The Karfiguela Falls

The Cascades region earns its name just outside Banfora: at Karfiguela the young Comoe steps down a staircase of rock terraces in braided curtains, pooling between levels into basins that have served as the southwest's swimming institution for generations - mango groves shading the approach, sugarcane green to the horizon, and the upper terraces opening views over the whole plain. After the rains the falls run wall-to-wall thunder; by late dry season they thin to elegant channels and the pools turn bath-warm. Either way, the picnic-and-plunge formula holds.

The landscape

• The terrace staircase - braided curtains over the rock steps.
• The swimming basins - pools between the levels.
• The mango approach - the shaded walk through the groves.
• The plain views - cane country from the upper terraces.

When to go

September to December catches full flow on drying roads; the late dry season trades power for warm pools. Mornings and weekdays keep the basins quiet.

Good to know

On site: rocks are polished-slick, flows change the safe pools - swim where locals do. Facilities are informal; small fees and vendors are the economy that keeps the site kept.

Nearby

The Fabedougou domes, Lake Tengrela and Banfora town.