Angel Falls: The World's Highest Waterfall Drops From a Lost World Plateau

Water Falling From the Edge of the World

Tepuis are among the most extraordinary geological formations on earth. These massive flat-topped mountains in Venezuela's Gran Sabana region have been isolated from the surrounding jungle for tens of millions of years, their summits forming island ecosystems separated from the lowlands by sheer sandstone cliffs hundreds of meters high. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the language of the Pemon people who have lived among them for generations.

Auyán-tepui — "Devil's Mountain" — is the largest tepui, covering approximately 700 square kilometers. During rainfall, water accumulates on its vast flat summit and pours over its edges in dozens of streams. One of those streams, at the tepui's northern escarpment, reaches the edge in a single dramatic leap that becomes Angel Falls: an uninterrupted free fall of 807 meters to a lower cliff, then a cascade of 172 meters to the river below, for a total drop of 979 meters.

At this height, the water column begins to break apart before reaching the base. In dry conditions, much of the water disperses into a fine mist that catches sunlight to produce rainbows visible from kilometers away. Only in the wettest season does the full volume of water reach the base in recognizable form.

Jimmy Angel and the Pilot Who Gave the Falls His Name

Despite being a landmark of the first order, Angel Falls was virtually unknown to the outside world until the 20th century. The Pemon people, who called it Kerepakupai Merú ("waterfall of the deepest place"), had known of its existence for centuries, but the remoteness of the Gran Sabana — accessible only by river or later by small aircraft — kept it from Western scientific and geographical attention.

The falls acquired their internationally known name from Jimmie Angel, an American aviator and adventurer who first flew over Auyán-tepui in 1933 while searching for a valuable ore bed. He returned in 1937 to make the first landing on the tepui's summit, but his plane became stuck in the boggy ground and he and his companions were forced to trek for 11 days through the jungle to reach civilization.

The name Angel Falls became established in international cartography during the mid-20th century, though Venezuela officially renamed the falls Salto Ángel in Spanish, and indigenous advocates have long promoted the Pemon name. In 2009, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announced that the falls would be officially known by their Pemon name, Kerepakupai Merú — a decision that has had limited impact on international usage.

Getting There

Angel Falls remains one of the least accessible major natural wonders on earth. The nearest town, Canaima, is itself reachable only by air from major Venezuelan cities. From Canaima, reaching the base of the falls requires either a boat journey of several hours up the Carrao and Churún rivers followed by a hike through jungle, or a flight in a small plane that circles the tepui. The boat journey is only possible during the rainy season, when water levels are sufficient to navigate the rivers.

This extreme remoteness has both protected the falls from the heavy tourism that damages more accessible wonders and limited Venezuela's ability to develop tourism infrastructure. The Gran Sabana and Canaima National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994 — receive tens of thousands of visitors annually rather than the millions that a more accessible wonder of this magnitude would attract.

The falls themselves change character dramatically with the seasons. During the dry season from November to March, the flow can reduce to a thin ribbon or even disappear entirely from the main drop. During the wet season, the volume increases dramatically, and the mist generated is so heavy that visitors at the base are thoroughly soaked before getting anywhere near the waterfall itself.

---