10 Most Beautiful Waterfalls

8/6/2019 10 Most Beautiful Waterfalls

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10 Most Beautiful Waterfalls

From the thundering roar ofNiagara Falls in theU.S. to the elegant veil of Angel Falls inVenezuela, we found the world's most photogenic waterfallsand share the best ways tosee the action in person.

By Beth Collins

Plitvice Lakes National ParkPhoto: Croatian National Tourist Board/Renco Kosinozic

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Few things in nature are as mesmerizing as a waterfallthe thunderous roar as water spills over cliffs,the light glistening off the spray, the sheer force of it all. We found the 10 most enticing cascades on theplanet. Some are obvious choices (who could resist the honeymooners' classic Niagara?), others aremore obscure (ever heard of Langfoss?), but they all share an important quality: One look, and you'rebound to be transfixed for hours.

1. Plitvice Lakes (Croatia)

If the Grand Canyon were covered in Technicolor green moss, spotted with 16 lakes across its base, andlaced with thousands of falls along its walls, it would look a little something like Plitvice Lakes NationalPark in southwestern Croatia ($15 entrance fee, per person). The color of the water is intensely turquoise,

thanks to the unique mix of minerals and organisms in runoff from the Dinaric Alps. The Plitvice NationalPark Service offers three-hour tours, starting at $130 for groups, but it's more fun to explore at your ownpace, stopping to duck under waterfalls when you need to cool off. Allow a solid two to three hours topoke around, and be sure to take in the view from the first entrance to the park. The perch, high above aseries of caves, overlooks all the lakes. Maps for sale ($4 each) at the tourist information booths, locatedat each of the park's two entrances, will help you navigate the park's labyrinth of trails and boardwalks.

Closest major city: The park is 80 miles south ofZagreband an easy two-hour drive by car.
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Best time to go: The weather is reliably warm and sunny from May through September.

2. Niagara Falls(New York and Canada)

The most powerful waterfall in North America, Niagara straddles the international border between Canadaand the U.S., nearBuffalo, New York. It is divided into three distinct cascades: The 167-foot-highAmerican Falls and the 181-foot-high Bridal Veil Falls sit on the U.S. side; the 158-foot-high HorseshoeFalls drops on the Canadian. People debate which country holds the better view, but the truth of it is, thebest vantage point isn't from either shoreline. It's from the water. The Maid of the Mist ventures to bothsides along the Niagara River. The 600-passenger vessel gets so close to the action, in fact, that guestsare outfitted with rain ponchos to keep them dry from the torrential spray. If you do take the half-hour ride,you'll join the company of former passengers Theodore Roosevelt and Marilyn Monroe (open Aprilthrough late October, $13.50 per person).

Horseshoe FallsPhoto: Courtesy RussellKord

Closest major city: Niagara sits 17 miles north of Buffalo; from there, the falls are an easy 25-minutedrive along I-190.

Best time to go: Summer crowds can overwhelm, so visit during the shoulder seasons instead. You can'tgo wrong in May, June, and September.

3. Iguaz Falls (Argentina)

A network of 275 falls that spans nearly two miles across, Iguaz is so striking in its immensity that whenEleanor Roosevelt first saw the falls, she remarked, "poor Niagara." The water plummets with suchintense force that the spray almost looks as if it's shooting up from the pools below. One of the mostpopular sections is Devil's Throat, a horseshoe-shaped waterfall that's 269 feet wide and 2,300 feet long.You could visit Iguaz on your own, but you'll see more with an experienced guide. The full-day excursionwith Viator takes you by bus to Devil's Throat and the falls' Upper and Lower Circuits and also grants youaccess to the Train of the Forest, a railway system that travels through the park and to the footbridges

overlooking the falls ($35 per person).
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Iguaz FallsPhoto: Courtesy wylene11/myBudgetTravel

Closest major city: Iguaz is 670 miles (and a 90-minute flight) north ofBuenos Aires.

Best time to go: For the best prices and warm temperatures (75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit), go inOctober. Avoid January, February, and Easter vacation, when Argentines and Brazilians flock to the falls.And stay away during May and July, the two rainiest months.

4. Hanakapi'ai Falls (Kauai, Hawaii)

Hanakapi'ai calls to mind the prehistoric, untouched beauty of the landscapes in the Jurassic Park films(minus the dinosaurs, of course). The thin veil of water plunges 300 feet from volcanic-rock cliffs cloakedin tropical rain forest. Better still, to get there, you follow the famously scenic Kalalau Trail, which tracesthe lush, green Na Pali Coast for 11 miles along the northern coast of the island. You can access the trailfrom Ke'e Beach. You don't need a guide for the hikethe trail is clearly marked and well trodbutremember to pack water because the sun can get pretty hot here and the hike is strenuous in a fewsections. En route, you'll pass through bamboo forests and cross a freshwater stream; two miles in, you'llreach a quiet inlet of Ke'e Beach, where it's not unusual to spot pods of dolphins playing in the surf.

Hanakapi'ai FallsPhoto: Courtesy *bjo/Flickr

Closest major city: The trailhead at Ke'e Beach is a quick 15-minute drive north from the town ofHanalei, Kauai. From there, the hike takes two to four hours round-trip, depending on your fitness leveland how long you linger at the beach and the waterfall.

Best time to go: You'll find the best deals on flights and hotels from mid-September through December,and from January through May. Avoid hiking the trail in August, when temperatures can climb into the90s. Be sure to get an early start; the parking lot at Ke'e Beach fills up by mid-morning.
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5.Yosemite Falls (California)

A poster child for the American West, this three-tiered fall stretches 2,425 feet from top to bottom. Thewaterfall itself is gorgeous, but it is the surroundings-granite cliffs and Giant Sequoia trees-that make itone of the most striking sights in the country. The falls are visible from many places around YosemiteValley, particularly near Yosemite Lodge. From the lodge's parking lot, you can get even closer by taking

one of the National Park Service's free, 20-minute shuttle bus rides to stop no. 6, where a one-mile looptrail leads to the base of Lower Yosemite Fall.

Yosemite FallsPhoto: Courtesy blairherzog/myBudgetTravel

Closest major city: Yosemite National Park is 195 miles (and a four-hour drive) east ofSan Francisco.

Best time to go: The falls are at their most spectacular when the winter ice and snow are melting, fromMarch to June. Peak flow is in May.

6. Victoria Falls(Zimbabwe and Zambia)

More than twice as high as Niagara Falls and about a mile across, the absolute mass of this gusher ismind-boggling. The force of the water falling into the pool below is so great, in fact, that on clear days youcan see the spray from as far as 30 miles away. The local populace is equally impressive: Baboons,elephants, and hippos are often spotted along the shores of Victoria. Safari Par Excellence can set youup with everything, whether you're looking for a simple rafting trip on the Zambezi River leading up toVictoria (from $135 per person for a half-day) or a helicopter ride to view the white rhinos in nearby Mosi-oa Tunya National Park (from $120 per person).

Victoria FallsPhoto: empusa/istockphoto
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Closest major city:Livingstone, Zambia, is about eight miles from Victoria Falls. Most visitors fly intoLivingstone International Airport and then take a shuttle to their hotel, where tour operators pick up guestsand transport them to the falls.

Best time to go: The perfect window is from February to May, when the rainy season has just ended butthe falls are still gushing.

7. Sutherland Falls (New Zealand)

Set on the southwestern tip of the South Island, Fiordland National Park is perfectly calibrated to createcascades: The rugged landscape gets a steady supply of rain 300 days a year and has hundreds of fallsto show for it. The true masterpiece of the bunch is Sutherland. Its water drops 1,904 feet and shifts to theright at one point and then back to the left at another, forming three distinct sections. The best way to seethe trio is by hiking a three-mile portion of the Milford Track, one of New Zealand's most popular trails.You can access the Milford near the town of Quintin, at the Quintin Hut, then follow the trail south forapproximately 45 minutes to the base of the falls.

Sutherland FallsPhoto: Frans Lemmens/Alamy

Closest major city: Fiordland National Park is about 280 miles southwest ofQueenstown. Most visitors

rent a car to make the drive, which takes about five hours from Queenstown.

Best time to go: Go during New Zealand's summer, December to February, when the days are long andthe temperatures hover around a comfortable 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

8. Gullfoss Falls (Iceland)

Located on the southwest coast of Iceland, this is one of the most unconventional-looking waterfallsaround. It's two-tiered, and even though neither drop is particularly high, together they make for anincredible sight. The first fall cascades to the right, the water churning around before hitting a sheer cliff,where it turns to the left and drops again. Viator Tours operates a half-day trip that stops at Gullfoss andtwo more of Iceland's biggest attractions: Geysir, which can spout water up to 230 feet high, and the Kerid

volcanic crater ($88 per person).
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Gullfoss FallsPhoto: Courtesy cbenitez/myBudgetTravel

Closest major city: Viator Tours provides transportation to and from Reykjavik. The bus ride is 75 milesand takes about an hour and a half.

Best time to go: Go during June, July, and August, when the ice has melted and temperatures are attheir warmest (ranging from 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit).

9. Angel Falls (Venezuela)

The tallest waterfall in the world at 3,211 feet, Angel Falls is so high that some of the water evaporatesbefore it even reaches the pool below. When you look up from the base, the waterfall seems to comefrom nowhere. Unlike most falls, this one isn't fed by snowmelt, a lake, or a river, but by rainfall from thetropical clouds. Getting to and from Angel Falls on your own is logistically tricky, so it's necessary to seethis cascade with a guide. The three-day tour from Akanan Travel & Adventure includes airfare fromCaracas, Venezuela's capitol, to Angel Falls; hammocks to sleep on; all meals; and insider access to thefalls, including hikes, canoe rides, and a dip in a hidden pool at the base of the waterfall ( $450 perperson).

Angel Falls

Photo: Jay Dickman/CORBIS

Closest major city: Angel Falls is located in Canaima National Park, which has an on-site airport thatconnects visitors to and from Caracas.

Best time to go: Akanan's tours run from July through November, when the waterfalls flow is at itsheaviest.
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10. Langfoss Waterfall (Norway)

Instead of falling in a straight drop like most waterfalls, Langfoss slips down a cliff, maintaining contactwith the rocks the entire way down, before spilling into Akra Fjord. Langfoss isn't the biggest waterfall inNorway, but its combined height (2,008 feet) and width (205 feet) are an impressive combination. Themountainside in the background turns bright green with new vegetation in the summer, providing a

striking contrast to the whitewater of the falls and the charcoal-gray rocky outcroppings. It's one of the fewwaterfalls in Norway that hasn't been tapped for hydroelectric power and is still in its natural state. TheLangfoss Waterfall Fjord Cruise travels past tiny farms and rugged mountains on its way to the gusher($45).

Langfoss WaterfallPhoto: Erik Kvalheim- Samarbeidsradet/Sunnhordland

Closest major city: FromOslo, you can drive the 246 miles (about five hours) to the small town of Etne,where Langfoss falls; you can also fly from Oslo directly into Haugesund airport and then drive 43 miles toEtne.

Best time to go: The weather around Langfoss is at its best from June through September.

Note:This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and detailsdirectly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
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10 Most Beautiful Waterfalls