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The World’s 100 Best Waterfalls · 2026

The Best Waterfalls in Latin America

29 of the 100 waterfalls in The World’s 100 Best Waterfalls 2026 are in Latin America, in 9 countries. The highest placed is Iguazu Falls in Misiones and Paraná, Argentina, at number 1 in the world. Angel Falls in Canaima National Park, Venezuela (number 4) and Cachoeira do Buracão in Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil (number 6) follow.

Iguazu Falls
N° 1 · Iguazu Falls, Misiones and Paraná

Venezuela, Guyana and Argentina

Angel Falls drops 807 metres in free fall from the cliffs of Auyantepui in Venezuela. Kaieteur Falls on the Potaro River in Guyana drops 226 metres over a sandstone cliff. Small planes from Georgetown reach it in about an hour. Iguazu Falls spreads across a river in Misiones and Paraná, Argentina, ending in a deep gorge. Salto Alegre is a jungle fall about 20 metres high. Cascada Los Alerces sits where the Manso River drops inside alerce forest in Nahuel Huapi National Park.

Brazil's interior highlands

Cachoeira do Buracão drops about 85 to 90 metres into a canyon in Bahia. Cachoeira da Fumacinha falls over 100 metres into a pool. Salto Paraguassú drops about 94 to 96 metres in Baliza, Goiás. Cachoeira Santa Bárbara has a turquoise pool below a modest fall. Cachoeira do Segredo is over 100 metres high in Goiás. Cachoeira Almécegas I pours into a rock canyon. Cachoeira da Formiga is about one metre high. Salto Utiariti drops 98 metres into a pool, and Salto Belo falls 45 metres nearby.

Southern and eastern Brazil

Cascata das Andorinhas drops about 15 metres in a canyon at Rolante, Rio Grande do Sul. Cachoeira do Bicame drops about 30 metres over a rock wall. Cachoeira do Meu Deus is a 53-metre fall in the Vale das Ostras gorge, Eldorado. Cachoeira Casca d'Anta is a 186-metre free fall on the São Francisco River. Cachoeira do Fundão drops a rocky cliff in Serra da Canastra. Cachoeira do Juju has an infinity-edge pool at its top. Cachoeira do Saco Bravo spills into the sea at Paraty.

Central and Andean falls

Nauyaca Waterfalls have two tiers near Dominical, Costa Rica. Catarata del Toro drops about 90 metres from an extinct volcano crater. Blue Falls of Costa Rica holds six waterfalls in turquoise pools. Ventanas de Tisquizoque drops in three tiers in Santander, Colombia. Salto Mili Mili is a tall fall through Valdivian rainforest at Coñaripe, Chile. Salto El Claro falls 80 to 90 metres over rock at Pucón, Chile. Gocta Falls is 771 metres tall in Amazonas, Peru. Pailón del Diablo drops about 80 metres at Baños, Ecuador.

Waterfalls

99. Pailón del Diablo 94. Gocta Falls 90. Cachoeira Almécegas I 75. Blue Falls of Costa Rica 74. Salto Belo 73. Cascada Los Alerces 69. Cachoeira do Saco Bravo 68. Salto Alegre 67. Cachoeira do Fundão 61. Catarata del Toro 60. Ventanas de Tisquizoque 56. Cachoeira Casca d'Anta 54. Salto El Claro 53. Salto Mili Mili 51. Salto Utiariti 49. Cachoeira do Juju 44. Cachoeira da Formiga 39. Cachoeira do Meu Deus 33. Nauyaca Waterfalls 32. Cachoeira do Segredo 31. Cachoeira da Fumacinha 30. Cachoeira Santa Bárbara 29. Cachoeira do Bicame 26. Cascata das Andorinhas 21. Salto Paraguassú 9. Kaieteur Falls 6. Cachoeira do Buracão 4. Angel Falls 1. Iguazu Falls 1
99. Pailón del Diablo 94. Gocta Falls 90. Cachoeira Almécegas I 75. Blue Falls of Costa Rica 74. Salto Belo 73. Cascada Los Alerces 69. Cachoeira do Saco Bravo 68. Salto Alegre 67. Cachoeira do Fundão 61. Catarata del Toro 60. Ventanas de Tisquizoque 56. Cachoeira Casca d'Anta 54. Salto El Claro 53. Salto Mili Mili 51. Salto Utiariti 49. Cachoeira do Juju 44. Cachoeira da Formiga 39. Cachoeira do Meu Deus 33. Nauyaca Waterfalls 32. Cachoeira do Segredo 31. Cachoeira da Fumacinha 30. Cachoeira Santa Bárbara 29. Cachoeira do Bicame 26. Cascata das Andorinhas 21. Salto Paraguassú 9. Kaieteur Falls 6. Cachoeira do Buracão 4. Angel Falls 1. Iguazu Falls 1
  1. Iguazu Falls N° 1 Iguazu Falls Misiones and Paraná, Argentina River waterfall
  2. Angel Falls N° 4 Angel Falls Canaima National Park, Venezuela Plunge waterfall
  3. Cachoeira do Buracão N° 6 Cachoeira do Buracão Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil Gorge waterfall
  4. Kaieteur Falls N° 9 Kaieteur Falls Potaro-Siparuni, Guyana Plunge waterfall
  5. Salto Paraguassú N° 21 Salto Paraguassú Baliza, Goiás, Brazil Plunge waterfall
  6. Cascata das Andorinhas N° 26 Cascata das Andorinhas Rolante, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Gorge waterfall
  7. Cachoeira do Bicame N° 29 Cachoeira do Bicame Lapinha da Serra, Minas Gerais, Brazil Plunge waterfall
  8. Cachoeira Santa Bárbara N° 30 Cachoeira Santa Bárbara Cavalcante, Goiás, Brazil Plunge waterfall
  9. Cachoeira da Fumacinha N° 31 Cachoeira da Fumacinha Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil Gorge waterfall
  10. Cachoeira do Segredo N° 32 Cachoeira do Segredo Chapada dos Veadeiros, Goiás, Brazil Plunge waterfall
  11. Nauyaca Waterfalls N° 33 Nauyaca Waterfalls Dominical, Costa Rica Tiered waterfall
  12. Cachoeira do Meu Deus N° 39 Cachoeira do Meu Deus Eldorado, São Paulo, Brazil Plunge waterfall
  13. Cachoeira da Formiga N° 44 Cachoeira da Formiga Jalapão, Tocantins, Brazil Cascade
  14. Cachoeira do Juju N° 49 Cachoeira do Juju Baependi, Minas Gerais, Brazil Plunge waterfall
  15. Salto Utiariti N° 51 Salto Utiariti Campo Novo do Parecis, Mato Grosso, Brazil Plunge waterfall
  16. Salto Mili Mili N° 53 Salto Mili Mili Coñaripe, Chile Plunge waterfall
  17. Salto El Claro N° 54 Salto El Claro Pucón, Chile Plunge waterfall
  18. Cachoeira Casca d'Anta N° 56 Cachoeira Casca d'Anta Serra da Canastra, Minas Gerais, Brazil Plunge waterfall
  19. Ventanas de Tisquizoque N° 60 Ventanas de Tisquizoque Florián, Santander, Colombia Tiered waterfall
  20. Catarata del Toro N° 61 Catarata del Toro Bajos del Toro, Costa Rica Plunge waterfall
  21. Cachoeira do Fundão N° 67 Cachoeira do Fundão Serra da Canastra, Minas Gerais, Brazil Plunge waterfall
  22. Salto Alegre N° 68 Salto Alegre Misiones, Argentina Plunge waterfall
  23. Cachoeira do Saco Bravo N° 69 Cachoeira do Saco Bravo Paraty, Brazil Plunge waterfall
  24. Cascada Los Alerces N° 73 Cascada Los Alerces Nahuel Huapi National Park, Argentina Plunge waterfall
  25. Salto Belo N° 74 Salto Belo Campo Novo do Parecis, Mato Grosso, Brazil Plunge waterfall
  26. Blue Falls of Costa Rica N° 75 Blue Falls of Costa Rica Bajos del Toro, Costa Rica Tiered waterfall
  27. Cachoeira Almécegas I N° 90 Cachoeira Almécegas I Chapada dos Veadeiros, Goiás, Brazil Plunge waterfall
  28. Gocta Falls N° 94 Gocta Falls Cocachimba, Amazonas, Peru Tiered waterfall
  29. Pailón del Diablo N° 99 Pailón del Diablo Baños, Ecuador Gorge waterfall

Best by region

  1. The NordicsGullfossHvítá, South Iceland, IcelandN° 19
  2. EuropePoço da Ribeira do FerreiroFlores, Azores, PortugalN° 5
  3. AsiaTumpak SewuLumajang, East Java, IndonesiaN° 3
  4. The Middle EastKapuzbaşı WaterfallsYahyalı, Kayseri, TurkeyN° 20
  5. North AmericaHavasu FallsHavasupai, Arizona, United StatesN° 2
  6. Latin AmericaIguazu FallsMisiones and Paraná, ArgentinaN° 1
  7. AfricaVictoria FallsVictoria Falls and Livingstone, ZimbabweN° 7
  8. OceaniaMarokopa FallsWaitomo, New ZealandN° 47

Best by country

  1. BrazilCachoeira do BuracãoChapada Diamantina, BahiaN° 6
  2. United StatesHavasu FallsHavasupai, ArizonaN° 2
  3. IndiaNuranang FallsTawang, Arunachal PradeshN° 13
  4. IndonesiaTumpak SewuLumajang, East JavaN° 3
  5. IcelandGullfossHvítá, South IcelandN° 19
  6. PhilippinesCasaroro FallsValencia, Negros OrientalN° 36