Lisbon Falls
Lisbon falls is one of the must-see waterfalls when doing the Panorama Route in Mpumalanga, South Africa. It is a spectacular waterfall and standing at 94 meters, is the highest falls on the Route. Above the falls, the Lisbon River (a tributary of the famed Blyde River) forms a series of pools before cascading into three separate falls (four with heavy rain) and crashing into a deep pool in the valley below. The falls create a curtain of mist which can sometimes shower visitors on the observation decks with sheer wet magic. The falls are named (much like the other falls in the area) after the capital city of the foreign miners that settled in the region during the gold rush – in this particular case, a handful of Portuguese pioneers.
Getting There
The falls are well situated on the main road of the Route and no special vehicle is required to access it. The falls are located on state-owned forestry land, and managed by SAFCOL (South African Forestry Company Limited). As such, there is a nominal entrance fee of R15 per person for day visitors which is used to maintain the site and provide clean and serviced ablution facilities as well as secure parking. Once parked at the site, the viewing platform for the falls is about 10 meters away. Most of the visitors to these falls only view them for a few minutes from these platforms as part of their drive-and-dash waterfall chasing on their Panorama Route. I was one of these visitors, viewing the falls on maybe three different occasions before finally committing to wanting to hike to the bottom of them. The view from the platform is great, but it is not as spectacular as when you hike to the bottom.
Preparing for the Hike
The hike to the bottoms of the falls takes between 30 and 45 minutes depending on your fitness level, how many photo stops you take and the number of wrong turns you may make on the slightly overgrown path. Although the path is overgrown due to not many people taking it, it is definitely there and you will just have to persist to make it down to the falls. Items I suggest packing for the hike are:
- Cash: R15 per person for entry into the site
- Water, although the water is running it is advisable not to drink it
- Picnic snacks
- Swimming gear
- Comfortable walking shoes (waterproof would be advantageous)
- Sunscreen and a hat as the hike can get very sunny in some spots
The Hike Down and to the Falls
The hike down to the falls starts to the left of the viewing platforms if you are facing the falls. There is a clear path that you can follow to start the hike. This path follows a gentle contour, taking you downstream of the falls and giving you spectacularly different views. At the start of the hike, the path forks. The right fork takes you to good views but also a dead end so to get to the bottoms of the falls, take the left fork. The left fork does have a no-entry sign in the path, you will need to ignore it and continue past the sign.
After a short while the path will start to descend, quite steeply, and take you into the valley. A bit of clambering down rocks later, you will find yourself at the bottom of the very lush valley and the roar of the waterfall crashing down calling you. At this point we got a bit lost and questioned our life-choices (i.e. disobeying the no entry sign). As it had rained quite heavily the week before, the path to the falls was covered with water. We initially though that we would have to walk further downstream and cross the river before making our way to the falls but this was not the case. Once you are at the bottom of the valley, turn right and find the overgrown path on the right hand side of the river (if you are facing the falls) and just continue following this path until you reach the falls. This part of the hike should take around 7 minutes and takes you past extremely inviting crystal pools in the Lisbon river.
Despite the no-entry sign, the overall path to the bottom of the falls is definitely well-trodden. The path however is not marked as I do not think it is an official route.
Taking the Plunge
It was a bit dangerous for us to swim in the pool directly underneath the falls due to the large amount of rain that the area had received. We did however take a dip (v. icy but extremely refreshing!) in the crystal pools just downstream of the falls. With spectacular views of the falls, the rumbling power of water, the sounds of the forest as well as the crystal clear waters, these were by far one of the best natural pools I have come across. There are plenty of shady and sunny rock spots around these pools to set up a picnic and relax.
Enjoy, take the plunge and let the adventure begin!
