Gocta Cataracts, Two-tiered waterfall in Amazonas, Peru.

Gocta Cataracts plunge downward in two main sections, creating a dramatic natural formation in the Peruvian highlands. The water drops over sheer rock faces into a bowl-shaped valley where it pools before continuing downstream.

The falls remained largely unknown outside the region until early 2000s explorations measured and documented them internationally. This scientific attention transformed the site from a hidden local treasure into a recognized natural landmark.

Locals call the falls La Chorrera, and legend speaks of a blond mermaid guarded by a giant serpent who keeps a golden vessel in the water; another tale says the villager Juan Mendoza vanished, enchanted by the rocks behind the falls. El Comercio reported that people long kept the falls secret for fear of her curse.

Two approach routes exist: from Cocachimba the walk to the base takes about two and a half hours, or the same stretch can be covered on horseback; from San Pablo a separate trail starts through coastal and mountain vegetation. Both villages have food and lodging. Clouds sometimes hide part of the falls, which sit slightly higher than Chachapoyas at 2,235 m.

Local people long kept the falls' location quiet, fearing the curse of a blond mermaid said to live in the water; the daily El Comercio reported this after the 2006 announcement. Her hair is said to flow down the U-shaped rock walls at the base.