Guaíra Falls Waterfall

Guaíra Falls was a major waterfall system on the Paraná River on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, located in Brazil’s Paraná state. A defining fact is that the falls were inundated when the reservoir for the Itaipu hydroelectric dam was filled in 1982.

This is a lesser-known landmark today because the original cataracts no longer exist. Where the falls once were visitors now encounter the Itaipu reservoir and associated dam infrastructure rather than a free-flowing cascade.

The falls were a natural series of cataracts that marked the international boundary and were known locally as Sete Quedas and Salto del Guairá. They were submerged as part of the Itaipu hydroelectric project when the reservoir was created in the early 1980s.

The site sits on the Paraná River along the Brazil-Paraguay frontier, in western Paraná state near the towns of Guaíra (Brazil) and Salto del Guairá (Paraguay). The landscape today is dominated by the Itaipu reservoir and dam facilities.

• Submerged by Itaipu: The original waterfall system no longer exists; its cascades were flooded when the Itaipu hydroelectric reservoir was filled.
• Border location: The falls once straddled the Brazil-Paraguay border near the towns of Guaíra (Brazil) and Salto del Guairá (Paraguay).

• Be aware that Guaíra (Sete Quedas) no longer exists as a waterfall-the falls were submerged after construction of the Itaipu reservoir in 1982, so plan any visit to the area around the Itaipu dam and reservoir rather than expecting a natural waterfall viewing.
• If you are interested in the history or engineering impact, combine a visit to the Itaipu dam viewing areas and museums where available; those sites explain the submergence and ecological changes that affected Guaíra.