The first fall
Spray over a rock pool.
Tunde Akangbe — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Adunni12 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chic portfolios — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Debo Adebayo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Adunni12 — CC BY-SA 4.0
Erin-Ijesha Waterfall, also called Olumirin Waterfall, is in the town of Erin-odo in Osun State, south-west Nigeria. Its water falls over seven levels through forest, with the village of Abake at the top, on the border with Ekiti State. It is a popular outing for schools and locals and one of the finest easily reached waterfalls in the country. A local paper says hunters found it in 1140. Local tradition says it was found by Akinla, founder of Erin-Ijesa and a granddaughter of Oduduwa, during the migration of Ife people, and she named it Olumirin, meaning «another god» in Yoruba. Local people regard it as sacred, and festivals were once held there. The first fall drops from a high green cliff into a rocky pool, filling the air with spray. A path of steps and rocks then climbs to the higher levels among dense trees and fallen trunks. The higher you go, the fewer people and the more calm, while the first level is the busiest. It is about 47 km from Osogbo in a straight line. Paths are slippery, so wear suitable shoes, and do not climb the upper levels in rain. Water is heaviest in the rainy season. Take a local guide if you want to go up high.
Spray over a rock pool.
Through dense trees.
Greater calm.
Erin-odo, Osun State, Nigeria
Some visitors enter the pool, but the rocks are slippery, so take care.
Two hours for the first level, half a day to climb higher.