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Discovered in 1935 by daredevil American pilot Jimmie Angel, Angel Falls was already well known to the Pemón, who called it Kerapukai-merú, or "falls from the deepest place". They believed that at the top lived mawari, or spirits in human form, who were able to steal the souls of the living and for that reason never ascended the tepui.
Angel Falls is the world's highest waterfall and measures 980 meters. It is over twenty times the height of Niagara Falls and fifteen times the height of Iguazà. It is created by the Churún River, which makes a dramatic free fall off the edge of the enormous Auyantepui and into the verdant jungle below. The result is an extremely long and thin stream of water that some describe as a silver braid.
Seeing the falls from the air is an unforgettable experience. Some of the smaller planes will fly right above the Auyantepui, following the Churún River until it drops off the precipice. The flight not only affords a tremendous view of the falls, but also a sense of the incredible dimensions and unique landscapes of Auyantepui. On the surface of the 700-square-kilometre tabletop mountain, shrouded in mist, are eerie rock formations reminiscent of Stonehenge.
Seeing the falls from below is also a must. If you do not come to Canaima, a tour operator can arrange the roughly US$100 day-trip through any of the campamentos or posadas in the village. The first leg of the trip is a three-hour, seventy-kilometer boat ride from Canaima; the second leg is an hour-and-a-half hike through the jungle, ending at the falls' principal vantage point. The falls themselves are generally fuller, and therefore more spectacular, during the rainy season; the trade-off is less visibility as the top of the falls is often covered in clouds during those months.
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