Sounda Gorge

At Sounda the Kouilou river cuts through the Mayombe hills in a gorge with steep forested walls, and the site has been surveyed repeatedly since the colonial period as a dam location, a scheme that has been proposed and shelved several times over decades without being built. The gorge is used by boats working the river and the forest on the slopes is part of the Mayombe belt.

What you actually see

• The gorge - the Kouilou cutting through the Mayombe hills.
• The forested walls - the steep slopes rising from the river.
• The dam proposals - the scheme surveyed and shelved repeatedly since colonial times.
• The river traffic - the boats working the Kouilou through the cut.

When to go

June to September is the dry season and the easiest for access. The river is highest after the rains. Tracks are difficult when wet.

Honest expectations

There is no infrastructure and access is by rough track. The gorge is best seen from the water, which needs a boat arranged. Logging has affected the forest on parts of the slopes.

Nearby

Pointe-Noire is southwest, and the Mayombe surrounds it.