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Kaieteur Falls
Home » Guyana » Guyana Attractions and Activities » Kaieteur FallsThe Kaieteur Falls were discovered by Charles Barrington Brown in April of 1870. The falls itself is made up of a drop of 741 feet, which is five times the height of Niagara Falls making it one of the highest waterfalls in the world. Now how’s that for adventure? The waterfall is located on the Potaro River in central Guyana, which is a tributary of the Essequibo River, one of Guyana’s three main rivers systems. From the quiet river above, the water travels over a sandstone table called the Pakaraima Plateau, into a deep valley creating a spectacular rainbow mist effect before plunging into the water below creating a sea of foam. The width of the falls vary according to season. During the dry season it is approximately 250 feet wide and during the rainy season it is a whopping 400 feet wide. Kaieteur Falls even comes fully equipped with an Amerindian legend attached to it! Legend has it that an Indian chief from the Patamona tribe named Kaie (whom the falls are named after) sacrificed himself by canoeing over the falls so that their great spirit, Makonaima, would save the tribe from destruction at the hands of the vicious Caribisi tribe. Kaieteur Falls can be reached by several different touring and excursion companies like “Wilderness Explorers,” just be sure that whichever company you choose is reputable.
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