10 Most Popular Waterfalls in the World

Waterfalls, true wonders of nature, fascinate all travelers without exception, from the youngest to the oldest. Then, there is a question: What are the most popular waterfalls in the world? There are countless number of waterfalls around the world worth discovering. Symbols of the majesty of nature, waterfalls impress visitors from all over the world with their beauty. We list the 10 most popular waterfalls in the world for you.

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The Iguazu Falls in South America (Brazil / Argentina)

Classified as a UNESCO heritage site since 1984, the Iguaçu or Iguazú falls bring together more than 275 waterfalls very close to each other. It is this piling up of small waterfalls that forms this unique ensemble. They mark the border between Argentina and Brazil. No wonder: they stretch over 2.7 kilometres. They thus form an impassable natural barrier, with a peak at 90 meters in height. The Iguazu Falls are nicknamed “Garganta del Diablo” (devil’s throat). In Argentina, several tours have been set up in the middle of the forest and above the different branches of the river, via different footbridges. Perched on an observation platform, tourists gaze at the waterfalls of Iguazú National Park.

Victoria Falls in Africa (Zimbabwe)

The Victoria Falls in South Africa this time do not mark the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe but they are close. Beyond their beauty, these falls are certainly among the most impressive in the world. They throw themselves from a height of 128 meters into a crevasse 1,700 meters wide! This configuration allows tourists to get closer to the falls and see them from the front, just a few dozen meters away. During rainy periods, the flow of the falls can reach 9,100 m3 of water per second, which explains why the mist and the roar given off by Victoria Falls are perceptible 40 kilometers away. On the other hand, during the dry period, the flow is very reduced: it is then possible to go swimming on the plateau, as close as possible to the void.

Niagara Falls (United States / Canada)

After the most impressive, we are now talking about the most famous: Niagara Falls! Despite their worldwide recognition, they are far from being the highest. From their 52 meters high, they attract millions of tourists every year who come to discover the famous “Niagara Falls”. They are not very high but keep a breathtaking flow: 2,800 m3 per second. Which is still very little next to the Victoria Falls rainy season. Niagara Falls is divided into three parts: the “Horseshoe”, the “American Falls” and the “Bridal’s Veil”. River companies offer tourists walks at the foot of the falls, as close as possible to the downpours.

Fall of Salto Angel in Venezuela (Bolivar)

This waterfall is aptly named: Salto Angel, in other words “the jump of the angel”. It is indeed the highest waterfall in the world. From a height of 979 meters we dare to believe that even the bravest of angels would not survive the fall! The official height of the waterfall was determined during a National Geographic Society exploration mission led by American journalist Ruth Robertson in 1949. It begins on the Auyan Tepuy, one of the most famous tepuy in the world (relief with flat peaks bordered by huge cliffs). It is the cradle of the Rio Kerep river which descends in several stages: a first jump of 807 meters (waterfall record in a single jump), and a second jump of about 15 meters. Access to the site is via a path and it is possible for the more adventurous to swim at its base.

Yosemite Falls in the United States (California)

At a height of 740 meters, Yosemite Falls offers a spectacle combining power and beauty, fear and appeasement. They are made up of three different waterfalls, which give the impression of a single waterfall descending in stages. The highest of the waterfalls measures 436 meters, the second has a height of 205 meters, and the third – 97 meters. That is a total of 740 meters in height. A height that guarantees them the 6th place in North America and the 20th highest waterfall in the world. Ideal time to visit them: in late spring, when the melting snows and glaciers of the Sierra Nevada, the snow-capped mountain range in eastern California, generously feed the waterfall.

The Gullfoss or “golden falls” in Iceland

The Icelandic Gullfoss is also called “the golden falls”, which already says a lot about their beauty. Particularity of the Gollfoss is to be made up of a “staircase” on three levels before the fall. Nature proves again that she does not need us to do things right. This waterfall located on the Hvità river offers a completely different panorama depending on the time of year. You can contemplate the snowy edges of Gollfoss in winter or discover a waterfall adorned with flamboyant green vegetation in summer. Without being able to classify them all, there is also another famous waterfall in Iceland: “Dettifoss”. It offers an atypical landscape with its pale gray cracked soil. A lunar vision and unexpected enough to house a waterfall.

The Plitvice Waterfalls in Croatia

In the Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 92 waterfalls connect 16 large lakes surrounded by magnificent vegetation and home to many species of animals. This park has provided walking areas to allow visitors to enjoy this natural wonder.

The Ouzoud Waterfalls in Morocco (Tadla-Azilal)

The Ouzoud Waterfalls, visited by hundreds of tourists each year, are 110 meters high. A spectacle that has to be deserved since it is reached after a journey of 150 kilometers, or about 2h30 by road, by taking side roads. These waterfalls are the most famous waterfalls in Morocco and are a major tourist attraction in the west of the country. The water comes to find its origin at the foot of a small village, which brings a completely charming landscape. In this fabulous setting, the waterfalls bounce in successive stages, leaving numerous water droplets in the air. The Ouzoud waterfalls are therefore regularly wrapped in a rainbow.

Ban Gioc Waterfall in Vietnam (Cao Bang)

The “Ban Gioc” Waterfall, “Thac Ban Gioc” in Vietnamese forms a natural border between China and Vietnam in the province of Cao Bang. Today it is a place of commemoration in honor of some 60,000 soldiers who died during the “Third Indochina War”, which opposed the People’s Republic of China to Vietnam. A war that lasted from February 17 to March 16, 1979. This cascade of about 30 meters high is separated into three waterfalls themselves separated by rocks and trees. The thundering effect of water hitting the cliffs can be heard from afar. It is the 4th great waterfall housed on a national border after the falls of Iguaçu, Victoria and Niagara. A road can lead tourists to the top of the waterfall where there is a stone that marks the border between Vietnam and China.

The “Huka Falls” in New Zealand (Taupo)

Huka Falls is a set of waterfalls on the Waikato River which drains New Zealand’s Lake Taupo. This 100m wide river then narrows to plunge fifteen meters high into a granite canyon: these are the Huka falls. At the top of these falls there is a series of small waterfalls that drop more than 8 or 11 meters. The latter are spanned by a footbridge from which the view is fantastic: the Waikato River plunges into a narrow chasm 24 m deep. The name Huka means “foam” in Maori, because waterfalls and rapids form foam. In the 1930s, this waterfall made it possible to supply electricity to a hotel in Wairakei thanks to a hydroelectric station. More modest but just as pretty to see, the Huka Falls offer you an extraordinary landscape in the country of the Kiwi.