Skip to main content

Baatara Gorge Waterfall

Location

Tannourine

Lebanon

34° 10' 24.348" N, 35° 52' 13.332" E

See map: Google Maps

LB

General info:

This cave bridge waterfall ain´t a scifi movie scene. It’s a real limestone cave carved out of Jurassic limestone over millions of years by winter meltwater. The place is also known as “Three Bridge Chasm” because of the three naturally created bridges hanging one on top of the other.

During the spring melt, a 90–100-metre (300–330 ft) cascade falls behind the three bridges and then down into the 255-metre (820 ft) chasm. The water emerges from underground at a spring in the nearby town of Mgharet al-Ghaouaghir.

The best time to view this waterfall is in March and April, when the snow in the mountains melts. At other times the chances are the waterfall will be dry.

Getting there:

The Baatara gorge waterfall is located in the Balaa village which falls in between the Laqlouq and Tanourine El Tahta cities in Lebanon. Easiest way to get there is taxi. The drive from Beirut is around two hours.

You will walk to the sinkhole about 7km along the Lebanon Mountain Trail. The path is not very well guideposted so if you have a chance to hire guide, it might not be a bad idea. There are also some guesthouses along the mountain trail and they have personnel that can advise you.

You might be interested in

Methuselah Tree - The oldest tree

It is amazing to think that there are still trees that existed way before the pyramids were built. The Methuselah tree is a 4850year-old Great Basin bristlecone pine tree growing high in the White Mountains, California.

Hyperion- The tallest tree

Hyperion is the world's tallest known living tree. It was discovered in 2006, by naturalists Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor and was measured at 379.3 feet (115.61 m).

General Sherman- The largest tree

The General Sherman is the largest tree in the world. It is not the tallest, oldest or widest but it is the largest tree by volume.

El Árbol del Tule - The stoutest tree

El Árbol del Tule is a cypress tree that has the stoutest trunk of any tree in the world. In 2005, its trunk had a circumference of 42.0 m (137.8 ft), equating to a diameter of 14.05 m (46.1 ft).

Kjerag and Kjeragbolten

On the other side of the Fjord from Preikestolen is another breathtaking cliff, Kjerag. Its highest point is 1110 m above sea level, but it is the northern drop to Lysefjorden that attracts most visitors.

Cliffs Of Moher

The Cliffs Of Moher are the most outstanding coastal features of Ireland.

Interesting places nearby

The Great Pyramids of Giza

The Great Pyramids consist of the Great Pyramid of Giza (known as the Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Cheops or Khufu), the somewhat smaller Pyramid of Khafre (or Chephren), and the relatively modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure (or Mykeri