La Grande Cascade de la rivière du Château

The largest island of Kerguelen Islands – Grande Terre – is very rich with tall, magnificent waterfalls.

La Grande Cascade de la rivière du Château might be not the largest on the island but it is the best known thanks to its relative vicinity to the only inhabited place in this island.

This waterfall is reached by some 2.5 hours walk from Port-aux-Français through a picturesque landscape.

Waterfall consists of several cascades. The most impressive one is the upper cascade falling from a narrow ravine (see image). Lower cascades fall over several steps.

Coordinates:	49.2788 S 70.1291 E
Categories:	Waterfalls
Values:	Geology, Visual
Rating:	(2 / 5)
Address:	Antarctic and Sub-antarctic region, Kerguelen Islands, Grande Terre, 10 km to the north-west from Port-aux-Français
Height:	~ 150 m
River:	Riviere du Château

Landmarks of Kerguelen Islands

Kerguelen Islands basically consist of the main island – Grande Terre and large number of smaller islands around it. Grande Terre is the largest Sub-antarctic island. This is harsh land: windy, rainy, chilly and for most part – desolate. Nevertheless it has its own special beauty – this wast island is adorned with countless magnificent waterfalls, cliffs, lakes.

Waterfalls and rapids

Some of the most fascinating and awe inspiring natural monuments are waterfalls, or locations where a river abruptly changes its elevation.

Recommended books

The Arch of Kerguelen: Voyage to the Islands of Desolation

The Kerguelens – isolated French islands in the southern Indian Ocean – were the home of the Arch of Kerguelen, a 1,000-foot-tall stone vault that had confounded navigators for centuries. Jean-Paul Kauffmann finds poetry in the isolation and strangely serene beauty of this land far from the hustle of “civilized” life.

Thin Edge of the World