Charlotte Falls

Charlotte Falls drops through the forest in the peninsula hills above Freetown, reached on a short walk from the village of the same name, one of the Krio settlements founded in the hills in the nineteenth century. The fall runs over rock into a pool that people swim in. It is the most accessible waterfall from the capital and gets weekend use accordingly. Charlotte was named after Queen Charlotte, as several of the hill villages were named for royal figures of the period. The walk up passes through farmland before entering the forest.

What you actually see

• The fall - the drop through the forest into the pool.
• The pool - the basin at the base, used for swimming.
• The village - Charlotte, one of the nineteenth-century hill settlements.
• The forest walk - the short route in from the village.

When to go

July to October is the wet season and the fall runs hardest. The dry season reduces it considerably. Weekends bring visitors from Freetown.

Honest expectations

Flow drops a lot in the dry season. Facilities are basic and a fee is collected. Litter around the pool is a problem at busy times.

Nearby

Regent is nearby, and Freetown is north.