Aveiro waterfall, Waterfall in Santa Maria Island, Portugal

Aveiro waterfall is the highest waterfall in Portugal, dropping about 110 metres from the terminal cliff of the Ribeira Grande, known locally as Ribeira dos Lagos, in the protected landscape area of Baía da Maia, Santo Espírito parish, Vila do Porto. It sits in an erosion half-circle, flanked by prismatic-jointed basalt slopes from subaerial lava flows and submarine pillow lavas of the Pliocene Pico Alto Volcanic Complex.

The waterfall lies within the Santa Maria Island Natural Park, created by Regional Legislative Decree No. 47/2008/A of 7 November and amended by Decree No. 39/2012/A of 19 September. It is also a geosite of the Azores Geopark and part of the Natura 2000 network. The site is framed by basalt rock enclosures built from slope deposits and converted into vineyards.

The waterfall marks the end of the Ribeira do Aveiro, known upstream as Ribeira dos Lagos. Its final stretch runs enclosed by dry-stone walls of basalt rock, built from slope deposits and turned into vineyard plots, so the approach passes terraced vines before the water drops to the sea.

The best time to visit is after rainfall, when water flow is at its strongest and the view most impressive. The trail to the waterfall base is short and straightforward, though sturdy footwear helps on wet and muddy ground.

The waterfall drops about 110 metres from the terminal cliff of the Ribeira Grande, locally called Ribeira dos Lagos, into a half-circle erosion hollow. Its basalt walls come from subaerial lava flows and submarine pillow lavas of the Pliocene Pico Alto Volcanic Complex. It is a geosite of the Azores Geopark and part of the Natura 2000 network.