Angel Falls is the highest waterfall in the world. Apart from its mighty height, it is one of the breathtaking natural landmarks of this planet. Its overall height is 3,212 ft. (979 m.). This means that Angel Falls is 15 times higher than the Niagara Falls.
Since its discovery, the Angel Falls got the attention of tourists and nature-lovers all over the world. However, despite its popularity, the waterfall gets a considerably low number of tourists annually. To learn the reasons why not many people are visiting the site and much more, read some Angel Falls facts that we prepared for you.
1. Angel Falls is located in the Canaima National Park of Venezuela.
The waterfall locates on the Guayana Highlands of the Bolivar, Venezuela. More specifically, it is situated on the Churun River and plunges off the edge of Auyan Tepui mountain.
Interestingly, the name of the mountain (Auyan Tepui) from the Angel Falls plunges means “Devil’s House” in the local Pemon language.
2. The waterfall’s name nothing to do with heavenly Angels. It was named after the American aviator James Crawford Angel (Jimmie Angel).
An explorer Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz was the first non-indigenous person to find the Angel Falls. He discovered it in the early twentieth century. However, the waterfall was known to the western world when an American aviator James Crawford Angel crash-landed his plane on the Auyan Tupui mountain while searching for the mystical gold mining.
After the accident, Angel and his two other teammates could make their way back to civilization within 11 days. However, his airplane stayed near the waterfall for 33 years until it was moved using helicopters.
3. The Angel falls have several names such as Salto Angel, Kerepakupai Vena, Parakupa Vena, etc.…
All of these names either associate with the last name of American explorer or the magnificent height of the waterfall. For instance, Salto Angel is the most popular Spanish name of the waterfall. It was derived from the last name of the explorer. Whereas, Kerepakupai Vena means “the waterfall of the deepest place” in the indigenous language.
All of these names are usable depending on which part of the world you locate. But most parts of the world recognize the highest waterfall in the world as Angel Falls.
4. There are no established roads to Angel Falls, which makes the traveling experience more adventurous and complicated.
The Angel Falls locates far from human settlements. Probably, that was one of the reasons why it remained hidden for a long time.
To get to the Angel Fall, people need to take a flight to a nearby town. And from there, they need to continue their way with a boat through the Carrao River.
In general, an experienced tour guide is necessary to navigate through this adventurous path to get to the destination.
5. If you want to come touch of close to the Angel Falls, you need to be ready to hike a long distance.
People need to be physically fit to get to Angel Falls since it requires hiking in rough terrain. If you want to get to the top of the waterfall, you should be prepared to walk uphill.
6. You will witness a variety of wildlife creatures along the way to Angel Falls
The Canaima National Park where the Angel Falls locates has a rich and diverse animal life. There is no guarantee of what you will see along the way. But, I am pretty sure that whatever you see will catch your attention and surprise you.
A large species of moths, butterflies, frogs, and birds are pretty common in this area. Unfortunately, the area has some insects that you need to protect from. Make sure you pack your mosquito repellents before heading out exploring the Angel Falls.
7. You have two options to see the Angel Falls: Either camping and hiking or hiring a flight service to fly over the waterfall.
Both options have pros and cons. Physically fit people prefer usually choose camping and hiking option if they have enough spare time and seeking a wildlife adventure.
On the other hand, people who prefer to see Angel Falls quickly without showing physical effort can hire flight service which will cost considerably higher expenses.
8. Clouds can cover the view of the Angel Falls depending on the season.
Some people prefer to visit the Angel Falls during the rainy season, which included months between June and November. Because this time of the year, the waterfall has much water and makes the whole watching experience more fun.
However, the downside of visiting Angel Falls during the rainy season is that clouds may cover the full view of the waterfall. But do not be discouraged, clouds come and go regularly during this period. If you are lucky, you may score clear days even during the rainy season.
9. An area surrounding the Angel Falls feels wet.
It is because waterfalls plunge from a very high height. As a result, the water turns into tiny droplets and mists. Therefore, you will get wet or at least you will get the wet feeling around the waterfall.
10. At the base of Angel Falls, there is a magnificent pool of water.
The water coming from the top pours into a small pool at the base. Some people usually enjoy swimming in it depending on the season.
11. Camping gear is crucial if you want to hike to the Angel Falls.
As mentioned earlier, no concrete pathways are leading to Angel Falls. You need to expect exhaustive hiking in the wilderness.
So, the whole hiking adventure will take a few days, during which you need to camp out in nature. Having a secure camping tent and other convenient gear will make your life little bit easier and more importantly protect you from the unexpected wild guests such as insects.
12. The climate of the Angel Falls is tropical and this means you will be wet.
Frequent rains are pretty common in the Canaima park. All that rainwater keeps circulating during the rainy season without giving the ground a chance to dry.
All this wetness and rain turn the ground into a muddy mess. And that is something hikers do not like because it gets slippery and messy, making the whole hiking experience complicated.
13. The dry season of the Angel Falls is between December and March.
During the dry season, people can catch the full view of Angel Falls. But the water volume of the fall significantly drops due to the lack of rain.
14. The origin of the Angel Falls dates back to the time of Pangea.
Pangea was the supercontinent that included all of the present-day continents. However, due to the geological movements, Pangea broke into several smaller parts or continents as we know today.
Scientists believe that during this geological period, the mountain range where the Angel Falls currently situated began to form.
15. If you want to conquer the Angel Falls in dry feet, wear your waterproof shoes.
This Angel Falls fact will keep your feet dry. If there is such a thing as waterproof shoes, it is suggested to wear them. Because, as mentioned earlier, the ground gets wet and muddy. As a result, all that moisture creeps inside the shoes making your shoes and socks wet.
The most discouraging part is that it is almost impossible to dry your wet stuff in the wet climate. Long story short, watch the YouTube videos featuring the Angel Fall trips and learn from experiences of others.
16. If you visit Angel Falls, you will not only see the highest waterfalls in the world, but you will also have a chance to watch several other magnificent waterfalls in that area.
As mentioned earlier, Angel Falls locates in a part of the world that is surrounded by a breathtaking environment. It rains a lot in that part of the world. When there is rain, there are usually rivers and waterfalls. Canaima Park is one of those places. That means you will see several smaller waterfalls along the way to Angel Falls.
17. The Angel Falls were remained hidden for a long time from the rest of the world because of its remote location and dark legends.
Surprisingly, even the local Pomon tribe did not want to come closer to Angel Falls, fearing they would be infested with unfriendly spirits. Those people believed that the area where Angel Falls locates is inhabited by demonic spirits.
18. The Canaima National Park where Angel Falls locates is entered into UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Apart from facilitating the highest waterfall on this planet, Canaima National Park is home for the untouched jungles, rich wildlife, and snaking rivers. The park was founded in 1962. UNESCO registered it as a World Heritage Site in 1994.
19. If planning to visit Angel Falls as a foreigner, you need to get required vaccinations.
One of them is the vaccination against Yellow Fever, which is a sickness caused by mosquito vector called Aedes aegypti. Those mosquitos are present in the area surrounding Angel Falls.
To get further information about required vaccinations, check the travel guides offered by health and government websites.
20. Angel Falls is even taller than the tallest building in the world.
Currently, Dubai’s super-tower Burj Khalifa is considered to be the tallest building in the world. Its overall height is 2,717 feet (828 m).
On the other hand, Angel Falls height reaches to 3,212 ft. (979 m). This means nature’s beautiful creation evidently beats the man-made megastructure.
These were the 20 Facts about Angel Falls that I wanted to share. However, the list is far from being complete. To grasp all of the facts, one should visit the Canaima park, and discover the facts by actually visiting the magnificent Angel Falls.
If you know any facts about Angel Falls that hasn’t been shared here, you are welcome to post them in the comments section below.
