Aguage Waterfall

The draw here is not size. Neither the height of the fall nor the amount of water is the point. What makes the walk worth it is the setting: a pool at the base, ferns and hydrangeas crowding the banks, dense green on every side.

The way in drops on steep steps and takes about 10 minutes, which is enough to thin out the traffic. Santana's centre is close, but the tour groups stay in the town. Having the pool to yourself is a realistic prospect rather than luck. Wear shoes you can climb back up in — the return is the harder direction.

• Parking is the hard part — under 10 free spaces at the trail entrance, on a narrow road. More free parking about 200 m back along the access road.
• No toilets and no information point at the site or anywhere near it.
• The pool is very cold and deepens fast in the middle. Swimming is possible, but it is not the reason to come.
• Steep steps both ways — about 10 minutes down to the water, longer on the climb back up.

Most people come by car. The trail entrance sits on a narrow road with fewer than 10 spaces, so the fallback is the access road about 200 m back, or one of the free car parks within a kilometre. Looking for a space here can lead you into a private yard, so plan on walking the last stretch of road. From the entrance the path drops to the pool on steep steps: about 10 minutes down, longer coming back up. There is no way to drive to the water.

Better: early in the day.

Avoid: relying on the handful of spaces at the trail entrance.

Mornings give the best chance of both a parking space and an empty pool. This is not a stop on the tour circuit, and a quiet visit is normal here rather than a stroke of luck.