Angel Falls

One of the greatest natural wonders of the world, magnificent Angel Falls, remains virtually masked to mankind in the rugged jungle and mountain of Venezuela. Today, Angel Falls is the greatest tourist draw in Venezuela.

Nestled deep in the recesses of Canaima National Park in the Venezuelan state of Bolivar, the towering waterfall drops from a height of 979 meters off the top of Auyantepui. Known in Venezuela as "El Salto Angel," the waterfall is 19 times the height of Niagara Falls. Local Indian inhabitants named Angel Falls - Kerekupai-Meru, meaning “falls of the water to the deepest site”, in Pemon language. The mighty cascade is named after Jimmy Angel, an American pilot who landed on top of Auyantepui in 1937 while searching for gold.

Angel's four-seater plane got stuck on top of the mountain and he, his wife and two companions had to trek for 11 days before finding another human being. The story of the discovery of this amazing cataract makes an unusual tale of adventure and disappointment, as Jimmy Angel was in fact searching for gold.

Formed more than 130 million years ago, the tepuis are massive and shrouded in clouds, with sheer drops that make navigation seem impossible. And the dense surrounding jungle makes you feel as if you've tumbled back in time to a prehistoric age. In fact, the soaring tepuis were the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel "The Lost World." Nearly a century later, millions of tourists visit the area annually.