You can look at the water falling from a height, as well as at the blazing fire, forever. It is not surprising that absolutely all the cascades of the world gather around them many fans, whose number goes to thousands when it comes to the highest waterfalls in the world. They are the most spectacular, vivid and picturesque.
What is a waterfall? These are masses of water falling from great heights. This is possible if the river comes to the edge of a ravine, canyon, or just a rock.
High waterfalls can initially disappoint the unprepared viewer. They are quite narrow and not deep at all. In addition, to appreciate their beauty, you need to move away from them at a sufficient distance.
All waterfalls are short-lived. The time will come, and the stone under the falling mass of water will become thinner and crumble into dust. Water can go deep into the rock or simply smooth out ledges, turning them into rapids. Tall waterfalls will take a little longer to disappear completely.
We offer you a rating of the tallest waterfalls in the world.
Angel, Venezuela
The highest waterfall in the world is the South American Angel, which is located on the Kerep River in the southeast of Venezuela. The river falls down from a height of 1054 meters. At first, it flows along a plateau under the speaking name of Auyan-Tepui, which can be translated from the language of the local Indians as Devil's Mountain.
The jungle surrounding the approaches to the waterfall is so inaccessible that the scientific expedition managed to climb the plateau only in 1956. The waterfall was discovered much earlier - in 1935 - from the air. He was spotted by the pilot Jimmy Angel, whose surname in Spanish sounded like Angel. An amazing find was named in his honor.
The pilot flew over the Venezuelan mesas, which are part of the Guiana Highlands, for the practical purpose of looking for diamond deposits. After 2 years, he returned here and even crashed on the plateau itself, but managed to survive and get to people.
The Venezuelan authorities considered the name Angel to be incorrect and in 2009 they decided to rename the waterfall. Now he is officially called Kerepakupai-meru, but he is still called Angel by everyone.
The tour to the waterfall will cost $ 300. There are two options for the road to Angel: by helicopter (plane) or by pleasure boats along the river.
Tugela, South Africa
The largest waterfall in Africa and the second largest waterfall on the planet is called Tugela. It is located in South Africa, in the Natal nature reserve. Its height is 948 meters and its width does not exceed 15 meters.
The water of the Tugela River falls from the top, which is part of the Drakensberg Mountains, not vertically down, but flows down the ledges. Therefore, the waterfall consists of 5 cascades. The largest of them is 411 meters long.
The authorities of the national park where the waterfall is located have organized hiking tours to the top of Tugela. You can climb there by 2 routes. One of them is short and includes a passage through several suspension bridges, the other is longer and will require tourists to be in good physical shape, since they will have to jump over boulders and walk 7 km through the forest.
At the top of the courageous travelers, another attraction awaits - drinking water from the Tugela River. The fact is that it starts near the waterfall and is considered absolutely clean.
Winnufossen, Norway
The highest waterfall in Europe we will find in Norway. It is called Winnufossen and is located on the Winnu River, which falls from a cliff in the area of the Sunndal commune, near the village of Sanndalsera.
Winnufossen reaches a height of 860 meters. It, like the African Tugela, consists of several cascades.
Winnufossen is a glacial waterfall, that is, one that is fed by the waters of a glacier called Winnufonna. Therefore, it is most spectacular during the warm season, when the glacier melts and provides enough water for a powerful continuous flow.
The Vinufossen waterfall is valuable because it does not fall along a sheer cliff. On the way of the overthrowing waters of the Vinnu River, trees grow, which are shrouded in water suspension, which looks very impressive.
Winnufossen is clearly visible from the E70 highway. There are always a lot of tourists here, because in addition to visiting the waterfall, the region offers many more attractions, for example, the Rondane Park, the Troll Ladder track, etc.
Yosemite, USA
Yosemite - the largest waterfall in North America - is to be found in Yosemite National Park in the United States. It is formed by the waters of Yosemite Creek, which descends from the cliff in several cascades.
Tourists should know a few things about Yosemite Falls:
- its height is "only" 739 meters, and in the list of the highest waterfalls on the planet, it is on the 20th place, but in North America you will not find a higher cascade, which is why we included it in our rating;
- it is better to visit the waterfall from March to June: during this period it will be more full-flowing and beautiful;
- several legends of local aborigines are associated with the waterfall (for example, they believe that evil spirits live in the bowl of the cascade, which it is better not to disturb);
- next to the waterfall there is another significant attraction that tourists do not miss - the grave of the man who contributed to the discovery of Yosemite Nature Reserve - Galen Clark.
