Lonely Planet BrazilTrent Holden et al.
Guidebook
Lonely Planet Brazil
Trent Holden et al. · 2025
Covers Foz do Iguaçu's panoramic side, Chapada Diamantina for Fumaça, and the Serra Gaúcha around Canela for Caracol.
Brazil · Paulo Afonso
Paulo Afonso Falls
Paulo Afonso Falls is a series of waterfalls on the São Francisco River in the north-east of Brazil adjacent to the city of Paulo Afonso.
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.
Paulo Afonso Falls drops 80 metres (262 ft) on the São Francisco River. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Delmiro Gouveia, Brazil. 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 Paulo Afonso Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Delmiro Gouveia 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 Delmiro Gouveia, Brazil
- Country Brazil
- Region Paulo Afonso, Brazil, South America
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Paulo Afonso Falls
Brazil
Height80 mWidth—
Most similar
Kundalila Falls
Zambia
Height80 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall and of similar height
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
Most similar
Kundalila Falls
Zambia
Height80 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall and of similar height
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
80 m
80 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Paulo Afonso FallsKundalila FallsVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 12× taller than Paulo Afonso Falls. Victoria Falls is 1.4× taller. We don't have a reliable crest width for Paulo Afonso 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
-9.38909, -38.19577
Quick answers
Where is Paulo Afonso Falls?
Paulo Afonso Falls is in Brazil (Paulo Afonso). The nearest base is Delmiro Gouveia, Brazil. Its coordinates are -9.3891, -38.1958.
How tall is Paulo Afonso Falls?
Paulo Afonso Falls drops 80 metres (262 feet). It is a cascade-type waterfall on the São Francisco River.
When is the best time to visit Paulo Afonso 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 Paulo Afonso 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 Paulo Afonso Falls?
The usual base is Delmiro Gouveia, Brazil. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to Paulo Afonso Falls
Cachoeira da Fumaça
Brazil · 340 m · 500 km away
One of Brazil's tallest waterfalls
Itiquira Falls
Brazil · 168 m · 1,210 km away
One of central Brazil's tallest waterfalls
Swimming
Bahia Falls
Brazil · 4 m · 1,220 km away
Bahia Falls is a waterfall on the Santo Antônio River, in city of Santo Antônio do Rio Abaixo, in the state…
Chuvisco Falls
Brazil · 10 m · 1,230 km away
Chuvisco Falls is a waterfall on the Rio Preto in Minas Gerais, Brazil, on the boundary between the…