Lonely Planet EnglandLonely Planet
Guidebook
Lonely Planet England
Lonely Planet · 2025
Current Lonely Planet England covering Teesdale and Ullswater, the settings of High Force and Aira Force.
United Kingdom · Cadfarch
Pistyll y Llyn
Pistyll y Llyn is one of the tallest waterfalls in Wales and the United Kingdom. It is a horsetail style set of falls which are located in the Cambrian Mountains about 2+1⁄2 miles from Glaspwll in Powys, Wales.
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.
Pistyll y Llyn drops 160 metres (525 ft). It is a horsetail-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Machynlleth, United Kingdom. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a horsetail waterfall, water stays in contact with the rock as it falls.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Pistyll y Llyn itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Machynlleth are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Spring snowmelt and rain make April to June the fullest months; October adds colour, and a hard winter can freeze the face.
Getting there
- Base town Machynlleth, United Kingdom
- Country United Kingdom
- Region Cadfarch, British Isles, Europe
- Access Easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint
How it compares
This waterfall
Pistyll y Llyn
United Kingdom
Height160 mWidth—
Most similar
Stalheimsfossen
Norway
Height126 mWidth—
Also a horsetail waterfall, of similar height and in Norway
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
126 m
160 m
330 m
979 m
Victoria FallsStalheimsfossenPistyll y LlynEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 6.1× taller than Pistyll y Llyn. It drops 1.5× further than Victoria Falls (108 m). We don't have a reliable crest width for Pistyll y Llyn yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
Lonely Planet ScotlandLonely Planet
Guidebook
Lonely Planet Scotland
Lonely Planet · 2025
Current Lonely Planet Scotland covering Glen Nevis, Kintail and the Moffat area.
The Rough Guide to ScotlandRough Guides
Guidebook
The Rough Guide to Scotland
Rough Guides · 2025
Current Rough Guide with Highland and Borders detail for Steall, Glomach and Grey Mare's Tail trips.
Lonely Planet WalesLonely Planet
Guidebook
Lonely Planet Wales
Lonely Planet · 2025
Current Lonely Planet Wales covering the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) and its waterfall country.
On the map
52.53137, -3.83842
Quick answers
Where is Pistyll y Llyn?
Pistyll y Llyn is in United Kingdom (Cadfarch). The nearest base is Machynlleth, United Kingdom. Its coordinates are 52.5314, -3.8384.
How tall is Pistyll y Llyn?
Pistyll y Llyn drops 160 metres (525 feet). It is a horsetail-type waterfall.
When is the best time to visit Pistyll y Llyn?
Peak flow is April to June and October. Spring snowmelt and rain make April to June the fullest months; October adds colour, and a hard winter can freeze the face.
What can you do at Pistyll y Llyn?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint.
How do you get to Pistyll y Llyn?
The usual base is Machynlleth, United Kingdom. A short walk or roadside viewpoint from there.
Nearby
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Pistyll Rhaeadr
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Swallow Falls
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