaica’s earliest inhabitants, and a display covering the local watershed. Ysassi’s Lookout Point, named after the last Spanish governor of Jamaica, has a view over Ocho Rios and the bay. The entire park can be traversed in about 15 minutes.

To get to Konoko, turn right opposite the Anglican church heading south toward Fern Gully on Milford Road (the A3) keeping right at the Y immediately thereafter following the signs. The park entrance will be on your left. A taxi from the center of Ocho Rios shouldn’t cost more than US$10 for the 10-minute ride.