Boka waterfall

The Boka Waterfall, or Slap Boka, as we call it in Slovenia, is another natural wonder in this beautiful country that will leave you speechless. This majestic waterfall is situated in the amazing Bovec valley, where every single part of the mountainous scenery is more than stunning.

Before you start reading for real, I have to apologize that I do not have any pictures of the close - up. I did not have a camera with me when I hiked up to the waterfall, so I only have pictures from the parking space and the bridge. But you get the idea of how amazing this place is.

How to get there?

You will be able to see the Boka waterfall when driving from Žaga to Bovec, or reverse. The waterfall is situated about halfway between these two villages. If you are coming from the direction of Žaga, you will first pass the Hotel Boka, and then, right after it, you will see the bridge. The waterfall is situated on the left, and it is pretty far away, so the best, and also the safest thing that you can do, is to stop the car on a parking space, which is situated just after the bridge, on the right side. This way, you can then walk across the bridge to get the best view of the Boka waterfall.

If you are coming from Bovec, it is more likely that you will miss the turn to the parking space. After on of the curves, you will see the parking space on your left side. Just pay attention to the bridge and keep in mind that the parking space is situated in front of it. Or, in case you miss the turn anyway, you can leave your car at the previously mentioned Hotel Boka. The parking space there is reserved just for hotel guests, but in case you are just going to see the waterfall, no one will bother you. From there, you only have to walk for a hundred meters or so to reach the bridge.

But regardless on which direction you are coming from, the mountainous scenery, that will be surrounding you, is just spectacular. You will definitely want to stop the car several times on the way there, just to be able to admire those mountains!

Looking at the waterfall

The first thing you will notice when admiring the Boka waterfall, is the impression that the water is coming straight from the rock wall. Well, it actually is. The place where the waterfall is, is surrounded by a very thick forest, and it seems impossible to get up there when looking from the bridge. But it is possible, you can get to the top of the rock, where the waterfall is coming from, and the thick forest gives plenty of shadow all the way up.

The only thing that I am missing on (or next to) this bridge, are a few benches. Honestly, if they were there, I would sit there for hours, look at the waterfall and listen to the sound of hundreds of litres of water, flowing down.

However, this idea is a bit ridiculous, since there are constantly cars driving by, but it would be nice anyway. After all, you get tired of standing too quickly.

Amount of water

It is almost unbelievable how much this waterfall can change even in a couple of days. The reason are, of course, the weather conditions. For example, if there is a lot of rain, the amount of water in the waterfall will be much bigger. The waterfall is the most majestic in the early spring, when the snow in the mountains starts to melt. On times like this, it almost looks like the waterfall does not have any more space for so much water – looking at it from the bridge, it almost seems like an explosion.

So, when the amount of water at the Boka waterfall is very big, it usually brings a lot of material with it on its way down, such as small rocks and sand. This picture was taken just after a slightly heavier rainfall, and it was taken from the same bridge, from where you can admire the Boka waterfall:

Getting closer to Slap Boka

It is possible to hike up to the very top of the Boka waterfall. If you pick the right time to go there, you might spot wingsuit base jumpers, jumping from there. But I will write more about this sport in addition.

First, before you start walking to the top, let me warn you that there are a loooot of spiders on the way there, especially in summer. I was screaming almost all the way up when we went there with some friends. It might even happen that some of them will run up your legs. I am having goosebumps just thinking about how many of them I saw.

There are two possible ways of getting to the top. One of them starts on the left, and one on the right side of the bridge. The left one is much easier, and it has much better views, too. I know, because I have done both of the hikes. It is also possible to go up one way and down the other way, which is great if you would like to see the waterfall from two different points of view.

Even halfway to the top, you will be able to admire this awesome waterfall. It will seem so close that you will feel you can almost touch it. There is one particularly good panoramic point about halfway to the top, which is also marked. From there, you can take spectacular pictures with the waterfall in the background.

To get to the top, regardless on which path you choose, it takes about two hours and a half, which is quite long. The waterfall might seem much closer when looking at it from the bridge, but the hike to the top is long, and also quite exhausting.

If you are afraid of heights, I would definitely not advise you to hike to the top there, because some places are quite dangerous and if you get dizzy and fall, it could end very bad – the rock walls are very high there.

Once you reach the top, you will be standing a few meters above the point, where the water is coming out of the rock. It is so loud that you will not be able to talk to the person next to you, even if you are both screaming. When standing there and looking down, be careful with the fence – it is not very stable and I am sure that you do not want to fall. Well, unless you have a wingsuit and a parachute with you.

Wingsuit base jumping

The top of the Boka waterfall is known as one of the best wingsuit base exits in Slovenia, and also one of the most technically difficult ones.

But first, let me clarify what a wingsuit base jump actually is. I am a skydiver myself, and wingsuit base jumping is one of my wishes, but first, I have to gain enough experience. So, you have probably all seen people, flying with the 'flying squirrel' suit, which is called a wingsuit. Well, at least on videos. They usually jump out of planes. Another thing here is a base jump, when people, who have two hundred or more skydives (but two hundred is an absolute minimum), jump off buildings, bridges, rock formations and other sculptures. Those sculptures can either be natural or human – made.

And if you combine wingsuit flying and base jumping, you get a wingsuit base jump. You can only imagine, how much skills are necessary to safely perform those jumps. But some researches show that it is safer than, for example golf. And I totally believe them. For example, I have about two hundred skydives now, and I have not had a single injury yet (I have to knock on wood here), but while trying to surf a wave, I have twisted my ankle.

So, when the wingsuit base jumpers hike to the top of the Boka waterfall, they dress the wingsuits and put the parachutes on. Then they jump, and I envy them this feeling. The flight lasts less than thirty seconds, and then they deploy a parachute, and land on a pastry behind the restaurant Žvikar, which is situated right around the corner.

I have watched two wingsuit base jump exits at Boka – one of them was from the bridge, and the jumpers were so fast that I only saw them when they already deployed a parachute. The second one was from the top, and it looked so spectacular that I would jump too, if someone borrowed me a wingsuit and a parachute.

For the end…

If you are on your way through the beautiful Soča Valley and you think you have seen everything interesting, then stop for a minute and admire the Boka waterfall. Even just looking at it for a few seconds will make you want to get closer to it. And, guess what, it is possible to do so, so have your hiking shoes ready!