Sunday, December 22, 2024

The spectacular waterfall named Spain’s Niagara Falls that spans two regions

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A waterfall in northwestern Spain has been dubbed the country’s answer to Niagara Falls by a travel guide. 

Escapada Rural named the country’s 25 most unmissable falls, putting Pozo de los Humos firmly at the top, found in the stunning Arribes del Duero Natural Park. 

True to its name, which translates to “smoke pit”, this thundering waterfall creates a mesmerising illusion of smoke as the water crashes and ricochets off the rocks below, “just like at Niagara.”

The spectacle is best viewed in autumn when the river flow peaks due to heavier rains.

Pozo de los Humos sits between the Salamanca and Zamora provinces, and it can only be reached on foot by two short hiking trails from the towns of Masueco and Pereña de la Ribera. 

Pozo de los Humos is around 50 metres high and falls into a narrow deep canyon, and viewing platforms offer stunning vantage points.

Over 300 species of birds have been recorded at the national park, including the iconic black stork.

The griffon vulture, eagle owl, peregrine falcon and the golden eagle are also present, making it an important ecological site.  

The waterfall spans the border between Spain and Portugal, primarily located in the provinces of Salamanca and Zamora, in the Castilla and Leon region of Spain. 

Pozo de los Humos covers approximately 409 square miles, similar in size of England’s New Forest National Park, which spans about 566 square miles. 

Besides Pozo de los Humos, the top five waterfalls named by the travel guide include: Salto de la Poveda in Guadalajara; Artazul in Navarra; El salto del río Borosa in Jaén; and Cascada del Ézaro in A Coruña. 

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