The Idanre Hills are the most dramatic landscape feature in Ondo State, a cluster of ancient granite inselbergs rising suddenly from the surrounding plain about 40 kilometres south of Akure. The hills are a UNESCO World Heritage tentative list site and are genuinely impressive: smooth domes of rock, deep ravines, a sea of forest below, and an old hilltop settlement that was inhabited continuously for centuries.
The climb to the top involves 660 steps cut into the rock — a reasonable but real exertion in the humidity. At the summit you find the ruins of Old Idanre Town: abandoned compounds, a palace, a court of justice, a church, and several traditional sacred sites. The views over the surrounding plains are exceptional. The hills are best visited early in the morning before the heat builds. A local guide is useful both for navigating the upper plateau and for understanding the cultural significance of the sacred sites.