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The Famous Fumaca Waterfall in Bahia Ruled for Decades, But the Tallest Waterfall in Brazil Is Officially the Monumental El Dorado Waterfall, a Treasure in the Amazon That Is Now Challenged by a Giant Recently Measured in Rio de Janeiro.
For a long time, the answer to which was the tallest waterfall in Brazil seemed to be on the tip of every traveler’s tongue: the Fumaca Waterfall in Chapada Diamantina. However, a technical expedition in the early 2000s rewrote the maps and revealed a new and imposing champion located in one of the country’s most remote regions.
According to the news portal G1, which compiled data from expeditions and environmental agencies, the dispute for the top spot has a clear winner, but a new challenger in Rio de Janeiro could change the ranking soon. The story of how these giants are measured is a true adventure through the geography and natural beauty of Brazil.
The Measurement That Changed Geography: The Giant Waterfalls Project
The change in the ranking of the tallest waterfalls in Brazil resulted from the “Giant Waterfalls Project”. In the early 2000s, a group of explorers and geographers used rappel equipment and laser tape measures to accurately measure the most inaccessible waterfalls in the country.
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Heading to Brazil in a Bonanza F33 single-engine aircraft: a couple departs from Florida on a visual flight, makes technical stops in the Caribbean to refuel and organize paperwork, and begins the staged crossing until they reach the country.
The technical criterion used to define the height was the total measurement, which considers the vertical distance from the top of the first drop to the base of the last. It was this methodology that allowed for the crowning of a new queen.
The Official Champion: The El Dorado Waterfall in Amazonas
The tallest waterfall in Brazil, officially recognized, is the El Dorado Waterfall, with an impressive 353 meters, equivalent to a 117-story building.
- Location: Serra do Aracá State Park, in the municipality of Barcelos, Amazonas.
- Access: Being in one of the most remote regions of Brazil, access is extremely difficult, requiring days of boat travel and a long walk through dense forest, making it a destination for few adventurers.
The Former Queen: The Famous Fumaca Waterfall in Bahia
With the new measurement, the Fumaca Waterfall, with its 340 meters, now occupies the second position in the national ranking. However, it remains one of the most impressive and famous waterfalls in the country.
- Location: Vale do Capão, in the Chapada Diamantina National Park, Bahia.
- Unique Characteristic: Its name comes from the effect created by the force of the winds, which spray the water during the long free fall, creating a kind of “smoke” that rises instead of falling.
The New Challenger: The Neblina Waterfall in Rio de Janeiro
The dispute for the title gained a new chapter with the measurement of the Neblina Waterfall. In 2018, a scientific canyoning expedition led by Márcio Bortolusso and Fernanda Lupo measured a waterfall with an impressive 450 meters in height.
- Location: In a remote area of the Serra dos Órgãos National Park, in Rio de Janeiro.
- Record Status: Despite the technical measurement, this new data has not yet been officially validated by institutions such as IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). The process to validate a national geographic record is complex and slow.
The Widest One: The World Record of Salto do Yucumã
While the height dispute is vertical, Brazil also holds a horizontal world record. The Salto do Yucumã, in Rio Grande do Sul, is the largest longitudinal waterfall in the world, with 1,800 meters in length.
- Location: Turvo State Park, in the municipality of Derrubadas (RS).
- Characteristic: The falls, with heights varying from 12 to 15 meters, form along an immense geological fissure in the bed of the Uruguay River.
The Verdict of the Giants: El Dorado Is the Official Champion, but Neblina May Take the Spot
The analysis of the data and technical expeditions makes it clear what the state of the dispute is.
The title of tallest waterfall in Brazil officially belongs to the El Dorado Waterfall (353 m) in the Amazon. However, if the measurement of the Neblina Waterfall (450 m) in Rio de Janeiro is validated by official agencies, it will take the top spot in the ranking. Meanwhile, the country continues to boast other records, such as the beauty of the Fumaca Waterfall and the horizontal grandeur of the Salto do Yucumã.
Para saber mais sobre as mais altas cachoeiras do Brasil, acompanhem o Projeto Cachoeiras Gigantes em http://www.instagram.com/cachoeiras.gigantes, http://www.facebook.com/cachoeiras.gigantes, http://www.youtube.com/@cachoeirasgigantes e em nossa página oficial http://www.cachoeiras.org.