San Rafael Falls

The San Rafael Falls (Spanish: La Cascada San Rafael) were until 2 February 2020, the tallest falls in Ecuador. The 150 metres (490 ft) high falls were located on the Coca River in Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve until a collapse of the river bed upstream of the falls caused the river's flow to be diverted underneath the band of hard rock which had originally formed the lip of the waterfall.[2] The river has carved out a steep sided gorge through the softer rock immediately upstream of the original falls, flowing out under a large rock arch which used to form the lip of the falls. The falls were a significant tourist attraction with a recorded 30,000 visitors during 2019.[3]

San Rafael Falls
Location	Sucumbíos and Napo, Ecuador
Coordinates	0°06′13″S 77°34′53″W
Type	Tiered plunges (until 2020)
Total height	131 m (430 ft) (until 2020)[1]
Number of drops	2 (until 2020)
Total width	30 m (98 ft) (until 2020)[1]
Average width	23 m (75 ft) (until 2020)[1]
Run	46 m (151 ft) (until 2020)[1]
Watercourse	Coca River
Average flow rate	400 m3/s (14,000 cu ft/s) [1]

There has been discussion as to whether the riverbed collapse and subsequent disappearance of the falls is connected with the operation of a hydroelectric plant some 20 km upstream. There are concerns too about how the altered hydrology of the river may affect its ecology.[4]