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.

La Grande Cascade de la rivière du Château on the map

Location, GPS coordinates:	49.2788 S 70.1291 E
Categories:	Waterfalls
Values:	Geology, Visual
Rating:
Where is located?	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