St Catherine Waterfalls, Kotagiri

St Catherine Falls was named after the wife of M. D. Cockburn, the man responsible for initiating the cultivation of coffee in Kotagiri. Both Mr and Mrs Cockburn were among the first settlers in Kotagiri.

It is a double cascading waterfall that drops from an elevation of 250 ft. It is en route Kotagiri from Mettupalayam at a place called Aravenu. To see the waterfall in its entirety, you have to go to the Dolphin’s Nose viewpoint.

You can also opt to travel to the top of the waterfall by road. It is the second highest waterfall in the entire Nilgiris District. St Catherine Falls is 29 kilometres away from Kotagiri.

The name for St Catherine Falls in the native tongue is Geddhehaada Halla, which translates to “foothills Dale river”. Its accessibility via road makes it a destination of choice for anyone who has come to Kotagiri on his or her own vehicle.