To reach the ground, the stream flying from the top of the highest waterfall on our planet needs to travel about a kilometer. The speed of falling water is so high that, not reaching the ground about three hundred meters, it simply dissipates into dust, creating the impression that a seething, boiling and powerful stream of water disappears forever in the fog. And below, among the endless ocean of green jungle, as if born out of nothing, the marvelous Churun River appears.
Angel Falls is located in the southeast of Venezuela, in the municipality of Gran Sabana in the state of Bolivar, among the jungles of the Guiana Plateau, which is located in the north South America. Closest to the waterfall Big City, Ciudad Bolivar, is located 600 km to the north, and from the nearest village of Canaimi it is located 50 km in southeast direction(on geographical map world this unique phenomenon can be found at the following coordinates: 5° 58′ 3″ N. latitude, 62° 32′ 8″ W. d.).
Despite such remoteness from the civilized world, life near the waterfall is in full swing: people come from all over the world to see it. And this is not at all surprising, since Angel Falls is the highest waterfall on our planet (total height is 1054 m). It’s not for nothing that the Pemon Indians living here named it Kerepakupai-Mera, which means “Waterfall with the greatest depth.”
History of education
Angel Falls arose thanks to the Churun River, which originates on one of the slopes located on the Guiana Plateau of South America. The plateau is notable for the fact that it consists of huge plateaus, the basis of which is red sandstone and hardened lava. They rise above each other in the form of huge staircases with steps, the height of which is several hundred meters.
One of these steps is the largest table mountain in Venezuela, Auyantepui (interestingly, the Pemon Indians interpret this name in two ways: one version says that it means “Mountain of the Devil”, the other means “Domain of the Thunder God”). Churun, descending in zigzags along the Guiana Plateau, ends up on a plateau, which is also the peak of Auyantepui, whose area is 700 km², and gradually approaches its cliff. The speed of the river increases, and with noise and roar it begins to fall (it is interesting that the width of the water flow during the rainy season exceeds one hundred meters).
First, the water flies 807 meters, after which, when it hits an obstacle, it travels another 172 meters. One of the little-known facts is that the river, having made a notch in the upper edge of the cliff, begins its free fall not from the very edge of the plateau ledge, but 80-100 meters below. This is the immediate reason that geologists have still not been able to accurately determine the height of the waterfall: some claim that it is 979 m, others – 1054 m.
The flow of water erupting downwards during the rainy season, which lasts in South America from May to November, is extremely large: every second the waterfall passes through about 300 cubic meters. water. But when there are no showers, Angel Falls decreases somewhat and is divided into two smaller streams, and sometimes it even appears as a narrow trickle.
Lost in the jungle
Since the waterfall is located in a wild, sparsely populated area among the tropical jungle, for many millennia only the nearby Indians of the Pemon tribe knew about it. They were convinced that there were people living at the top of the mountain. evil spirits, so they never climbed to the top of the sheer cliff.
The civilized world learned about the existence of the waterfall only in the 30s. last century, when the Venezuelan pilot Juan Angel flew here in search of diamonds (the local Indians constantly talked about stones that could be mistaken for gems).
While flying around the area, the pilot noticed a number of tepuis located next to each other and assumed that deposits had been found. When Angel returned a few years later, while trying to land the plane on the top of the mountain, one of the landing gear burst, so he had to go down on his own. Despite the extremely difficult descent, the pilot, his wife and two other fellow travelers managed to descend without loss - and eleven days later they returned to the civilized world with a story about the huge waterfall and were able to attract public attention to it.
A rather interesting fact says that they managed to get out of the jungle extremely quickly, since an expedition of five people, organized some time later, armed with a map, having precise coordinates, using machetes and axes, cutting a road through thickets of vines and bushes, spent more than twenty days. When they arrived at the place, the discovery shocked them: it turned out that the found waterfall was 20 times higher than the famous Niagara Falls. As a result of this expedition it was given Full description waterfall, its height was determined, and it was named after the man who discovered it.
Interestingly, several years ago, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wanted to name the waterfall as the tribe living in this area calls it - Kerepakupai-Meru, arguing that the waterfall appeared on Venezuelan territory long before Angel found it. But the name did not stick, and he backed down, saying that it was only a statement, the purpose of which was to protect the rights of the Indians to use the historical name.
How to get to the waterfall
Since Angel Falls is surrounded on all sides by many kilometers of jungle and there are no special roads to it, it is generally accepted that it is considered one of the most inaccessible waterfalls in the world. There is a positive aspect to this, since the nature around it has managed to preserve its pristine beauty: here you can often find anteaters, porcupines, sloths, deer, monkeys, and jaguars.
This made it possible to create National Park Canaimi, and then allowed UNESCO to include it, and with it the waterfall, on the World Heritage List.
You can get to the waterfall either by small plane or by canoe with a motor (it is not possible to travel by car). To do this, travelers first arrive in Canaimi, and only then choose the type of travel. Most tourists choose air transport, which is not the most the best solution, since it is not always possible to get a good look at the waterfall: the rock from which it falls is often shrouded in clouds, especially during the rainy season.
Therefore, travelers who want to get to know this amazing natural phenomenon as best as possible are advised to give preference to a boat. The tour usually lasts from one to five days, the journey takes about five hours one way, and the time allocated to explore the waterfall depends entirely on the desire of tourists. Interestingly, if the trip falls during a dry period and the flow of falling water is small, then at the foot of the waterfall you can even swim in a small pond.
Latin America is extremely popular among tourists. The reason for this is not only the special charm of these places, but also the beauty of untouched nature.
Not far from the border separating Venezuela and Brazil, on the top of a mountain nicknamed “Devil’s” by the Indians, the Churun River flows its waters, fed by tropical showers and originating on one of the slopes of the Guiana Plateau. The uniqueness of this area lies in the accumulation of huge plateaus formed by solidified lava and sandstone. They are called tepuis. They differ from ordinary mountains in shape - their peaks are represented by almost ideal horizontal platforms.
On the largest of these plateaus in Venezuela, called Auyantepui, Angel Falls, recognized as the highest on the planet, originates. The Churun River, whose name is translated from the Pemon language as “thunder,” falls on the plateau, which is the top of Ayantepui (“Devil’s Mountain”), and reaches its cliff, falling down. Before hitting the ground, the stream, spraying into billions of tiny particles of moisture in the air, flies 979 meters, forming a lake at the foot of the mountain.
The mountain on which the waterfall is located was nicknamed the Devil's Mountain by local Indian tribes for a reason, since it is practically all year round shrouded in thick fog. Therefore, it is not surprising that the aborigines firmly believed that tepuis are inhabited by spirits who trade in thefts human souls. They considered this place disastrous and tried in every possible way to stay away from it.
Height
The status of the tallest Angel Falls on the planet is deservedly assigned. The total height of this natural phenomenon, according to official data, is 979 meters, of which 807 are a free continuous fall. The fact is that, reaching the edge of the flat top of the mountain, the streams of the Churun River fall down and fly 807 meters before reaching a wide ledge The tepui, bypassing it, safely overcome another 172 meters.
In some sources you can find information according to which the height of the waterfall is 1054 m. The difference of 75 meters is due to one little-known fact. The fact is that over many years, river flows have partially destroyed the upper edge of the cliff, forming a kind of recess, as a result of which it begins its free fall not from the very edge of the plateau ledge, but about 75 meters below its level.
Flow power
It’s hard to imagine, but the power of Angel, located in the Canaima National Park in eastern Venezuela, allows every second to process about 300 m 3 of raging water elements. It is worth noting that such “ throughput» The waterfall can be seen exclusively during the period from May to November, when the wet season comes to South America. It is during the rainy season that the width of the Angel's water stream often exceeds 100 m. In the dry season, the waterfall changes radically, decreasing by best case scenario up to two small streams. During particularly dry periods, it completely turns into a narrow trickle.
Where is the waterfall?
Angel Falls is unusual not only for its parameters, but also for its location. The fact is that it is surrounded by terrain consisting exclusively of flat mountains and impenetrable tropical forest. The riot of pristine nature is, of course, good, but not for tourists who want to see with their own eyes the most high waterfall on the planet.
Since it is surrounded by wild and sparsely populated territories, it is absolutely not surprising that the world society learned about this natural phenomenon relatively recently - in the mid-30s of the twentieth century. The credit for the discovery of the highest waterfall is attributed to the American pilot James Angel, after whom, in fact, it was named, albeit in the Spanish manner.
Since Angel is located literally in the middle of the jungle, where there are no roads or hiking trails, it is considered one of the most inaccessible waterfalls on the planet. Being surrounded on all sides by tens of kilometers of dense tropical forest, it is less likely than others to become an object of study for tourists and travelers. This is a plus, since the nature around him has managed to preserve its virgin beauty. The surroundings of the waterfall are inhabited by many rare animals protected by the Canaima National Park, which was included by UNESCO along with the waterfall in 1994 on the World Heritage List.
How to get to Angel?
Just because Angel Falls is located in the jungle doesn't mean it's impossible to get to. You can do this in two ways:
- by air on a small plane;
- along the river in a canoe.
The largest one closest to the waterfall locality− the city of Ciudat Bolivar is located more than 600 km from it, but the village of Canaima, adjacent to the same name national park, is only 50 km away from Angel. You can get to it by plane from Caracas, although there are also tourists who travel to Canaima by canoe from the Orinoco Delta region.
From Canaima Airport, which has several runways, tourists are transported to Angel by air on light aircraft. There is only one alternative to this option - along the river in a motor canoe.
Best time for river excursions and flights to Angel Falls
When giving preference to a sightseeing aerial flight over the waterfall, it is worth considering weather and seasonality. The fact is that with high clouds it is quite problematic to see Angel Falls from a bird's eye view. So, it is best to plan an air excursion to the highest waterfall on Earth during the dry season, although in the period from December to March the flow falling from the cliff is quite scarce.
During the rainy season, traveling by air to the main natural attraction of Venezuela cannot be called a good idea, since it is unlikely that you will be able to enjoy the grandeur and enormity of the river flow falling from the cliff due to the thick fog that shrouds Ayantepui during the wet season.
As for river excursions, then optimal time for them is June-December. There is a lot of water at this time due to the rainy season, so a powerful foaming stream falls from the flat top of the mountain, drowning in a cloud of spray.
Since Angel is located in a specific area, the weather in the Ayantepui area is very unpredictable. Due to the thick fog, tourists are not always able to enjoy the spectacular spectacle of cascading foaming streams of water. Limited visibility can persist for weeks, and sometimes dissipates in a matter of hours. It is almost impossible to get to the waterfall on foot, however, tourists going to Angel by canoe still manage to enjoy the beauty of this place up close, since at the end of the rafting there is a walking route of 3 km.
Entertainment
Angel also attracts desperate thrill-seekers. Extreme tourists visiting Venezuela rarely miss the opportunity to jump from the edge of the Ayantepui plateau on a hang glider or conquer a steep cliff with climbing equipment. Periodically, expeditions are organized in this area, the participants of which hope to make new discoveries, because some corners of the reserve, which is home to the highest waterfall on the planet, have not been explored to this day.
Angel Falls in Venezuela is a stunning experience that you should definitely plan for if you are planning to visit this colorful South American republic. Angel is part of the largest Venezuelan reserve, Canaima. The national park occupies a gigantic territory that is almost impossible to even imagine - 3 million hectares! Geographically, this place is located in the northern part of South America, on the Guinean Plateau, which is famous for its jungle.
Angel: the world's highest waterfall
Angel's water does not fall down in a continuous stream: without any obstacles, it flies 807 meters, encounters an obstacle, and collapses in another small stream of 172 meters.
According to official data, the height of the falling water in Angel is 979 meters, but some researchers claim that in fact the waterfall is even higher - at least 1054 meters.
Which may well turn out to be true - as the waterfall is studied, data about it is constantly verified. For example, it is now known for certain that the width of the stream in Angel is 107 meters, although until relatively recently it was believed that the waterfall was significantly smaller, no more than 50 meters.
Surprisingly, if you ask many people about a tall and powerful waterfall, the famous Niagara Falls will inevitably come to mind. Angel is almost 20 times taller than Niagara!
The top of the rock from which the stream of Angel Falls rushes down is most often shrouded in fog - this is a natural effect. Moreover, this fog and dampness can be felt even far enough from the waterfall.
The power of the waterfall depends on the time of year. During the rainy season (usually it falls from May to November), the amount of water that the waterfall passes through itself is absolutely titanic - every second (!) it is approximately 300,000 liters of water. When the rains go away, the volume of water in Angel drops: most often the flow is divided into two, sometimes turning into a very small stream. If you find yourself in this region during such periods of drought, you will definitely find a small pond that forms at the foot of the waterfall - at such moments you can swim here.
However, it is very clear why Angel is much less developed by tourists than Niagara Falls and a number of others. It can be said that this is one of the most difficult to reach tourist destinations in the world. There are no roads, hotels, guides or crowds of tourists around it. On the other hand, this is what helped preserve the pristine nature and rich fauna here. Until now, in these places you can easily meet porcupines, deer, sloths, anteaters, monkeys, jaguars, etc.
Story
People first started talking about the huge waterfall in 1910. Then Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz, a researcher of the Venezuelan tropics and traveler, spoke about him. He was the first to discover the waterfall and write about it.
However, this news mostly remained in narrow circles of specialists until James Angel made an emergency landing here in 1937. Four years earlier, he had already flown around the waterfall - his goal was to search for ore deposits. This time something went wrong - Angel planned to land on top of Angel, but he failed. The damaged plane had to be left there, and I had to get to people and help myself. This took the pilot more than 11 days, got into the newspapers and made famous not only himself, but also the rebellious waterfall. He was immediately christened Salto Ángel (Angel Falls) - this is how the pilot’s surname (James Crawford Angel) was read in Spanish.
Angel's plane stood at the top of the waterfall for more than 30 years - only in the 70s it was taken out and made part of the museum exhibition at the Venezuelan airport Ciudad Bolivar. The pilot bequeathed after his death to scatter his ashes at Angel Falls, which was done in 1956.
The waterfall has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1994.
Angel Falls (video)
How to get to Angel Falls
In order to get to Angel, you need a great desire and certain resources - the trip will not be cheap. You cannot come here on a tour, booking an excursion or renting a car.
Angel Falls coordinates: latitude - 5°58’12.4"N, longitude - 62°32’10.4"W
Part of the journey is more or less clear: from five cities in Venezuela there are commercial flights to Canaima National Park (these are Caracas, Porlamar, Santa Elena, Puerto Ordaz and Ciudad Bolivar). Flights most often depart in the morning to return their passengers back in the evening (as you remember, there is nowhere to spend the night near the waterfall). There are also private planes that make flights for small groups wanting to see the waterfall. The ticket price for such a flight starts from $100 per person. Details can be found at.
But then there are options. From Canaima, some travelers choose to fly to Angel on a small plane or helicopter, which in reality turns out to be not the best best choice. The rock around the waterfall, as we remember, is surrounded by fog, especially in rainy times, and it is quite difficult to see the waterfall in such conditions. Others choose motorized canoes for this purpose. From the experience of those who have been here, this is best option. This is a longer adventure - the journey to the falls takes at least five hours, and some tours even last up to several days, depending on the wishes of the group.
At the source of Angel Falls - Google Maps panorama
Does everyone know in which country the world's tallest Angel Falls is located? Venezuela is rightfully proud of this amazing landmark, although it is hidden deep in the tropical jungles of South America. The photographs of the waterfall are impressive, despite the fact that in terms of entertainment it is inferior to the Iguazu or Niagara complex. However, many tourists want to look at the highest stream of water flowing from the mountain range.
Geographical characteristics of Angel Falls
The height of the waterfall is impressive, as it is almost a kilometer, to be more precise - 979 meters. Considering its small width, only 107 meters, the stream itself does not seem so massive, because most of the water at the moment of free fall is scattered throughout the surrounding area, forming a dense fog. 
Considering the height from which this giant discharges water, it is not surprising that not much reaches the Kerep River. However, the spectacle deserves attention, because the strange images from the air clouds above the jungle create a special atmosphere.
The basis for the waterfall is the Churun River, the bed of which runs along Mount Auyantepui. Locals call the flat ridges tepuis. They mainly consist of sandy rocks, so on one side they become vertical under the influence of winds and waters. It is because of this feature of nature that Angel Falls appeared; the height of the free fall of water in meters is 807.
History of the highest waterfall
Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz first came across the waterfall at the beginning of the 20th century, but the name of the natural miracle was given in honor of the American James Angel, who crashed near the falling stream. In 1933, an adventurer noticed Mount Auyantepui, deciding that there should be diamond deposits here. In 1937, he and three companions, among whom was his wife, returned here, but failed to find what they wanted, since the sparkling plateau abounds in quartz. 
At the moment of landing on the ridge, the landing gear of the plane burst, which made it impossible to return on it. As a result, the travelers had to go all the way through the dangerous jungle. They spent 11 days on this, but upon returning the pilot told everyone about the huge Angel Falls, so they began to consider him the discoverer.
For those wondering where Angel's plane is, it remained at the crash site for 33 years. Later, it was transferred by helicopter to the aviation museum in the city of Maracay, where the restoration of the famous Flamingo took place. At the moment, you can look at photos of this monument or see it with your own eyes in front of the airport in Ciudad Bolivar. 
In 2009, the President of Venezuela made a statement about his desire to rename the waterfall Kerepakupai-meru, arguing that the property in the country should not bear the name of the American pilot. This initiative was not supported by the public, so the idea had to be abandoned.
The first ascent without insurance to the sheer rock of the waterfall was made during an expedition in the spring of 2005. It included two Venezuelans, four Englishmen and one Russian climbers who decided to conquer Auyantepui.
Help for tourists
The coordinates of the highest Angel Falls are as follows: 25° 41′ 38.85″ S, 54° 26′ 15.92″ W, although when using a navigator they will be of little help, since there are no road or pedestrian routes. For those who are still thinking about how to get to a natural miracle, there are only two ways: by sky or by river. 
Departures usually take place from Ciudad Bolivar and Caracas. After the flight, the further journey will be by water in any case, so it will not be possible to do without a guide. When ordering an excursion, tourists are fully equipped with the necessary equipment, food and clothing necessary for a comfortable and safe visit to Angel Falls.
The tourist who doesn't know where is Angel Falls stretches, I must imagine the tropical forests growing in eastern Venezuela, where the Canaima National Park is located. There rises a massive, high plateau with a flat top. The local Indians called it Auyan Tepuy, which translates as “devil’s mountain.” From this peak, the waters of the highest Angel Falls rapidly fall down, which every minute passes through approximately 300 m 3 of water from the Churun River, fed by frequent tropical heavy rains. Such a massive flow is quite easy to explain. The river passes at low speed through a plateau rugged with ravines and cracks, but on approaching the cliff it accelerates sharply, falling down.
Undeservedly, many travelers do not know On what continent is Angel Falls located?, which today is the highest waterfall not only in South America, but in the world as a whole. The height of the fall is extremely high. Far from the full volume of water reaches the ground; most of it is still sprayed into microparticles in the air, shrouding the jungle in fog. To understand the scale of what is happening, we can draw an analogy. The waterfall falls upward from a height that is almost equal to three Eiffel towers. It can also be compared with the most tall building existing on earth today. The height of the Burj Khalifa, located in Dubai, is 828 meters, while the height of the plateau is 929 meters during high water.
Excursions to Angel
Most travelers who dream of visiting lost World, go for a walk in Canaima National Park. Every year, countless excursions are organized and led by guides who tell what is the height of Angel Falls how it was formed and so on. In addition, the terrain is quite difficult, so most often preference is given to walking by air. However, a more affordable and exciting way to get to your destination is traveling along the river by canoe. Groups of tourists swim to the village of Canaima, from where they have to walk along a specially prepared route for about two to three kilometers.
Today Canaima is a developed tourist center, equipped with an airfield that welcomes guests. Not far from the place Where is Angel Falls located?, there are food stores, cafes, bars and comfortable hotels. However, the territories adjacent to the national heritage have retained their wild pristine nature. If you fly up by plane, you can observe the inhabitants of the jungle who have descended to the river. Local residents include porcupines, anteaters, deer, otters, jaguars, otters and so on. The flora is also diverse; the mountain slopes are strewn with orchid flowers, as well as bromeliads.
History of origin
The natural landmark is a derivative of the Churun River, which begins its journey on the slope of the Guiana Plateau of South America. Main feature The plateau is the fact that it consists of separate large plateaus of solidified lava and red sandstone. The plateaus are arranged in steps in relation to each other, the height of which is several hundred meters. It is worth noting that Angel Falls height remains unchanged, but there is debate among geologists whether it is equal to 979 or 1054 meters. This is due to the fact that the flow of water does not begin its free fall from the very cliff of the plateau. Over the past millennia, the river has made a kind of recess at the upper edge of the cliff, so the water begins to fall approximately one hundred meters below the cliff.
Closer to the ground, the waterfall also encounters an obstacle, after which another 172 meters continues to flow down.
During the period from May to November, when rains intensify in South America, the strength of the flow reaches its maximum. About three hundred fall in just a second cubic meters water. At the same time, if height of Angel Falls in meters remains unchanged, the width of the waterfall can vary and reach one hundred meters. But with the cessation of rainfall, the flow of water decreases significantly; in times of drought, it can even be divided into several separate narrow streams.
The national landmark is located in a wilderness area surrounded by tropical jungle and virtually uninhabited, so for a long time Only local tribes knew about it. The Indians were sure that the top of the plateau was under the protection of evil spirits, so it remained inaccessible to them. Civilization learned about the existence of Angel only in the thirties of the last century. Its discoverer was a pilot from Venezuela named Juan Angel, who was looking for diamond mines in the tropics. When it is already known In what country is Angel Falls located, we can highlight several main interesting facts about this attraction:
- During the discoverer's expedition there was a plane crash. There were no fatalities, but the plane could not be saved on our own. A group of travelers went back, and the plane lay there for another thirty-three years after the crash. Today it has been restored and decorates the square in front of the local airport.
- The height of the waterfall was determined in 1949 by an expedition of the National Geographic Society.
- Two other names of the attraction are also known, Great Wall of the River and Tulum Bena. If you are far from your destination, the water may appear to be falling in a continuous stream, but upon closer inspection, you will notice tunnels, caves and canyons through which the water flows.
- 2009 was a year for Angel Falls South America turning point, since the country's president tried to show his respect to the local tribes and renamed it Kerepakupai-meru, but the name did not stick.
Getting to the attraction is not easy, since for a long time civilization knew nothing about it. Today, as in the past, this area is surrounded by dense tropical thickets; there are no roads here at all. Therefore, the waterfall can be called one of the most inaccessible. However, this fact also has positive sides, since the pristine, pristine nature has been almost completely preserved here. It is not for nothing that the Canaimi National Park and along with it the waterfall are considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
When you know Angel Falls coordinates, you can go on a trip in a small canoe with a motor or an airplane. Ability to move to road transport completely excluded. Air transport, which is most often chosen by travelers, is considered not the most the best option, since the area is often shrouded in dense fog, which makes it difficult to see everything properly.