Mali · Kayes Region
Gouina Falls
The Gouina Falls or Chutes de Gouina are on the Sénégal River in Mali between the towns of Bafoulabé and Diamou in the Kayes Region, where the river runs north from the Talari Gorges. They have been called the "Niagara falls of Mali".
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Gouina Falls drops over a series of steps across a face roughly 430 metres wide on the Sénégal River. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Kayes Region, Mali. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a cascade waterfall, water tumbles down a series of rock steps rather than falling free.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Gouina Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Kayes Region are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Rain-season fed: the falls are at their biggest towards the end of the main rains and can shrink dramatically in the dry months.
Getting there
- Base town Kayes Region, Mali
- Country Mali
- Region Kayes Region, West Africa, Africa
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Gouina Falls
Mali
Height—Width430 m
Most similar
Höllbachgspreng
Germany
Height—Width500 m
Also a cascade waterfall and similar width
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
Khone Phapheng Falls is 25× wider. Tallest · widest lists.
On the map
14.015, -11.1025
Quick answers
Where is Gouina Falls?
Gouina Falls is in Mali (Kayes Region). The nearest base is Kayes Region, Mali. Its coordinates are 14.0150, -11.1025.
When is the best time to visit Gouina Falls?
Peak flow is August to November. Rain-season fed: the falls are at their biggest towards the end of the main rains and can shrink dramatically in the dry months.
What can you do at Gouina Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Gouina Falls?
The usual base is Kayes Region, Mali. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
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