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The Salto Angel- (after the rediscoverer Jimmie Angel, also Salto Churun-Meru) is a waterfall in the southeast of Venezuela. With a drop of 979 m, it is the highest free-falling waterfall on earth. In the language of the indigenous pemon he is called Kerepakupai meru, which means place of the deepest jump.
The Gran Sabana waterfall is part of The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyan-tepui mountain in the Canaima National Park , a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State.
It is located in the western part of the municipality of Gran Sabana, in the Parco Iquaru. Its waters, the Rio Churun, form a tributary of the Rio Carrao. It plunges from a ledge of the Auyan-tepui, a 700-sq-meter Table Mountain, into the depths. Halfway across the water, especially in the dry season, the water atomises into a cloud of small water droplets; These accumulate at the foot of the rock face to a torrential river.
It is located in the western part of the municipality of Gran Sabana, in the Parco Iquaru. Its waters, the Rio Churun, form a tributary of the Rio Carrao. It plunges from a ledge of the Auyan-tepui, a 700-sq-meter Table Mountain, into the depths. Halfway across the water, especially in the dry season, the water atomises into a cloud of small water droplets; These accumulate at the foot of the rock face to a torrential river.
Shortly thereafter, the water falls another 200 m in depth. The waterfall is often fed by heavy thunderstorms, which fall on the large plateau of Table Mountain. From rock holes 40 m below the demolition edge, the water plunges into the depths.
The official height of the falls was determined during an exploration mission of the National Geographic Society led by the American journalist Ruth Robertson in 1949
Although the Salto Angel can only be reached through a one-day boat tour from Canaima, it has become one of Venezuela’s biggest tourist attractions. Since the waterfall is located in the middle of the Venezuelan jungle, visitors are still dependent on the aircraft to reach the lagoon of Canaima. During the dry season the waterfall is less imposing and due to the low water level on the Rio Churun, a tributary of the Rio Carrao, only partially accessible by dugout.
The official height of the falls was determined during an exploration mission of the National Geographic Society led by the American journalist Ruth Robertson in 1949
Although the Salto Angel can only be reached through a one-day boat tour from Canaima, it has become one of Venezuela’s biggest tourist attractions. Since the waterfall is located in the middle of the Venezuelan jungle, visitors are still dependent on the aircraft to reach the lagoon of Canaima. During the dry season the waterfall is less imposing and due to the low water level on the Rio Churun, a tributary of the Rio Carrao, only partially accessible by dugout.
Facts : Salto Angel owes its name to Jimmy Angel, the American aviator who saw it in 1933 while prospecting gold veins. He returned in 1937 and tried to put his plane on the set: the aircraft, a Metal Aircraft Corporation G-2-W Flamingo called El Rio Caroni, became bogged down and remained 33 years at the top of the tepuy. Restored at the Maracay Aviation Museum, it is now on display at Ciudad Bolivar Airport. Jimmy Angel, meanwhile, took 11 days to return to “civilization”. A replica of the plane was placed at the top of the tepuy.
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The Salto Angel- (after the rediscoverer Jimmie Angel, also Salto Churun-Meru) is a waterfall in the southeast of Venezuela. With a drop of 979 m, it is the highest free-falling waterfall on earth. In the language of the indigenous pemon he is called Kerepakupai meru, which means place of the deepest jump.The Gran Sabana waterfall is part of The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyan-tepui mountain in the Canaima National Park , a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State.
It is located in the western part of the municipality of Gran Sabana, in the Parco Iquaru. Its waters, the Rio Churun, form a tributary of the Rio Carrao. It plunges from a ledge of the Auyan-tepui, a 700-sq-meter Table Mountain, into the depths. Halfway across the water, especially in the dry season, the water atomises into a cloud of small water droplets; These accumulate at the foot of the rock face to a torrential river.Shortly thereafter, the water falls another 200 m in depth. The waterfall is often fed by heavy thunderstorms, which fall on the large plateau of Table Mountain. From rock holes 40 m below the demolition edge, the water plunges into the depths.
The official height of the falls was determined during an exploration mission of the National Geographic Society led by the American journalist Ruth Robertson in 1949
Although the Salto Angel can only be reached through a one-day boat tour from Canaima, it has become one of Venezuela’s biggest tourist attractions. Since the waterfall is located in the middle of the Venezuelan jungle, visitors are still dependent on the aircraft to reach the lagoon of Canaima. During the dry season the waterfall is less imposing and due to the low water level on the Rio Churun, a tributary of the Rio Carrao, only partially accessible by dugout.
Access : Coordinates: 5.9675, -62.535556 / In Santa Elena de Uairen, Ciudad Guayana and Ciudad Bolivar there are tour operators who make excursions by land, water and air (by plane or helicopter), to observe the Auyantepuy and its numerous waterfalls. The land and water excursions are made from the Canaima camp and last about 13 hours.
,Trips to Angel Falls take place from June to December, when the rivers are deep enough to support the wooden curiaras (canoes)
Exploits :
- In the documentary Our Earth, the waterfall is impressively staged
- In 1998, the former German gymnastics world champion Eberhard Gienger jumped with the parachute of the Angel Falls.
- The American film Point Break (2015) was shot in part.
- The place inspired the creators of Disney Pixar for the movie “Up There” in which he is named “Paradise Falls”
- The waterfall appears in several sequences of the film “The Jaguar” by Francis Veber.
- The course of the 4th episode of the show A l’etat sauvage on M6 with Mike Horn and Christophe Dechavanne passes at the foot of the waterfall (2017).
- Similarly, much of the landscapes of the fictional moon Pandora in the science fiction film of the year 2009 Avatar of James Cameron (awarded with several Oscars), were inspired by Angel Falls, the Auyantepuy and the landscapes of Canaima National Park in general.
- In turn, the 2000 Disney film “Dinosaur” used real images of Canaima National Park and Angel Falls in several scenes of the film.
- The site was used as inspiration in the movie “Dragon Fly” in Spanish “The Mystery Of The Dragonfly” where Kevin Costner finds his daughter, who did not know of his birth there.
- It was also a filming site for one of the scenes of the new version (released in December 2015) of the movie Point Break which starred Edgar Ramirez and Luke Bracey.
- A book by Lucas Dickinson, Four Angels, related the success of the first ascent to the Auyantepui from the face to the top of the falls.
- This waterfall was one of the 28 finalists in the election of the seven natural wonders of the world.
- On March 1 and 2, 1988, the tightrope walker Michel Menin walks on a cable stretched over the Salto Angel with 1008 meters of vacuum under his feet. This performance is still the world record of height on natural site.
Highlights :
- The waterfall Angel Falls is located in the Canaima National Park, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1994. A whim of nature full of rivers, rainforests and 115 tepuys, high rocky plateaus of precambrian origin, with almost geometric edges chiseled by erosion for millions of years.With a height of 979 meters, and 807 meters of uninterrupted fall, this waterfall is generated from the Auyantepuy river and its name means “jump from the deepest place”.
- La Montana del Infierno – The Mountain of Hell : The Auyan-tepui or Auyantepui is the mountain or tepuy in which the Angel Falls is born, which is said in the native Pemon language: Kerepakupai Vena, jump from the deepest place.
Auyamteouy means mountain of hell, although it is often defined as the mountain of the devil, and is considered the Olympus of the Arekuna gods. Following the traditions at its summit is the house of the mawariton, the evil spirits, and of Traman-Chita the supreme being of evil. For this reason the Indians never reached the top of the Tepuis and never talked about the waterfalls to the Europeans.
Activities : Canaima lagoon ride / Boat trips and jungle tours offer a unique view of Venezuela’s flora, fauna, and terrain / Two day trips run at the foot of the falls by motorized canoe (curiara). / sightseeing / photo opportunities / trekking , hiking, including trips to the 700 square kilometers of the Auyantepui, which can be organized in Ciudad Bolivar /
Go next : Lake Canaima / Excursion to Salto Sapo – On this walk, we will take you to Salto Sapo, one of the best places in Canaima / Orinoco Delta – Trekking in the Orinoco Delta Jungle
