Gocta Cataracts Waterfall

Address: Gocta Waterfall, near Cocachimba, Province of Chachapoyas, Amazonas, Peru

Hours: Accessible year‑round (trail hours depend on local guides)

Admission: Local park/guide fees apply; small entrance fee reported (Peruvian soles), guides recommended

The Gocta Cataracts are a prominent waterfall system in Peru’s Amazonas Department, located in cloud-forest terrain and notable for their substantial combined drop. The falls became widely known in the early 21st century and are a landmark of the Chachapoyas area.

Known to local communities for generations, the falls gained wider national and international attention in the 2000s when they were publicized and developed as an ecotourism destination. Local conservation and tourism initiatives support guided hikes and visitor access.

Gocta is located in the Amazonas Department of northern Peru near the district and villages that serve as trailheads for the falls; the site sits within cloud-forest habitat above the Marañón river basin and is typically reached from the regional town of Chachapoyas.

• Height and access: Often cited with a total height of around 771 metres in two drops, making it one of Peru’s taller waterfalls; access is via trails from the nearby communities of Cocachimba and San Pablo in the Amazonas region.

Gocta is reached from Chachapoyas by road (about 2 hours) to the village of Cocachimba; from there the hike to the falls takes 1.5-3 hours depending on pace. Local tour operators in Chachapoyas arrange transport and guides.

• Hire a local guide from Chachapoyas or Cocachimba for the trail; guides know the microclimates and where to view the falls safely.
• Hike to the base via the Cocachimba trail early in the morning to avoid clouds and for better light on the falls.
• Bring a rain jacket-conditions around the falls can be misty year‑round.