Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is one of the most famous waterfalls in the world, where the Niagara River plunges over a great precipice on the border between Canada and the United States. It is the sheer volume and power that awe, above all the broad, curving Horseshoe Falls, best seen from the Canadian side, where boat trips carry visitors into the thundering spray at the foot of the cascade.

History

The name probably comes from an Iroquoian word, often read as thundering water but perhaps meaning the neck or the strait, and Onguiaahra appears on maps as early as 1641. Members of Samuel de Champlain's party reported the falls in 1604, the missionary Louis Hennepin wrote the first description in 1677 after travelling with La Salle, Pehr Kalm made the first scientific description in the early 18th century, and in 1762 Captain Thomas Davies painted the first eyewitness view; tourism grew through the 19th century, Theodosia Burr Alston and Joseph Alston became the first recorded honeymooners here in 1801, and the falls lay on one of the routes of the Underground Railroad (Wikipedia, Niagara Falls).

What you'll find

• The Horseshoe Falls - the broad, curving main cascade.
• The boat trip - the voyage into the spray at the foot of the falls.
• The illumination - the falls floodlit in colour after dark.
• The viewpoints - the promenade and towers on the Canadian side.

When to go

Late spring to early autumn for the warmest weather and the boat trips, which run in the warm season; the falls are dramatic year-round and freeze spectacularly in deep winter. Evenings bring the colourful illumination.

Things to know

The falls themselves are magnificent, but the town around them, with its casinos, wax museums and tacky attractions, is garishly commercial, which jars for many. The Canadian side has the best views. The boat trip is a highlight but you will get soaked. It is very busy in summer.

Nearby

The pretty town of Niagara-on-the-Lake and the wine country are close; Toronto is 90 minutes away.

Key facts