Angel Falls — A Deep Dive
Angel Falls (Salto Ángel in Spanish, Kerepakupai-merú in Pemón) is the world's tallest waterfall at 979 metres. It plunges from the Auyán-tepui in the Gran Sabana of Venezuela. The falls are on the map.
Discovery
Known to the indigenous Pemón for centuries. The first outsider to record the falls was American aviator Jimmie Angel in 1933; he crash-landed atop the tepui in 1937 trying to find a gold deposit. The falls bear his name.
Geology
Falls from the sandstone cap of Auyán-tepui, one of the Precambrian sandstone table mountains of the Gran Sabana. Most of the water atomises into mist long before reaching the base — the longest free fall of any waterfall (807 m uninterrupted).
How to visit
Access only through Canaima National Park. Fly Caracas–Canaima (Conviasa or charter), then 4-hour curiara dugout journey + 1-hour walk in the rainy season (May-November). In dry season the river is too low; flight-by overflights from Canaima airport are the alternative.
Conservation and politics
Canaima NP is UNESCO-listed (1994). Venezuelan political instability has affected tourism since 2014; some operators have closed. Check current Foreign Office travel advice before booking.
Famous in pop culture
Inspired Paradise Falls in the Pixar film Up (2009). The opening sequence's lost world is a direct visual reference to the tepuis. Featured in Lost World films and Conan Doyle's novel.
Best time
Late rainy season (August-October) gives maximum flow without the flooded approach river. December-May is dry; falls reduced to a thread on some days.
Where will you go first?
All of these are pinned on our interactive map.