What are the most beautiful waterfalls in the world?
The world is a beautiful place, especially where nature has been left untouched to build its own empire. Waterfalls, for instance, are particularly beautiful and stunning works of art signed by Mother Nature, which is why we decided to create a list with the 11 most beautiful waterfalls in the world.
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Waterfalls are usually created in the upper courses of the rivers when the channels are most often than not narrow and deep. After many years of running down the same path, the water has eroded the bedrock. The areas that are now steep falls where the most impressive waterfalls stand will become over years canyons or other, flatter, forms of land. That’s a long time away, however, since erosion at such a scale doesn’t happen over night.
There are many impressive areas around the world. Waterfalls can impress through the height of their fall, the width, volume of water or their beauty. A beautiful waterfall needs to create a wonderful scenery, to leave a long lasting impression on the visitor. While it’s true that any waterfall will likely make the viewer smile and awe at the power of nature, not all are created equal.
You can even check out our list of 11 widest waterfalls in the world and see if those are also on the list of the most beautiful ones.
Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder we decided to take the Internet for a spin. We searched for various lists with the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, picking out eight sites, including Telegraph, The World Geography, and 99 Travel Trips. We then checked out the ones that were mentioned most often, took into account their rankings and divided those by the number of mentions to get a score. We also gave extra points to the waterfalls that are world heritage sites.
11. Horizontal Falls, Australia
Points – 4.5
Starting out with this beautiful waterfall in Australia, this is one of the most unique in our list. That’s because it’s not the height of the drop that’s impressive to the eye, but the fact that there are actually two narrow, close gorges influenced by the tide. In short, as the tides in Talbot Bay change, the flow of the water reverses, creating differences in sea level on either side of each gorge. This is an impressive natural phenomenon and it’s wonderful to see, especially given the turquoise
The area is particularly impressive and as a tourist you can experience the area in unique ways. On one hand, you can take a trip with a seaplane across the bay and enjoy the scenic flight.
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10. Kaieteur Falls, Guyana
Points – 5
Located on the Potaro River in the Kaieteur National Park from Guyana, Kaieteur Falls is quite impressive. Hidden within the Amazon forest, the water takes a 741 feet plunge over a cliff, only to continue its fall over steep cascades, adding up to a total height of 822 feet. This makes it about four times higher than Niagara Falls, just so you can paint a better picture in your mind.
What makes this waterfall even more impressive is the high volume of water falling over the cliff, having an average flow rate of 23,400 cubic feet per second.
The waterfall is a major tourist attraction in Guyana, as it should be given its beauty.
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9. Plitvice Falls, Croatia
Points – 6
The Plitvice falls are located in the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia, one of the oldest national parks in this particular European region, and one that is part of the UNESCO World Heritage register.
The lakes within the national park are arranged in cascades. There are some 16 lakes which resulted after several small rivers and subterranean rivers met. The lakes descend from over 2,000 feet, connecting through small waterfalls.
The highest waterfall is the Veliki slap (which literally translates to Large Waterfall). It has a drop of close to 256 feet and it’s situated at the end of the Lower Lakes.
8. Havasu Falls, USA
Points – 7
Havasu Falls can be found in the famous Grand Canyon and it is within the Havasupai tribal lands. Out of all the falls along the Havasu Creek, this one is the most famous, mainly thanks to the impressive drop.
According to measurements, the Havasu Falls drops 90 feet over a vertical cliff into a sizable pool that has a wonderful color. While it’s common for the waterfall to be in a single chute, it sometimes breaks into two due to the mineral content of the water.
The area is popular with tourists and picnic tables are placed right across the creek, making the observation of the Havasu Falls easy.
7. Iguazu Falls, Argentina / Brazil
Points – 7.3
The Iguazu falls are situated on the border between an Argentine province and a Brazilian state. The impressive waterfall divides the Iguazu river into two areas. The upper area of the river is peppered with islands over the massive edge that spans over 1.7 miles. The drop of the waterfalls vary between 197 and 269 feet and there are about 275 different drops, which makes for an impressive view.
About 20% of the total drops are on the Brazilian side while the rest are on the Argentinian side, hence the general understanding that Iguazu Falls are in Argentine.
6. Angel Falls, Venezuela
Points – 7.5
The Angel Falls can be found in Venezuela and it is one of the highest water drops in the world. The water falls from 3,122 feet and the total plunge is of 2,648 feet, which makes for quite a view even from farther away.
The waterfall is in the Canaima National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The falls are known both as the “Angel Falls” after US aviator Jimmie Angel, who flew over the falls, but also as Salto Angel, which is the Spanish name. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced a few years back that he wanted to change the name back to the term used by the indigenous people, namely Kerepakupai Vena. Truth be told, it’s a bit late since it’s already quite so popular and famous across the world.
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5. Gullfoss, Iceland
Points – 7.75
In the beautiful country of Iceland, there are many places to visit, but Gullfoss is one of the most popular ones for the tourists. The Hvita river prepares for the drop by going down a few “steps”. It then plunges to the ground in two stages of 36 and 69 feet, before dropping into a crevice that’s 105 feet deep.
The crevice isn’t quite visible from afar, but once you get closer it’s an impressive sight, especially since it runs perpendicular to the water flow and has a length of 1.5 miles. Which is why it takes the 5th place among the most beautiful waterfalls in the world.
4. Skógafoss, Iceland
Points- 8
Once more in Iceland, the Skógafoss waterfall is situated on the Skoga river in the southern area of the country. This is one of the biggest waterfalls in the country, spanning 82 feet in width. The water drops some 200 feet and it is really beautiful seen both from afar and from close by.
If the sun is up you’ll be able to see a rainbow or two thanks to the massive amounts of spray from the waterfall. You might have seen the beautiful waterfall in 2013 movie “Thor: The Dark World”. If you haven’t, just go back to watch the movie and try to spot it.
3. Ban Gioc – Detian Falls, China / Vietnam
Points – 9.5
The Ban Gioc – Detian Falls are actually two waterfalls on the Quây Sơn River on the border between China and Vietnam. The two waterfalls appear as such most of the time, but when the river is swollen during the summer months it appears as one, as it used to be many years ago before erosion took place. The water drops 98 feet, which means it is pretty loud and can be heard from afar.
Alongside Iguazu Falls, Victoria Falls, and Niagara Falls, it is the fourth largest waterfall that’s along a national border.
2. Niagara Falls – USA / Canada
Points – 12.2
Perhaps one of the most famous waterfalls in the world, Niagara Falls has appeared in countless movies over the decades, getting to be known across the globe. It’s not just a simple waterfall, but it’s also one that separates Canada from the United States, or more specifically Ontario from New York.
Niagara Falls splits into three, with each drop having a different height. For instance, the Horseshoe Falls drop about 188 feet, while the American Falls have a drop of up to 100 feet. The Bridal Veil Falls has a vertical fall of 76 feet. You can admire the natural wonder from numerous vantage points, but also via boat trips.
1. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Points – 14.6
On the Zambezi River sits the Victoria Falls, one of the most beautiful ones in the world and the one that tops our list. It has a total drop of 355 feet, making for an impressive view.
The Victoria Falls is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, although they have considered revoking the name due to the large developments in the area.
There are many beautiful and unique waterfalls in the world, but Victoria Falls tops our list of 11 most beautiful waterfalls in the world mostly due to how popular it is. There are plenty of other waterfalls that are small, but beautiful across the globe, and you’ll need to discover them all, even if it doesn’t involve flying to a foreign country to see them, but rather traveling a couple hours to a nearby location.
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