The Top 10 Waterfalls of Latin America

It’s not easy to put together a Top 10 Best Latin America Waterfalls List because it’s completely subjective and limited to each person’s experience with the falls being named. This list is based on our own personal experiences, but this is a very large region and our humble sampling of the falls here merely scratches the surface of what’s out there.

Still, we think we’ve seen some world class waterfalls and this page is our way of acknowledging some of the outstanding waterfalls that didn’t make the World’s Top 10 List. Of course we hope to be fortunate enough to return to Latin America and update this list with more incredible waterfalls.

So without further ado, here are Latin America’s Top 10 in reverse order…

#10 CHORRILLO DEL SALTO

Santa Cruz Province, Argentina

This charming waterfall is one of the easier attractions to see in the Fitz Roy Range section of Argentinean Patagonia near El Chaltén.

Powered by the melting snow from the skyscraping mountains looming in the back, its grace makes the perfect complement to the dramatic scenery that lies in wait.

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#9 CATARATA DE CHINATA

Amazonas, Perú

This towering 580m waterfall is one of many tall waterfalls found just south of Pedro Ruiz in Northern Perú.

I think we would’ve given this one a higher ranking if it weren’t for some bad timing and unfortunate weather which impacting our ability to get better views of it.

Still, we got to witness the onset of a thunderous flash flood which dramatically changed the width of the falls within less than a minute!

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#8 CATARATA DE YUMBILLA

Amazonas, Perú

This towering waterfall is said to have a cumulative drop of 890m over several tiers, making it one of the tallest in the world.

Situated near the small, Northern Peruvian village of Cuispes and sharing the same trailhead as Chinata, with its thin appearance, you’ll want to get close to this one to fully appreciate its height.

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#7 SALTO GRANDE

Patagonia, Chile

This Patagonian waterfall on the Chilean side may be short, but it packs a powerful punch.

Fed by the glacial meltwaters that have carved the memorable mountains such as the Cuernos del Paine, this falls has the color of the water as well as the incredibly scenic backdrop going for it.

Plus, it’s one of the easier waterfalls to see in Patagonia though you’ll probably want to get closer to fully appreciate it.

Thus, it deservedly makes our list.

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#6 SAPO FALLS (AND SAPITO FALLS)

Bolívar, Venezuela

This wide waterfall (along with Sapito Falls further upstream) is one of the bonus waterfalls you’re likely to see if you’re making the adventure to go see Angel Falls.

What makes this one rather unique is that you can go behind it for its entire width!

Plus, the swimming location towards the bottom end of its plunge pool to cool off from the tropical heat is pretty cool too!

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#5 SALTO HACHA

Bolívar, Venezuela

Another one of the bonus waterfalls on the way to Angel Falls, this waterfall near the indigenous Venezuelan village of Canaima graces the back side of the lagoon with a width and power that few other waterfalls in the world can match.

How’s that for a “throw-in” waterfall? Still, there are other waterfalls gracing the Canaima Lagoon besides this one, and if you sum it all up, you have some pretty awesome scenery that is merely the warm-up for the main event.

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#4 CATARATA GOCTA

Amazonas, Perú

Although the Chachas people knew of this waterfall for ages, it was only recently “discovered” by Westerners in 2006 and since then it has become one of Peru’s most important natural attractions.

With a towering two-tiered drop of 771m (230m for the upper one, 441m for the lower one) along with ruins and ancient fossils along the trail to get here, it’s certainly deserving of a spot in the our list of Latin America’s best.

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#3 KAIETEUR FALLS

Potaro-Siparuni Region, Guyana

Said to be one of the tallest single-drop waterfalls in the world, this rectangular-shaped monster (said to be 741ft tall 370ft wide) sits atop the ancient Guyana Shield amidst some of the most pristine rainforest left on earth!

Indeed a visit to this world wonder can yield rare wildlife settings as well as the reassurance that there are still places on the planet where nature is still allowed to thrive.

A waterfall as world class as this has to be one of Latin America’s best as well!

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#2 ANGEL FALLS

Bolívar, Venezuela

Latin America is full of waterfalls with superlatives, and the one with the title of tallest waterfall on earth belongs to Angel Falls.

Plunging uninterrupted for 807m (with total drop of 979m) from a mystical tabletop mountain known as a tepuy deep in a steamy Venezuelan rainforest, its existence defies logic as its source is nothing but the soggy cloud forest where tropical moisture-laden clouds wring their moisture directly onto the tepuy itself.

No doubt about it, there’s nothing like this waterfall and the adventure to even get here makes the journey both memorable and awe-inspiring.

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#1 IGUAZÚ FALLS (OR IGUASSU FALLS)

Misiones, Argentina / Paraná, Brazil

With its brink spanning a distance of an incredible 2km in its average flow of 1000 cubic meters per second, this falls tops our list of Latin American favorites.

In fact, it’s actually our favorite waterfall in the world and it sits atop our Top 10 World’s Best List!

Indeed, the falls actually consists of some 275 individual waterfalls and cascades.

Catwalks make it easy to get closeup and intimate views and the rainforest surroundings make the scenery feel right for a natural attraction such as this.

No matter how you slice and dice it, putting this one at the top of our Latin American list was a no-brainer.

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Below are a few more Top 10 lists of the waterfalls we’ve visited.