The mighty first Fotinski waterfall

The magical Fotinski waterfalls

GPS coordinates start: 41.88337,24.35038
GPS coordinates final: 41.89209,24.38543
Distance: 2.40 h, 8.5 km (total to the panoramic site to the waterfalls and back)
Elevation: 326 m
Degree of difficulty: ★★☆☆☆

The beautiful Fotinski waterfalls are located near the village of Fotinovo, Northwestern Rhodopes, Pazardzhik region.

They consist of three waterfalls, and on both my visits, all in the summer, the waterfalls had great powerful jets.

The path to Fotinski waterfalls is easy and pleasant and takes on the way back and forth in less than 3 hours. Around the waterfall itself, the route is more challenging, but their beauty compensates for the effort.

There is a possibility to rent a jeep, if you are not a fan of walking, you want to see the landmark and plan other activities.

Beginning of the trail to Fotinski waterfalls

We stayed in the only hotel in the village of Fotinovo: Valchanova’s house and the signs for it were placed on the road to the village of Fotinovo near the landmark.

About the hotel: there were a few good hits on the menu and the rooms were decent, but the slow service broke all records for waiting. Otherwise, the view from the terraces and the yard was very nice, and there were no other accommodation options nearby.

We passed the village pub and went down to the lower part of the village and the bed of the river Fotinska.

The route wound along the river, and although I have seen cars pass by, I do not recommend driving to the waterfalls because of the uneven dirt road with sharp stones.

On the other hand, on a few of the first trees, you will see a number plate on which to call and arrange a jeep to take you to your destination.

In the green forest on the way to Fotinski waterfalls
In the green forest on the way to Fotinski waterfalls


Apart from the bubbling of the river and a lazy flock of sheep, in this part of the road we admired interesting rock formations in the Rhodope massif around.

Beautiful rock formations
Beautiful rock formations


Gradually we entered the deep forest and the cool shadows of the forest enveloped us. We attacked the Fotinski waterfalls at the end of the day and were one of the last tourists of the day, which had its advantages.

There were nice gazebos on the side of the road, the last one just before the waterfalls.

At Fotinski waterfalls

With a sign like “It was easy so far”, it’s scary to move on, but once you get here, you can’t help but see the interesting.

And here begins the fun part
And here begins the fun part

A few meters below was a junction for the first and second and third waterfalls.

We went to the first one, but we didn’t go much. Unfortunately, the lower part of the path to it had fallen off a lot and was almost vertical. We left the children’s group at the fork above and wondered what to do.

Fortunately, two tourists came from below and told us that it was not so difficult. They gave us courage and showed us how to hold on to the roots of the trees, like stalks, and carefully descend to the waterfall.

The crossroads for Fotinski waterfalls
The crossroads for Fotinski waterfalls

At dawn, we managed to get down. There was adrenaline, but the unearthly beauty of the first Fotinski waterfall is worth the pain. It was quiet in the small valley, and only the powerful splash of its stream echoed in the rocks.

After enjoying the moment, we slowly climbed up. We encouraged each other and managed to climb again at the crossroads.

The mighty first Fotinski waterfall
The mighty first Fotinski waterfall

2nd and 3rd Fotinski waterfalls

The second part of the tour around the waterfalls is a little easier because there are no such dangerous sections as in the first. Here, too, there is a descent on a poorly maintained path, but it is wide, there is no abyss below and you will find it easier to get off.

In the lowest part, there was a nice bridge, immersed in greenery and silence.

In the valley before the other two Fotinski waterfalls
In the valley before the other two Fotinski waterfalls

Another fork, in one direction for the two waterfalls, in the other for the panoramic site above them.

Here we met the couple of tourists we saw at the first waterfall.

-Bravo girls, heroes! You are not giving up! they said.

How will we give up, we have reached this point, there is no going back.

Another crossroads for the Fotinski waterfalls
Another crossroads for the Fotinski waterfalls


At the second and third waterfalls, we had to wait a long time until a small Turkish group got tired of taking selfies.

It was slowly getting dark because of the lurking rays of the sun and the crystal stream of the waterfalls loomed sharply in the dark rocks.

Their magic catches you and doesn’t let you go for a long time! They are so charming.

2nd and 3rd Fotinski waterfalls
2nd and 3rd Fotinski waterfalls

Last phase to the Fotinski waterfalls

And so we headed to the last panoramic site from where we could see the waterfalls. Here the place was much more spacious, brighter than the sun and we took more time to admire their unearthly beauty.

View from afar to the Fotinski waterfalls
View from afar to the Fotinski waterfalls
Fotinski waterfalls - close-up
Fotinski waterfalls – close-up

Conclusion

Fotinski waterfalls are a great destination in the area of Batak, which is extremely colorful. Despite the easy route to them, unfortunately, the path around the falls themselves is not very well maintained. On the other hand, the natural landmark will enchant you and you will enjoy wonderful views!

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