Ecuador · Napo Province
San Rafael Falls
San Rafael Falls was a waterfall on the Coca River in Sucumbíos and Napo, Ecuador. Standing 131 metres high, it was the tallest and most powerful waterfall in Ecuador and a popular tourist attraction.
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
San Rafael Falls drops 150 metres (492 ft) across a face roughly 15 metres wide on the Coca River, inside Cayambe Coca National Park. It is a cataract-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Gonzalo Díaz de Pineda, Ecuador. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a cataract waterfall, a large, powerful waterfall or series of rapids on a big river.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at San Rafael Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Gonzalo Díaz de Pineda are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotographyWildlife & safari
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 Gonzalo Díaz de Pineda, Ecuador
- Country Ecuador
- Region Napo Province, Andes & Amazon, South America
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
San Rafael Falls
Ecuador
Height150 mWidth15 m
Most similar
Trümmelbach Falls
Switzerland
Height140 mWidth—
Also a cataract 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
Angel Falls is 6.5× taller than San Rafael Falls. It drops 1.4× further than Victoria Falls (108 m), but Victoria's curtain is 114× wider. Khone Phapheng Falls is 719× wider. Tallest · widest lists.
On the map
-0.1045, -77.58131
Quick answers
Where is San Rafael Falls?
San Rafael Falls is in Ecuador (Napo Province), inside Cayambe Coca National Park. The nearest base is Gonzalo Díaz de Pineda, Ecuador. Its coordinates are -0.1045, -77.5813.
How tall is San Rafael Falls?
San Rafael Falls drops 150 metres (492 feet), across a face about 15 metres wide. It is a cataract-type waterfall on the Coca River.
When is the best time to visit San Rafael 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 San Rafael Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking, photography and wildlife & safari. 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 San Rafael Falls?
The usual base is Gonzalo Díaz de Pineda, Ecuador. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
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