My top 5 Favorite Waterfalls in the World
While traveling the world whether it be in the United States or abroad, there are certain sights and characteristics of a country or region that I always have a fascination for wanting to see, experience, or try. Examples of these sights and characteristics include famous mountain ranges, volcanoes, cuisines, the wildlife, and finally waterfalls.
A lot of the countries I have been to so far have been home to some of the most amazing waterfalls in the world at least in my opinion. So I thought I would break down my top 5 favorite that I have been to so far in case someone else who likes seeing waterfalls may want to add a new one to their list! So without further ado, lets begin with my very favorite waterfall in the world.
Mulafossur Waterfall - Faroe Islands, Territory of Denmark
In my opinion, this is one of the most unique waterfalls in the world. Mulafossur waterfall can be found in the very tiny archipelago called the Faroe Islands which is located between Iceland and Norway and is actually a territory of Denmark. The Faroe Islands in and of themselves are another story, known for their dramatic landscapes and that they are still somewhat off the unbeaten path.
Click the following links for more information on the Faroe Islands and Mykines Island.
Back to Mulafossur Waterfall, the waterfall that literally falls into the ocean. There aren't too many places in the world where something like this occurs, which is part of what makes it so unique, plus just the dramatic landscape of the Faroe Islands that creates a beautiful backdrop. This is the kind of landscapes that fairytales are made of.
Getting to Mulafossur is quite easy once you are in the Faroe Islands, but getting to the Faroe Islands themselves can be a bit more difficult!
Onto the next two waterfalls, and after this point, there is no ranking on which ones I liked better.
Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls - Grand Canyon, Havasupai tribal region
I ventured to these two amazing (There is actually 5 waterfalls in the Havasu Creek, but these were my favorite two) back in April 2017. It is a bit of a process to obtain the permits from the Native tribe that owns the rights to the region, but it is well worth it when you do get your permit to visit here. It's almost exactly what I would picture a desert oasis to look like. It truly is a stunning sight to see in the Grand Canyon.
The hike itself to the falls isn't too bad on the way there. It mainly is downhill or walking in a flat, dried up river bed. As far as I know, they still do not allow for in and out day hikes as the trek is 20 miles round trip, and it can get quite dangerous in the hot summers in Arizona. My advice to future trekkers, bring plenty of water, and pack light! This was the only hike I thought I was going to have to ditch my pack, or ask for help. Imagine being on mile 8.5 and the last 1.5 miles requires you to go up the Grand Canyon from the bottom. Then imagine having about 35-45 lbs. of gear on you, in upper 80s heat. On top of that, you did the entire hike in a matter of 20 hours.
It was worth it in the end, as these two waterfalls are ones that I will never forget in my lifetime. I can say for sure that I will pack smarter next time. For those interested, there is options to have your stuff carried in, but I think you should do it on your own. But that's just me.
Also one other neat fact about this area, this is the only place left in the United States that still receives mail by horses. You will understand why when you do this trek!
For more information on the Havasu Falls region, please click this link for my blog article entry on it!
Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss - South Coast of Iceland
The last two waterfalls on my list also fall in the same relative location.
I visited Iceland in the fall of 2014 and was blown away by the sheer beauty. Another location with extremely dramatic and diverse landscapes that are otherworldly. I feel there wasn't a kilometer that I drove while in Iceland that didn't have something amazing to see. I am also comfortable with saying that it is literally the land of waterfalls. I felt that everywhere I went, there would be a waterfall nearby. It was endless.
No matter where you go in Iceland, you are going to have a great time. Well, most likely anyways, I'm sure some bad things could happen if you were unlucky. If you are looking for more information on Iceland, click this link to see a bigger breakdown of my adventure there!
The other waterfall on in this region that stuck out to me was Seljalandsfoss. Don't ask me how to pronounce that, or any other name in Iceland because I have no idea. What was so unique about this water fall is that you can literally walk behind it. I thought that was sort of unique, and just the fact that you can see this waterfall from a long distance, as it is quite prominent as you drive along with beautiful southern coast of Iceland. Both of these waterfalls are very close to each other on the Ring Road drive.
There were quite a few memorable waterfalls in Iceland, including probably the most famous Gullfoss and Dettifoss. These two were just the ones that stuck out the most to me in my journey. If you like waterfalls, I suggest hitting up Iceland!
Honorable Mention:
Plitvice National Park - Croatia
While it may not be the typical waterfall you think of, one other remaining place lingered in my mind while writing this article, this area being Plitvice National Park in Croatia. There may not be any huge waterfalls, but there are plenty of small ones all over this park. It really is quite astonishing how many there are here. It is a fun place to spend a day or two at exploring. Though, it can get quite busy here! There is a pretty cool network of paths throughout the national park as you can see throughout the photos below.
This wraps up my list of my top favorite waterfalls in the world, so far.... I have plenty more to see in my lifetime, I know that much. If you have any suggestions on ones I should check out, post below in the comments!