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Best waterfall destinations in South America

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Foz do Iguaçu
Where three nations meet waterfalls
7.7
Foz do Iguacu offers the wide panoramic view across the full run of Iguazu Falls. A network of trails and platforms lets visitors look across at nearly 275 cataracts. Visitors can take an lift up to a walkway level with the treetops. The Devil's Throat section can be seen from across the gorge here.
Highlights:
  • 🚤 Take a thrilling Macuco Safari boat ride near the falls
  • 🦜 Explore Parque das Aves, Latin America’s largest bird park
  • 🌊 Visit the breathtaking Iguazu Falls and Devil’s Throat
Puerto Iguazú
Gateway to Iguazú’s Thundering Falls
8.3
Puerto Iguazu serves as the Argentine gateway town to the Iguazu Falls system. Boats depart from here for the Macuco Safari, which drives directly under the spray. Visitors can also cross a nearby border point to see the falls from Brazil. Subtropical rainforest surrounds the town on every side.
Highlights:
  • 🌿 Walk the Upper and Lower Trails through tropical forest paths
  • 🚤 Take a jungle boat ride under the waterfalls’ spray
  • 🌊 Stand before the roaring Iguazú Falls at Devil’s Throat viewpoint
Canaima National Park
Tepui Peaks and Angel Falls Wonder
7.7
Salto Hacha drops beside the lagoon at the heart of Canaima National Park. Flat topped mountains called tepuis rise around the water on every side. Visitors can walk behind the curtain of falling water from a path along the cliff. Small planes and boats carry travellers deeper into the park from here.
Highlights:
  • 🗻 Explore the unique tabletop mountains called tepuis
  • ⛰️ Hike the summit of Auyantepuy tepui for breathtaking views
  • 🌊 See Angel Falls, the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall
Kaieteur National Park
World's Most Powerful Single-Drop Waterfall
7.7
Kaieteur Falls drops 226 metres in a single sheer plunge on the Potaro River. By volume, it ranks among the most powerful single drop waterfalls on Earth. Visitors can fly in by small plane, since no roads reach the falls directly. Golden frogs live in bromeliads growing at the cliff edge nearby.
Highlights:
  • 🐦 Spot rare Guianan cock-of-the-rock bird nearby
  • 🥾 Hike rainforest trails to panoramic waterfall viewpoints
  • 🌊 Witness the majestic Kaieteur Falls, tallest single-drop
Iguazú National Park and Reserve
Epic Waterfalls and Wild Rainforest
7.9
A steel catwalk on the Argentine side leads straight out over the Devil's Throat chasm. Water from fourteen separate streams pours into this single U shaped drop. Visitors can stand at the platform's edge as spray rises up from below. A small train carries visitors most of the way to the trailhead.
Highlights:
  • 🌿 Walk the Upper Circuit trail to view multiple cascading waterfalls
  • 🛶 Take a jungle boat ride through the mist of the falls
  • 🌊 Stand before the breathtaking Iguazú Falls at Devil’s Throat
Chapada Diamantina National Park
Waterfalls, Caves and Diamond History
7.7
Cachoeira da Fumaca drops around 340 metres, among the tallest waterfalls in Brazil. Wind scatters the water into smoke like mist long before it reaches the ground. Visitors can hike to a clifftop lookout above the falls after a full day trek. Diamond miners once worked these same valleys in the 1800s.
Highlights:
  • 🕳️ Explore the vast Lapa Doce Cave with guided tours
  • 💧 Swim in the crystal-clear waters of Poço Azul
  • ⛰️ Hike to the top of Morro do Pai Inácio for panoramic views
Patagonia
Untamed Beauty at the End of the World
8.3
Glacier melt from Cerro Tronador feeds cascades near the Ventisquero Negro in Argentine Patagonia. Black volcanic ash coats the ice above, giving the glacier its dark colour. Visitors can hike trails through Nahuel Huapi National Park to reach the viewpoints. Cold meltwater streams keep the falls running through the summer months.
Highlights:
  • 🐧 Explore the diverse wildlife on Peninsula Valdés
  • ❄️ Witness the massive Perito Moreno Glacier up close
  • 🥾 Hike the legendary trails of Torres del Paine National Park
Iguazu Falls
Breathtaking waterfalls spanning two countries
Iguazu Falls stretches across nearly 275 individual cascades along a curved cliff face. The falls span wider than Niagara and taller than Victoria Falls combined. Visitors can walk catwalks that reach right over parts of the roaring water. Rainbows form constantly in the spray on sunny days.
Highlights:
  • 🦜 Walk the forest trails and spot colorful toucans
  • 🚤 Take a boat ride beneath the cascading falls
  • 🌊 Stand before the roaring Devil’s Throat viewpoint
Angel Falls
Majestic cascades echoing tropical paradise
Angel Falls drops 979 metres from a tepui summit, the world's tallest uninterrupted waterfall. Much of the water turns to mist before it ever reaches the pool below. Visitors can reach the base only by boat and a forest hike from Canaima. The floating mountains of the animated film Up drew inspiration from this landscape.
Highlights:
  • 🥾 Explore the base camp trails near Angel Falls
  • 🚁 Take a helicopter tour for aerial view of Angel Falls
  • 🏞️ Hike to Churún viewpoint and capture waterfall panorama
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