Angel Falls in Venezuela

Angel Falls in Venezuela is considered to be one of New 7 Wonders of the World. Located along the border between Venezuela and Brazil, Angel Falls is the highest waterfall in the world. When water goes over the edge of Angel Falls, it doesn’t stop falling until it’s 1,002 m lower then it was before. That’s right, Angel Falls is more than 1 km high. Of the whole kilometer of descend, 807 m is an uninterrupted plunge. Angel Falls definitely is one of the marvels of the world and a spectacular sight for any visitor. Welcome to Venezuela.

Angel Falls in Venezuela, Photo by ENT108, Flickr
Angel Falls in Venezuela, Photo by ENT108, Flickr

Angel Falls Location

Salto Ángel, which is the name of Angel Falls in Venezuela’s native Spanish language is located in Venezuelan Parque Nacional Canaima (Canaima National Park). The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of main tourist attractions in Venezuela. The state in which Angel Falls is located is called Bolivar State, and the name of the region is La Gran Sabana. You can see the location of Angel Falls on an interactive map below:

Kerepakupai Merú

Angels Falls is sometimes referred to as Kerepakupai Merú, which is its name in the tongue of native Pemon people. In Pemon language, Kerepakupai Merú means “The Fall from the Highest Point” or “Waterfall of the Deepest Place”. Angel Falls is located on the Churun River. “Churun” means “Thunder” in Pemon.

Swimming in the Pond tt the Base of Angel Falls, Photo by César González (Destinos360), Flickr
Swimming in the Pond tt the Base of Angel Falls, Photo by César González (Destinos360), Flickr

Angel Falls Facts

The discovery of Angel Falls is attributed to American pilot Jimmy Angel who was flying over La Gran Sabana in search for a legendary Gold Ore. His Flamingo mono-plane got stuck during an attempt to land on top of Auyan Tepuy (the name means “Devils Moutain”), the sandstone, tabletop mountain that houses Angel Falls. The plane was not recovered until 33 years later and is now on display at the entrance to Ciudad Bolivar Airport.

While credit for discovery of Angel Falls was given to Jimmy Angel, he was not the first to discover it. There were in fact two non-indigenous people who visited Angel Falls prior to Jimmy Angel. Sir Walter Raleigh is believed to be the first and Venezuelan explorer Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz the second.

If it wasn’t for the adventurers who discovered the falls, Angel Falls would be unknown to Venezuelans. The Guiana Highlands are vastly inaccessible, full of steep slopes and impenetrable jungle making access to the falls difficult. Even today, it is only possible to get to Angel Falls either by a plane from Caracas or Ciudad Bolivar or on a boat.

Official height of Angel Falls is 979 m (3,212 ft) – as determined by The National Geographic Society, but there are additional 30 meters of downstream plunge so some publication list the height as 1,002 m. Either way, Angel Falls is the highest waterfall in the world.

People within 1 km radius from Angel Falls can still feel the spray of the mist created by the falls. The drop is so high, that by the time water reaches the bottom, it is broken down into atoms that create the mist.

In Rainy Season, Angel Falls Splits into Three Strands. Photo by antonioperezrio.com, Flickr
In Rainy Season, Angel Falls Splits into Three Strands. Photo by antonioperezrio.com, Flickr

Angel Falls in Venezuela Video

Check out this impressive video with some amazing camera work of Angel Falls in Venezuela. The video was put together by Planet Earth BBC and uses musical score by John Williams from Jurasic Park:

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