Angel Falls Venezuela – Majestic
Posted On November 30, 2009
It was on 16 November, 1933 that these magnificent falls where chanced upon by the American aviator Jimmie Angle while on his search for a valuable ore bed. He returned on October 9, 1937 with his wife and two other companions, but the plane was damaged while he tried to land atop Auyantepui. Eventually, it took them 11 days by foot to descend the Tepui. This news spread and the falls came to be known as Angel Falls in his honour.
Angel’s flamingo mono plane now can be spotted in front of the airport at Ciudad Bolivar. There is a replica of this plane that sits on top of Tepui, or the Table Top Mountain.
The indigenous Pemon name for Angel Falls is Parakupa-vena or Kerepakurai meru, which means the fall from the highest point. In Spanish it is known as the Salto Angel.
Location
With the water drop measuring to be about 3,212 feet, the Angel Falls Venezuela is the tallest in the world and hence the most spectacular one too, located in southeastern Venenzuela’s Canaima National Park in the Guayana highlands. It is higher than the second largest Niagara Falls by leaps and bounds. The water from the fall empties into the Rio Churon River through its tributary.
How to Reach
The town nearest to the falls is Ciudad Bolivar, which has an international airport as well – the Caracus Simon Bolivar International Airport from the Caracus or the Ciudad Bolivar airport. There are regular tours from Ciudad Bolivar to the falls by boat as well as by plane. There is an airport at Canaima National Park as well, especially for tours to the Angela falls. You can also opt for private plane or boat. Motorised canoe services, known here as Curiaras, operate between Cuidad Bolivar to here in the months from June to December, when the rivers are deep enough.
There are a number of tour packages that you can opt for through the operators here.
The best time to visit
It’s humid all the year around here and the temperatures at the Canaima National Park do not vary much.
Rainy season, from April-May to late November is the only time when a canoe can go up the swollen Rio Churun River to Angel Falls. October and November are the best time to visit when the rainfall is low though the water levels are still high.
The dry season may make it tough to reach the falls, but there are a number of sandy beaches formed along the river’s edges that can be enjoyed.
The tropical equatorial climate, the heights of the fall and the rainforest around the Tepui make the weather conditions here fickle.
Exploring the falls and other activities here
You have two ways choose from to see the Angela falls. Either you could see it from a plane or make an excursion that involves navigating for about 4 hours up stream the Carrao River and then the Churun River and form there, walking for about an hour to reach the base of the Angela falls.
The area can be best explored by hiking, climbing or on boat tours in the Angel Falls. There are couple of other falls as well surrounding the worth watching Canaima Lagoon such as the Salto El Sapo falls, Yuris falls, both of which would need half of a days time. If you have one full day to spare, you can explore the Orquidea Island.
The Tepui or the Table Top Mountains, Roraima and the Auyantepui or the Devil’s Mountain in the Gran Sabana region in the Canaima National Park offer enthusiasts activities like climbing and trekking in Angel Falls.
The Canaima National Park has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the rich and rare biodiversity that it is home to. The national park has a rich tropical wild life that includes a variety of animals like monkeys, jaguars, pumas and other animals. Innumerable species of rare and exotic birds too can be spotted in the Canaima National Park.
There are two ways to see the Angel Falls. One of them is from the air in a small airplane. The other is through an 
excursion that starts with a 3 and half hour navigation upstream the Carrao River, and then the Churun River. From there, a one hour walk through the jungle takes you to the base of the Angel Falls Venezuela.
Daily flights connect Canaima airstrip to other major cities of Venezuela via Puerto Ordaz. A number of lodges are there, near the airstrip. However, you might not always get to see the falls. There are just slight chances to get a glimpse of the Angel Falls on a clear day. It’s unlikely that you will get to notice the falls while your plane takes off or lands.
A day’s trip to Kavac is not a bad idea while you are in Canaima. It has a worth watching waterfall as well, and can be reached by swimming through a canyon that is 165 foot long and battling the strong current with the help of a fixed rope.
The Angel Falls is an absolute scenic beauty. As the water drop is from such a great height that at certain time of the year, the mist formed by its drop which is atomized by strong winds, can be sensed within the radius of 1 mile around it. There are two other names of the Angel Falls. They are the Tulume Bena and Big River Falls.
The majestic water fall, the mountains in the surroundings, The Angel Falls, the wild forests around, the terrain that is an exciting one for activities like trekking, surfing, climbing and boating, other falls and places nearby and the rich flora and fauna found in the rainforest here, make the Angel Falls one of the very popular tourist destination in Venezuela as well as the world. The fact that it’s certainly not a smooth ride to reach these Angel Falls Venezuela makes the tour here all the more interesting and exciting.
