Debundscha

Debundscha sits on the Atlantic at the foot of the south-western flank of Mount Cameroon, in a position that produces an extraordinary amount of rain: moist air coming off the ocean hits the volcano immediately and is forced upward, and the village records something in the order of ten thousand millimetres a year, which places it among the wettest inhabited places on earth. The effect is visible in the vegetation, which grows with a density and speed that is startling even by equatorial standards, and in the state of the road. A crater lake lies nearby, and the black volcanic beaches of this coast run east toward Limbe.

History

The Germans built a lighthouse at Debundscha in 1904. With about 10,299 millimetres of rain a year, the village is counted among the five rainiest places in the world (Wikipedia, Debundscha).

Highlights

• Rainfall among the highest anywhere - around ten metres of rain a year.
• The volcano rising from the sea - Mount Cameroon directly behind the village.
• Vegetation growing at speed - the effect of heat and constant water.
• Black volcanic beaches - the coast running east toward Limbe.

When to go

December to February, the only relatively dry window; for the rest of the year it rains almost continuously. Half a day from Limbe. The road deteriorates badly in the wet.

Good to know

There is very little to see beyond the setting and the rain itself. The road is poor and often impassable. Facilities are none. It is worth confirming the situation on the ground before setting out.

Nearby

Limbe is east; Mount Cameroon rises directly behind.

Key facts