Top 50 Biggest Waterfalls In The World (2024)

Waterfalls are a gift of nature; in as much as man loves to play god by mimicking natural phenomena; they have not yet managed to produce these outstanding works of nature. The biggest waterfalls in the world are some of the most imposing structures; they are huge, contain a lot of water, and support a wide variety of plant and animal life.

The world’s biggest waterfalls in the context of this article are curated by two things; width and height.

These natural phenomena are already well known; they are important tourist attractions in their various countries.

Top 50 Biggest Waterfalls In The World

1. Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is the biggest waterfall in the world by combining both height and width; it measures 1,708 m in width, and 108 m (355 ft.) in height. This is a phenomenal spectacle; people come in from all over the world to see the water pouring over the cliff, to hear the sound of the rushing water, and to see the mist rising into the sky.

Victoria Falls is located in both Zambia and Zimbabwe; and is essential to the many unique species of plants and animals that live there. It is also important to the economies of the both countries; they have built their tourism industries around the waterfall.

More recently, this has been the center of research; researchers have used this waterfall to try to understand climate change, and how it impacts the environment. This is therefore one of the most important waterfalls in the world.

2. Kaieteur Falls

Kaieteur Falls is a beautiful waterfall in Guyana. It is part of the Potaro River, and is based in and around the Kaieteur National Park. This waterfall is beautiful and unique in that the surrounding area is quite heavily wooded; the water, though immense does not impede the animal life in this unique ecosystem.

To show how immense this waterfall is, consider its measurements; its height is 741 feet, and its width is 226 meters. In terms of height it is four times bigger than Niagara Falls, and in terms of width it is still a lot bigger than many of the more popular ones.

This is a spectacle to behold; there are few waterfalls that can compare with Kaieteur Falls in terms of width and height; it pours out about 663 cubic meters per second (23,400 cubic feet per second) of water; making it one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world.

3. Iguazú, Cataratas del

Iguazú, Cataratas del is a huge and magnificent waterfall that lies between Brazil and Argentina. The name Iguazu comes from the local languages; it is a conjunction of two words which separately mean big and water.

Iguazú, Cataratas del has an interesting backstory which is worth mentioning. Legend has it that a diety wanted to marry a beautiful maiden, but in defiance she fled with her mortal lover in a canoe. Enraged, the deity split the river, creating a deep chasm, and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.

Iguazú, Cataratas del does not fall eternally, but the longest drop is 82 meters (269 ft.), which is close enough. This waterfall pours out around 1,756 cubic meters (62,010 cubic ft.) per second, which is quite impressive.

Water is not the only thing that pours; tourists also pour in by the millions. This waterfall has become the center of an important tourism ecosystem; airlines, hotels, tour guides, transport services all profit from this waterfall.

4. Gocta Catarata

Gocta Catarata is an impressive waterfall in the province of Bongara in Amazonas, Peru. This is the newest waterfall in the world; well, it is new in the sense that it became known to the world in 2002 when a German explorer Stefan Ziemendorf went on an expedition with some locals in the area.

Previously, it has been known to locals for centuries; it is hard to miss a huge spectacle like this! The total height of the waterfall is measured at 771 meters (2,530 ft.), which makes it the third-tallest free-leaping waterfall in the world.

Gocta Catarata cuts through solid rock, and makes a huge drop. The noise from this waterfall is loud and consistent. The surrounding area is heavily wooded; this is a very important natural environment; one that must be preserved. While tourism is welcome, it has to be carefully planned so that it can have minimal impact on the species.

5. Sutherland Falls

Sutherland Falls is located in Southland, New Zealand. It is the tallest in New Zealand, and one of the tallest in the world, which has made it very popular. Sutherland Falls cuts through rock; despite that the surrounding area is quite green with life.

Sutherland Falls has its source at a small lake; and even the waterfall itself is not very wide. However, as for height it is very impressive; in fact it was once thought to be the tallest waterfall in the world before it was confirmed that its earlier stated height was grossly inflated.

Sutherland Falls is still quite popular among climbers and explorers; which means there is a lot of potential in the tourism sector.

6. Virginia Falls

Virginia Falls is a waterfall in Northwest Territories, Canada. Canada has plenty of water-bodies and waterfalls, but this is one of the more significant. It is located in Nahanni National Park Reserve, Northwest Territories, Canada; which means it is very important as an ecosystem.

Virginia Falls is one of the biggest waterfalls in the world; by whatever metric one chooses to measure size. For height it measures 96 m (315 ft.), and for width it measures 259 m (850 ft.). This waterfall pours out 1,000 cubic meters (35,000 cubic feet) per second.

Virginia Falls is broken into segments; it forms a huge basin, and runs for quite a distance. This waterfall is surrounded by greenery, and there is a mountain in the background. It is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world; one that has plenty of potential for tourism.

7. Ventisquero Colgante, Cascada de

Ventisquero Colgante, Cascada de is one of the major waterfalls in South America; it is located in Aisén, Chile. It is also known as Hanging Glacier Falls; and that name comes from the source of the water which is a glacier. When the water melts it flows down the rock which has actually carved its path through the rock.

Ventisquero Colgante, Cascada de is quite impressive; the width is around 100 ft., and its height is conservatively estimated to be 1,800 feet. Just looking at the waterfall it is possible not conceive the sheer enormity of this waterfall.

The entire area is set at an elevation of about 2,850 feet; which means most onlookers may not see the true size of the waterfall.

8. Kerepakupai Merú

Kerepakupai Merú is a beautiful waterfall and pristine environment located in Venezuela. Its other name is Angel Falls. It is the tallest true waterfall in the world; which means despite its great height, the water falls throughout the year, as opposed to many tall waterfalls which only fall seasonally.

If this is not the most beautiful waterfall in the world, it certainly comes close; the rock has a reddish hue, and the greenery is abundant. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; its importance and significance for humans and animals alike having been well documented.

This is a very important tourist attraction; people come into the country by the millions to visit this waterfall and to enjoy the views.

9. Cerberus Falls

Cerberus Falls is a waterfall in British Columbia, Canada. It is aptly named because it is segmented; and so has several heads, just like the Cerberus of ancient Greek lore. It is important because it is one of the tallest waterfalls in the world, and also one of those formed by melting glaciers.

Cerberus Falls has between 2 to 4 different segments; and that may differ according to how much water it is fed by its source which is the melting glaciers.

Ceberus Falls has a height of about 475 m (1,558 ft.), and a width of 198 m (650 ft.); which makes it one of the most important waterfalls in the world, even if it does not flow all year round.

10. Jog Falls

Jog Falls is a beautiful waterfall in Karnataka, India. This is a place that is worthy of a visit because of the deep sense of awe it creates. It is centered around a deep gorge in the earth which is quite heavily wooded. In fact it is not possible to see the river as it feeds the waterfall; visitors can only see the trees, and the waterfall appears quite suddenly.

The height of the waterfall is 253 m (830 ft.), while the width is 472 m (1,549 ft.). The flow rate is put at 153 m³/s (5,400 cu ft./s), which is segmented into at least 4 unique waterfalls.

Jog Falls is an important tourism attraction; and it is also significant because of the ecosystem it supports.

The following are the biggest waterfalls in the world.

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Closing:

The biggest waterfalls in the world are important heritage sites, tourist attractions, and ecological zones. Well spread throughout the world; they are relics of important geological events that happened millions of years ago, and that will continue to fascinate humans for ages to come.