Owu Falls

Owu falls drops in a single sheet down a rock face in rural Kwara, usually given at around a hundred and twenty metres, which would make it among the tallest in West Africa, though measurements of Nigerian falls are inconsistent and the figure should be treated with caution. The water lands in a pool at the foot of a wooded amphitheatre. Reaching it means turning off the main road onto a poor track and then walking for some twenty to thirty minutes through farmland and forest, crossing the stream. There is no development at the site beyond a local collection point for fees, and it sees far fewer visitors than the Osun falls.

The landscape

• The single drop - the tall sheet of water down the rock face.
• The plunge pool - the basin at the foot of the fall.
• The wooded amphitheatre - the forested bowl enclosing it.
• The approach walk - the path through farmland and forest.

When to go

September to November after the rains for the fullest flow; the fall reduces considerably in the dry season and can be a thin ribbon by March. Mornings are cooler for the walk.

Before you go

The access track is poor and often impassable to ordinary cars. There are no facilities of any kind at the site. The height figure quoted locally is unverified. Fees are collected informally and negotiated.

Nearby

Ilorin lies northwest; Osun State is south.

Key facts