Bandeira Waterfall

The Bandeira falls, the tallest in Timor-Leste, drop over a vertical cliff near Atsabe in the western highlands of Ermera, just east of the Letefoho-Atsabe road; below them the Bandeira river runs on into the Magapu and the Loes, and the fall is at its fullest in the wet season. The whole district is coffee country: arabica grown under shade trees since the Portuguese period and still the country's main agricultural export. The highlands here are cool and green. Timorese coffee is grown almost entirely by smallholders under shade rather than on plantations.

What's there

• The fall - the drop through forest into the pool.
• The coffee gardens - the arabica under shade trees on the walk in.
• The river - the Bandeira, running on to the Magapu and the Loes.
• The highland setting - the cool green country around Ermera.

When to go

December to April is the wet season and the fall runs hardest. The dry season from May reduces it. The path is slippery after rain.

What to expect

Flow drops considerably in the dry season. The path down is steep and muddy. Facilities are none and a fee is collected locally.

Nearby

Ermera is nearby, and Dili is northeast.

Key facts