The Leba Mountain Pass
Situated some 20 miles west of the city of Lubango, in the Huila province, the Serra da Leba Pass is a national landmark in Angola. Located at an altitude of 1700m, Lubango is one of the highest cities in the country. The road is a marvel of engineering given the era of its construction and it has been one of the country’s postcard images for decades, but all shots were taken by day. Legend has it that the Serra de Leba is named after the Portuguese woman who designed and built the road – then died after she viewed it on the very day the project was finished.
Built in the 1970s, this breathtaking mountain road spirals like a snake, with cantilevered hairpin bends all the way to the top a height of 1845 meters above sea level. Reaches an altitude of over 5000 feet in just over 10 kilometers, the Leba Mountain Pass connects Lubango to Namibe literally transversing 3 or 4 different climate zones during any ascent or descent.
Driving across the forested mountains and over the Leba Pass, numerous waterfalls can be seen lining the zigzagging route. The view of the lush, semi-tropical greenery on the other side, replete with colorful mango trees, is stunning, particularly in comparison to the bushveld and grey, stony desert below. In spite of its beauty, the road offers little guard-rail protection and has been the venue of many road fatalities; thus bearing the long assigned name ‘the beautiful precipice’.
