Explore Gocta the giant falls of Peru

Peru has plenty to recommend it, with it once being the hub of the Inca empire, but there are natural wonders to draw visitors in too.

The South American country is home to Gocta, the third-largest free-leaping waterfall in the world, behind Angel Falls in Venezuela and Tugela Falls in South Africa.

Until recently, the waterfall was the best-kept secret of indigenous tribes there, who feared being cursed by the blonde mermaid who lived in its waters, should they reveal its whereabouts.

However, after it was brought to the attention of the wider world by a German explorer, the 771 metre-tall Gocta Waterfalls are being turned into a tourist destination by the Peruvian government.

The currently ramshackle roads to the waterfalls, which can be reached from the village of Cocachimba in the district of San Pablo, are being improved to enhance access.

Neighbouring villages will also benefit from the development, with new places to stay, restaurants and improved infrastructure.

Indeed, preserving the environment around the magnificent Gocta Waterfalls is paramount, and education programmes are being launched to impress locals with the importance of conserving the natural environment around them.

Visitors to the site of the Gocta Waterfalls will be struck as far as a kilometre away by the sheer size of them, which are surrounded by masses of dark green woodland and beaten rock.
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