France · Nuku-Hiva
Vaipō Waterfall
Vaipo Waterfall is a waterfall on the island of Nuku Hiva, in the Marquesas of French Polynesia. It is a horsetail-type waterfall with a single drop of height 1148 ft , making it the tallest waterfall in Polynesia outside of New Zealand and Hawaii.
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Vaipō Waterfall drops 350 metres (1,148 ft). It is a horsetail-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Nuku Hiva, France. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
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 Vaipō Waterfall itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Nuku Hiva 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 Nuku Hiva, France
- Country France
- Region Nuku-Hiva, Western Europe, Europe
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Vaipō Waterfall
France
Height350 mWidth—
Most similar
Staubbach Falls
Switzerland
Height297 mWidth—
Also a horsetail waterfall, of similar height and in Switzerland
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 2.8× taller than Vaipō Waterfall. It drops 3.2× further than Victoria Falls (108 m). We don't have a reliable crest width for Vaipō Waterfall yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
On the map
-8.907, -140.166
Quick answers
Where is Vaipō Waterfall?
Vaipō Waterfall is in France (Nuku-Hiva). The nearest base is Nuku Hiva, France. Its coordinates are -8.9070, -140.1660.
How tall is Vaipō Waterfall?
Vaipō Waterfall drops 350 metres (1,148 feet). It is a horsetail-type waterfall.
When is the best time to visit Vaipō Waterfall?
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 Vaipō Waterfall?
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 Vaipō Waterfall?
The usual base is Nuku Hiva, France. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
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