Afurja Waterfall

The Afurja waterfall drops in a single fall of around seventy metres into a rocky gorge in the mountains above Quba, which makes it one of the highest in the country. A stair and path lead from the road down into the gorge and to a viewing point below the fall, and the last part of the descent is steep. The water carries most volume in spring when the snow is coming off the ridges above, and in a cold winter the fall freezes into a column.

What you actually see

• The drop - a single unbroken fall of around seventy metres into the gorge.
• The gorge - rock walls closing in around the plunge pool.
• The stair - a steep descent from the road down to the viewing point.
• The winter ice - the fall frozen into a column in a hard winter, which is when it looks best.

When to go

May to June has the strongest flow from snowmelt. Summer reduces it considerably. Winter can freeze it solid, but the stair ices over and the descent becomes dangerous.

Honest expectations

The stair down is steep with a lot of steps and the climb back is the hard part. Height figures given for the fall vary between sources. There are no facilities beyond a couple of tea stalls at the top and the site can be busy at weekends.

Nearby

Quba is forty minutes northeast, and the road to Khinalug runs from there.