Devil’s Pool: The Ultimate Adventure Destination
Where is Devil’s Pool?
Devil’s Pool is located at the top edge of Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, the natural border between Zambia and Zimbabwe in southern Africa. While Devil’s Pool lies on the Zambian side of the river, Victoria Falls National Park is located in Zimbabwe. Both wilderness sites are easily and safely accessible from either country.
How do you get to Devil’s Pool?
You can get to Devil’s Pool from either Zambia or Zimbabwe, but you’ll need to be guided to Livingstone Island, which is a brief swim across the Zambezi River away from Devil’s Pool. Livingstone Island can be reached on foot or via boat, depending on your itinerary. On a luxury Zambia safari with ROAR AFRICA, swimming in Devil’s Pool on the edge of Victoria Falls is an essential experience. Our expert guides have honed insider access over 11 generations of living in Africa, guaranteeing a journey that is as safe and seamless as it is spectacular and exhilarating.
When is the best time to visit Devil’s Pool?
Devil’s Pool is usually closed in the rainy season between mid-January and mid-August, when higher water levels make it difficult to swim safely in the Zambezi River. Plan to visit Devil’s Pool between September and December instead, when the dry season ensures lower water levels and safer swimming conditions.
Curiosities of the Enigmatic Devil’s Pool
Devil’s Pool sits near the midpoint of Victoria Falls, a mile-wide stretch of five waterfalls that plummet more than 350 feet into the Zambezi River. This natural infinity pool is the result of thousands of years of erosion, with edges staring down directly at the millions of gallons of water that rush down Victoria Falls every minute.
One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls was granted its newer title by 19th-century Scottish explorer David Livingstone, who was so moved by the beauty that he named the falls after Queen Victoria. However, the falls may be at least 3 million years old, and they are known by the region’s indigenous inhabitants as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or “the smoke that thunders.” Indeed, the mist that rises from the waters of Victoria Falls can be seen from more than 10 miles away.
When you swim in Devil’s Pool, the downward view of the basalt rock cliffs isn’t the only magnificent sight to behold. Witnessing the Victoria Falls rainbows—formed by sunlight refracting through the falls’ curtain of mist—takes the experience from amazing to divine. Moonlight does the same, casting some of the world’s only moonbows over the cascading falls in a rare natural phenomenon.
