Malfakassa Range

The Malfakassa range is the most dramatic landscape in the park: a line of steep wooded hills that rise abruptly from the surrounding savanna, with rocky scarps, narrow ravines, and small year-round streams. Walking up onto the ridge gives long views east and west across the park and into Ghana, and the cooler vegetation at altitude — moister forest, palms in the gullies, occasional large hardwoods — is a striking contrast with the dry scrub below.

Hikes need a guide from the park office. Plan a full day for a round-trip up onto the ridge and back; longer trips with overnight camping are possible by arrangement. Carry plenty of water and start early — the climb is exposed and gets very hot from late morning.

things to do sight nature
A story
The Malfakassa massif marks the southern edge of the park, rising abruptly from the savanna with a series of cliffs and steep wooded slopes. The Atakora chain of which it forms part extends north into Benin, where it shelters the famous tata houses of the Tamberma, and south into Ghana — making Fazao part of one of West Africa's most important ecological corridors.