Cunene River Falls
About this destination
On the Cunene river, on the border with Namibia, lies the Ruacaná group of falls and rapids. The main drop is about 120 metres high and, in the flood season, the curtain of water can reach 700 metres wide.
Much of the flow is now diverted to the Ruacaná dam and power station, and about 40 km upstream, already inside Angola, is the Calueque dam. That is why the falls only show their full force when the Cunene is in flood, roughly from December to May. For the rest of the year, the rock bed is almost dry.
The most used viewpoint is on the Namibian side, next to the border post. On the Angolan side, the area is rural and has little tourist infrastructure.
You come here for the scale of the gorge and the force of the water during the floods. Outside that season, the visit can be a disappointment.
Before you go
- Best time to visit
- December to May, when the Cunene is in flood; for the rest of the year there is little water.
- Climate
- Semi-arid, very hot from October to March, with cool nights during the cacimbo (the cool dry season).
- Suggested duration
- 1-2 hours
- Price range
- $$ · Moderate
Why visit
Where it is
Rio Cunene, Cunene
Cunene
In the south, on the border with Namibia.
About 960 km from Luanda as the crow flies.
What to bring
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