Reef Bay Petroglyphs

Reef Bay Petroglyphs are carvings cut into blue basalt beside a spring-fed pool at the foot of the valley’s highest waterfall. Faces, groups of dots and other marks spread across a rock panel roughly 20 feet wide; the pool reflects it. The site lies partway along the Reef Bay Trail, so this is a backcountry hike rather than a roadside stop. Come for unusual Taíno rock art and its setting, and plan for a strenuous walk back out.

The trailhead is near mile marker 5 on Centerline Road. The trail descends through old forest past plantation ruins and stone walls before reaching the waterfall and carvings, then continues to Reef Bay Beach. The full route to the beach is about three miles one way, with the petroglyphs along the way. The return climbs roughly 900 feet and takes longer uphill. Expect steep, uneven, rocky footing that can be slippery even when dry; wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and carry plenty of water and food.

Archaeological interpretation connects the carvings to Taíno culture as it developed between about AD 900 and the 1490s. That is an estimated period, not a direct date, and the exact meaning of the images is unsettled. Some faces are read as ancestral imagery. Dot clusters near the water resemble simple faces, while a cross-like mark at the pool’s edge may represent the cardinal directions or an ancestral body.

The pool is spring-fed and can reflect a broad panel of carvings, but the waterfall’s flow and the pool level change with rainfall. Rain can bring a stronger cascade and muddy trail sections; higher water may hide the lowest carvings. In drier spells the falls may be slight or dry, so the rock art is the lasting reason to make the walk.

For a photo, take in the carved rock above the water and its reflection from across the pool. From that distance the faces can look small, so a little phone zoom helps bring out their shapes. Do not chalk or scratch the carvings: it permanently damages the stone.