| Text & photos: Wojciech Dabrowski © |
Angel - the highest one
Salto Angel - the highest waterfall in the world. In Venezuela they say that it is
1002 meters high, in my encyclopedia it is 1054 meters... The difference is not important,
Angel is the highest and terrific! Now, returned from South America I know more about
access to the Highest One... |
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| Angel Fall or Salto Angel is located in the Canaima
National Park - sixth biggest in the world. It is a region of unspoiled beauty: jungle,
dashing rivers, hundreds of waterfalls and high table mountains called tepuis. The
largest one - Auyantepuy or Hell’s Mountain (2560 m above sea level) is the home of
Angel. There are two ways to see Angel: you can see the fall from the plane (if there is
no clouds) or you can take a boat trip up the rivers from Canaima to see fall from the
ground level. In both cases you must go first to Canaima and practically the only method
to get there is to take a flight. Land and river access takes much more time and money.
Ciudad Bolivar - the capital of Venezuelan Bolivar province is the most convenient gateway
to Canaima. |
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Many agencies in Ciudad Bolivar offer to organize your complete
package trip to the Angel. Typical price for 3-days tour is equivalent of 210 USD and
more. They charge of course their commission. To cut the price down try to arrange all by
yourself. There are offices of the small airlines in the airport terminal - go there and
buy only a ticket for the flight to Canaima. They also will offer you a package - tell
them, that you already booked a tour from Canaima to the fall. We bought a ticket for Aero
Servicio Caicara flight: they charge 10.000 bolivares each way. If you want to fly over
the Angel before landing in Canaima there is a surcharge of 5.500 bolivares. |
| Going onward to capital it is worth to fly back with
Avensa - they fly with large jet plane directly from Canaima to Caracas and the price of
the ticket is very reasonable: 13.000 bolivares. It is worth to pay for Avensa tickets in
US dollars - they apply very good rate. |
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Flight to Canaima with small cessna plain takes about 1 hour.
Unfortunately we didn’t see Angel Fall from the air - it was covered with clouds when we
fly around. Bad luck! In the airport of Canaima at arrival you will pay 2000 bolivares as
a fee for the entrance to the national park. Boat tours organizers will wait there for
you. You can pay for the tour on the spot and they will stick you to one of the same-day
groups heading for the fall. Karamacoto Tours offers good value for money: we paid 25.000
bolivares per person for 3-days tour. Meals were included. |
 Canaima itself is a place of
extremely beautiful scenery, its on the bank of the lake, there is sandy beach and view to
three waterfalls on the opposite side of the lake. In the Indian village (5 min. walk from
the airport) is quite large shop selling grocery and wide range of souvenirs.
Day one: We started at 1 p.m.
from the beach in Canaima. Our dugout or „curiara" boat passed the lake along the
Ucaima, Golondrina and Hacha waterfalls (fantastic views!) and landed on the other side of
the lake. From the landing place there is 30 min. walk through the forest to the waterfall
Salto el Sapo. Apart from spectacular view another attraction will wait here for you: the
walk under the fall. Unforgettable experience! Tour company supplies big plastic bags: put
everything in and walk down just in the swimming gear. There will be bang of the falling
water, wind and streams of water flooding your eyes... Fortunately there is rope - it
helps while you are climbing slippery stones. |
| You must walk back the same way under the fall and climb up to the
river to embark the next boat which in about 20 min. will take you to Mayupa. This is the
place where the tourists are forced to walk onward about 3 km while the boat with their
luggage will pass the unsafe rapids. There is a Indian house in Mayupa where they sell
soft drinks and souvenirs. Onward to the fall we didn’t see any villages. |
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| We embarked the dugout again and sailed about 1,5
hour up the Carrao river. Be prepared for the splashes of the water and beautiful scenery.
It was dusk when we reached camp at Orchid Island (Isla Orquidea). There is hammock
accommodation under the roof, pit toilet, no bathroom. Meals are very basic. |
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Map is located at the end of the page Day two:
Started with early wake-up and 3 hours sail up the rivers
Carrao and Churun, rapids, fountains of water, a lot of wet. Landing at Rat Island (Isla
Ratoncito). From this place is the first view of Angel Fall - the highest one... Cloud of
white water is falling down from 1 km high table rock. That is what you came for... It is
imposing! Then we crossed small river and took about 1 hour walk through the jungle to the
view point, close to the fall - trail is quite steep at the end - it is good idea to take
comfortable walking shoes. |
| The view from rocky „mirador" is
unforgettable. Sprayed water everywhere in the air - not easy to take good picture, but
the light is definitely best a.m. From this place you can also see lower cascade of the
fall, about 30 meters high. There is access to the pool under this cascade by strenuous
path (another 15 minutes or so). Almost everybody likes to swim in the pool - it is a real
pleasure after sweaty climbing in a tropical temperature. |
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Swimming under lower cascade |
| We returned to Rat Island is by the same way, had
lunch there and navigated to Isla Orquidea. Arrival to the camp was at late afternoon.
Then second night in the hammocks, no mosquito nets, but they were unnecessary here. |
 lower
cascade |
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Day three: After
breakfast return by boat down the Carrao River: via Mayupa to Puerto Ucaima, located just
above the Ucaima Fall. From this point there is about 20 min. walk to Canaima. We reached
airport at 11 a.m. - early enough for the Avensa flight. |
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Karamacoto Tours also offers one-day trips to
the fall from Canaima. Starting at 5.00 a.m. and running all the day you can be back at
Canaima at about 5 p.m. But in my opinion it does not make a sense because you must still
spend the night before and night after in Canaima. Karamacoto offers in Canaima dormitory
- style accommodation.
Boats to the fall operate only when the level of the water is
high (usually May to December).
Wojciech Dabrowski
Gdansk, POLAND
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