Gocta Waterfalls – Peru

About

The Gocta Waterfalls (also called the Gocta cataracts) is a waterfall located in the province of Chachapoyas in Amazonas in Peru, about 430 miles northeast of Lima. The falls are surrounded by cloud forest and flow into the Cocahuayco River. It is among some of the tallest waterfalls in the world. Water descends here all year long, so no matter what time of year you go, visitors will always be able to see it. Most people start at the little town of Cocachimba and hike through the jungle trails nearby to see the area. Alternatively, the falls can be seen from the village of San Pablo, though either way can take a few hours to hike through the area. Though this area had always been known by locals, it was not known by the rest of the world until 2002, when German explorer Stefan Ziemendorff made a trip there with some Peruvian explorers. The location of the falls was not publicly revealed due to an old legend the locals believed, that they would be cursed by a mermaid that lived in the falls if they revealed its location. However, in 2007, the Peruvian government opened the area to tourists. It has become a popular attraction for horse riding, hiking, and birding. Many beautiful and colorful birds can be found in the area for anyone serious about birding. Some of the most popular birds to be seen here are the Long-tailed Sylph, Emerald-bellied Puffleg, White-booted Racket-tail, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, and even the endangered Johnson’s Tody-flycatcher. Owen visited the Gocta Waterfalls area in March 2018.

© Adriana Goyzueta

×

Birds found here

• 

  Chestnut-breasted Coronet

  
• 

  Emerald-bellied Puffleg

  
• 

  Johnson’s Tody-flycatcher

  
• 

  Long-tailed Sylph

  
• 

  Peruvian Racket-tail