Lonely Planet PeruBrendan Sainsbury et al.
Guidebook
Lonely Planet Peru
Brendan Sainsbury et al. · 2025
Covers the Amazonas region around Chachapoyas, the base for the Gocta and Yumbilla hikes and Kuélap fortress.
Peru · Áncash Department
Maria Jiray Falls
María Jiray is a man-made waterfall located at 3400 meters above sea level, near the town of Acopalca, in the Peruvian region of Ancash. It has an approximate height of 300 meters and is the byproduct of an aqueduct for a nearby hydroelectric plant, as water in excess is diverted to the creek where the waterfall is located.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Maria Jiray Falls drops 300 metres (984 ft). It is a plunge-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Huari, Peru. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a plunge waterfall, water leaves the rock entirely and falls free through the air.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Maria Jiray Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Huari are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Tropical wet season fed: the rains bring the volume, the first dry months bring the clear skies and full falls together.
Getting there
- Base town Huari, Peru
- Country Peru
- Region Áncash Department, Andes & Amazon, South America
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Maria Jiray Falls
Peru
Height300 mWidth—
Most similar
Cachoeira da Fumaça
Brazil
Height340 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in Brazil
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
108 m
300 m
330 m
340 m
979 m
Victoria FallsMaria Jiray FallsEiffel TowerCachoeira da FumaçaAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 3.3× taller than Maria Jiray Falls. It drops 2.8× further than Victoria Falls (108 m). We don't have a reliable crest width for Maria Jiray Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
Guidebook
South American Handbook
Ben Box · 2017
The one-volume continental handbook, useful for multi-country trips that link falls such as Iguazú, Kaieteur and Angel Falls.
On the map
-9.34058, -77.20386
Quick answers
Where is Maria Jiray Falls?
Maria Jiray Falls is in Peru (Áncash Department). The nearest base is Huari, Peru. Its coordinates are -9.3406, -77.2039.
How tall is Maria Jiray Falls?
Maria Jiray Falls drops 300 metres (984 feet). It is a plunge-type waterfall.
When is the best time to visit Maria Jiray Falls?
Peak flow is January to May. Tropical wet season fed: the rains bring the volume, the first dry months bring the clear skies and full falls together.
What can you do at Maria Jiray 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 Maria Jiray Falls?
The usual base is Huari, Peru. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
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