There are few things more beautiful in nature than a waterfall. Alabama has some gorgeous waterfalls, but if you want to see Mother Nature’s best examples of these beauties, you’ll have to leave our state and travel a bit.
Since we love everything to do with water – which means not just delivering top-quality drinking water but enjoying it in its natural state – we decided to share the four most impressive waterfalls in the world based on totally objective, scientific criteria: our own opinions.
Here are the four waterfalls we’d love to visit at some point due to their majesty and grandeur.
Niagara Falls
Of the four, Niagara Falls is easily the most familiar, and it’s one that many have seen because it’s located here in the U.S., along the U.S.-Canada border. You can travel to New York or Ontario, Canada to see the impressive Falls, which are actually divided into three separate sets of waterfalls: Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls.
The highest drop is 167 feet, and roughly 85,000 cubic feet of water flow over the falls every second. That makes one of the falls – Horseshoe Falls – the most powerful waterfall in North America.
Since Niagara is located in the U.S., we highly encourage you to take a trip out to see it at least once in your life. It really is that breathtaking.
Angel Falls
Located in Venezuela, Angel Falls has the honor of being the world’s tallest waterfall, clocking in at a staggering 3,212 feet. The tallest building in the world, by comparison, is the Burj Khalifa, which is only 2,717 feet tall (the tallest in the U.S. is One World Trade Center at 1,776 feet).
Angel Falls is not only a record-setting waterfall; it has a bit of lore attached to it as well. Legend has it that the British explorer Sir Walter Raleigh found Angel Falls while searching for the mythological city of El Dorado, the City of Gold.
It can be hard to get to Angel Falls since it’s located in a remote part of Venezuela, but if you can get out to see it, we recommend it – it is a beautiful sight to see.
Iguazu Falls
Iguazu Falls aren’t as tall as Angel Falls, but they’re no less impressive. In fact, they remind a lot of people of Niagara Falls – except they’re much bigger and grander.
Located on the border of Argentina and Brazil, Iguazu Falls has the distinction of being the world’s largest waterfall system. The drop is only 269 feet tall (still taller than Niagara), but the falls themselves, from one side to the other, clock in at 5,249 feet – just barely under a mile! That’s a mile of waterfall over some of the most beautiful river water in the world.
For sheer grandeur, few waterfalls beat Iguazu.
Victoria Falls
The last entry on our list is, in our opinion, the most impressive. Victoria Falls is one of the most famous waterfalls in the world. Straddling the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, Victoria Falls has attracted more tourists than perhaps any other waterfall in the world. It is also considered one of the largest waterfalls by flow rate, and has a respectable height of 355 feet. Water doesn’t just flow over the cliff; it gushes at high speeds, which creates a dazzling spectacle that has attracted tourists since the 19th Century.
If you ever get the chance to get anywhere near Victoria Falls, take the opportunity to pay it a visit. You’ll be glad you did.
Have you been to any of these or any other waterfalls? Which one that you’ve been to is your favorite?