The red cliffs
Bright laterite.
Luxy keys — CC0 · Presty02 — CC0 · Simple fleur — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Luxy keys — CC0 · Simple fleur — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Diosso Gorges are a series of deep ravines in Kouilou Department in south-western Republic of the Congo, about 35 km from Pointe-Noire. They are among the most visited sites in the region, and some compare them on a small scale to the Grand Canyon. The site looks out towards the distant Atlantic. The heavy rains of the Atlantic coast carved the gorges, digging wide amphitheatres into soft red laterite soil. Erosion continues today, so the rims change with every rainy season. They lie near the village of Diosso, once the seat of the old Kingdom of Loango. You see bright red and orange cliffs dropping into valleys filled with thick green forest, with a blue strip of ocean on the horizon. Tall grass and scattered trees line the rims. The colour changes with the light, the red strongest early in the morning and late in the day. They are about 16 km from Pointe-Noire in a straight line. The rims are fragile and can collapse, so keep back and stay on the paths. Wear suitable shoes, as the soil is slippery after rain.
Bright laterite.
In the valleys.
On the horizon.
Near Diosso, north of Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo
Heavy rains carved them into soft red laterite.
Keep back from the rims, which can collapse.