Angel Falls is the most high waterfall in the world and the most important attraction of Venezuela.
It is located on the territory. The attraction of this park is the huge tepuis (table mountains) - high mountains with vertical steep edges and a wide flat top. From one of the largest tepui, bearing the name Auyantepui (translated as Devil's Mountain), the highest waterfall in the world falls from a height of 979 meters into the valley of the tropical jungle. Angel Falls.

Angel Falls in South America

The second highest waterfall in the world is South African - 948 meters. For comparison, one of the most famous and popular waterfalls, located in South Africa, Victoria Falls is only 107 meters high.

Angel Falls is the Kerepakupai River falling down from almost a kilometer in height, which is fed by the waters of tropical rains at the top of the Auyantepui plateau. Viewed from below, Angel appears to tumble over the edge of the tepui, but a closer look reveals how the Querepakupai River has carved the edge of a high-altitude plateau consisting mostly of layers of light red sandstone. Thus, Angel's free fall begins 50-100 meters below from many ragged crevices on the edge of a high-mountain plateau. During its fall, a huge stream of water dissipates in the air into thousands of small raindrops, and only a small part of the waterfall reaches the base of the mountain, where a small lake is formed, which then merges with the Churun ​​River.

Who discovered Angel Falls

The man who discovered Angel Falls, is considered to be the American James Crawford Angel. The waterfall was named after him. In the thirties of the last century, James was searching for diamonds and gold ore, flying around remote areas of Venezuela in his plane. He first saw it in 1933. In 1937, James, along with his wife and three other associates, decided to return to Venezuela and explore the waterfall in detail. While attempting to land the plane on top, the plane's wheels became stuck in soft soil, causing it to tilt and be severely damaged. James and his companions had to return on foot. Amazingly, after eleven days of making their way through the jungle, they were able to reach the nearest settlement. The story of his journey spread very quickly around the world.

Interestingly, Angel Falls was discovered in 1910 by explorer Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz, but he was unable (or unwilling) to attract public attention to his discovery.

In 1994 National Park Canaima has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. And together with the Venezuelan reserve natural heritage humanity is considered to be its main treasure - the world's highest waterfall - Angel Falls. By the way, since December 20, 2009 in Venezuela, the waterfall has been called by its historical name Kerepakupai meru, derived from the name of the Kerepakupai river. This was the decision of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who considered that it was inappropriate for a Venezuelan waterfall to be named after an American pilot.

Angel Falls: how to get there

You can go on a trip to the base of Angel Falls from almost any city in Venezuela. There should be no problems with obtaining information, since Kanaima National Park and Angel Falls These are the main attractions of the country. Intermediately stay in hotels in Caracas, Ciudad Bolivar or, for example, in Puerto Ordaz, from where you can fly to small village Kanaima, located at the entrance to the National Park of the same name.

The waterfall is located in a remote, wild area among the tropical jungle. It can only be reached by motor boat or by helicopter. The benefit of traveling by boat is that you can get to know the nature and wildlife of the park better, although this route, starting from the picturesque Canaima Lagoon, is quite difficult and takes several hours. The final stop on the way to the waterfall along the river will be a viewing point called Mirador Laime. It was named after the Latvian explorer Alexander Laime, who was the first to travel to the foot of the waterfall along the Churun ​​River. In this place, the highest waterfall in the world will appear before you in all its unique beauty. You will not forget the spectacle that you will see here for the rest of your life.

You can watch the flow of water endlessly, but what if it falls with a record high height ever recorded on our planet? Here are the 10 highest waterfalls in the world.

Angel Falls - the highest in the world

There is an opinion that Tugela is higher than Angel and the latest calculations are incorrect, but there is no conclusive evidence yet; such calculations are very difficult to carry out. You can get to the attraction in 2 ways, the first will lead to the foot, and the second to the top.

Three sisters

The third highest waterfall is in Peru. Found by a group of tourists relatively recently. It got its name because of its natural features - three separate tiers, 914 meters high.

Olopena

The fourth waterfall in the world and the highest waterfall in the USA is Olopena, 900 meters. Located near the volcano of the same name, among high mountains. It is impossible for a hiker to get here, well, except for a rock climber in full equipment.

However, you can fly by plane or sail across the sea into which the Olopena flows. It's worth it, as within 500 meters there are another of the world's highest waterfalls, Puukaoku (8th place) and Haloku, which is in the top 30.

Umbilla

According to various sources, Umbilla is 870 or 895 meters high, but in any case this is the top 5. Interesting feature Umbilla's origin is in the cave of the same name. There are 5 cascades in the stream, one of which looks like a heart. Hence the name, which translated means “heartfelt love”.

Vinnufossen

The highest in Norway, Europe and 6th in the world is Vinnufossen, 860 meters. Here, by the way, that’s what everything is called. The glacier that provides water to the object is Winnufon, and the river is Winna. Only in the Norwegian language there is no such word at all. The origin of the name is not known for certain; most likely, it is from ancient Scandinavian.

Balaifossen

The seventh one on the list of leaders is not without reason similar in name to the previous one, since it is also located in Norway. Balaifossen has an altitude of 850 meters. The glacier also provides it with water, and every year there is less and less of it, which also affects the flow of tourists. Perhaps soon the attraction will disappear altogether, leaving a bare, dry cliff.

Puukaoku

The second in the USA and 8th in the world has a height of 840 m and is located in Hawaii. Getting to it is also not easy, but many travel agencies will be happy to provide you with a boat or yacht for this, but not for free, of course. Puukaoku is more like a water slide, since the water here rolls evenly down the slope.

Any person who has been to a waterfall at least once is sure that this natural phenomenon is one of the most stunning spectacles.


Even small streams evoke a feeling of delight, what can we say about giant streams. What is the largest waterfall in the world? It is quite difficult to give a definite answer, since the waterfall can be the tallest, widest or with the largest volume of water. In this rating, we will consider the waterfalls that have the greatest width and deepest water.

1. Khon

In terms of size, Khon ranks first in the world. The waters of the Mekong River, cascading from heights of up to 21 meters, cover thousands of islets and countless channels.

Wikimedia Commons/PIERRE ANDRE LECLERCQ ()
The total width of the waterfall system is 9.7 km, and the volume of water reaches record numbers - 49,000 m³ per second. The waterfall is located in the Champasak province of Laos and is called “4000 Islands” among locals.

2. Kongu

Kongou Falls are located in eastern Gabon on the Ivindo River and are a series of cascades 3.15 km wide. Every second they carry up to 900 m³ of water, and the maximum height of their flows reaches 56 meters.

Wikimedia Commons/Lengai101()
Many tourists consider this place one of the most beautiful in Central Africa, because the waterfall is surrounded on all sides by lush thickets of green jungle.

3. Iguazu

Iguazu is not only one of the widest, but also the most powerful in the world. You can see it in South America, on the border of the Brazilian state of Parana and the Argentine province of Misiones.

Wikimedia Commons/Wilson r vieira ()
Iguazu is a cascading complex 2.7 km wide and consists of 275 individual waterfalls up to 82 meters high. The water flow in its channels is 6,000 m³/s. For its beauty, in 2011 it was included in the list of 7 natural wonders of the world.

4. Mokona

Mocona Falls, located in northeastern Argentina, extends 2,743 km into the upper reaches of the Uruguay River and is considered one of the most stunning in the world.

Wikimedia Commons/Skyfoto-Marcos Alexandre ()
Its streams, rolling down 11-meter cliffs, form an arc, under which a multi-colored rainbow constantly shines. It differs from other waterfalls in that it is located not along the river bed, but across it.

5. Victoria

Victoria is one of South Africa's premier natural wonders and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the only one in the world with a width of over 1 km and a height of more than 100 meters. If you give exact numbers, then its width is 1800 meters, and its height varies in different areas from 80 to 108 meters.

Wikimedia Commons/LBM1948()
Typically, about 1088 m³ of water per second falls along the Victoria Cascades, but during the rainy season the flow power reaches enormous levels.

6. Stanley

On the Lualaba River in the African Congo there is a series of picturesque waterfalls named after their discoverer, journalist Henry Stanley.

Wikimedia Commons/Foto Ad Meskens ()
In total, the complex includes 7 water streams with a width of 1.35 km. Although it is quite deep and throws down up to 17,000 m³ of water every second, its height reaches only about 5 meters.

7. Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is one of the most popular in North America. It is located in the Canadian province of Ontario, on the Niagara River, and has a width of 1200 meters. The waterfall complex includes three streams - American, Horseshoe and Veil.

Wikimedia Commons/isol()
The widest is considered to be the Horseshoe, stretching across the river bed for 792 meters. The total width of Niagara Falls reaches 1200 meters.

8. Livingston

Livingston is a whole group of waterfalls, rapids and rapids up to 800 meters wide, located in downstream Congo River. There are a total of 32 streams with a maximum height of 270 meters.

Wikimedia Commons / I, Alaindg ()
Livingston consumes 42,000 m³ of water every second, making it one of the deepest waterfalls in the world.

9. Gersoppa

In terms of the volume of water transferred, Gersoppa ranks second among the waterfalls in India, and in terms of height it is among the ten highest streams in the world. Its picturesque water system is located on the Sharavati River and includes four cascades with a total width of 472 meters.

Wikimedia Commons/Vinodtiwari2608 ()
At a speed of 153 m³ per second, Gersoppa rushes into a huge abyss 253 meters high, and then splits into several small arms.

10. Dettifos

Dettifos is considered the most powerful in Europe. Located on the Jökulsau au Fjödlum river in northeast Iceland, it rushes its waters from a height of 44 meters.

Wikimedia Commons/Peter Heuveling ()
The total width of the waterfall is quite small - about 100 meters, but the water flow sometimes reaches 500 m³ per second.

You can look at the flowing water endlessly. And if the water falls from high altitude, then even more so. Fortunately, nature spoils us with such gorgeous views, scattering waterfalls here and there around the world. Any ledge in a river where water falls from a height of more than a meter can be called a waterfall or threshold. Both of them have always attracted many travelers. One of the most famous waterfalls in the world is Niagara Falls, although it is not that high at all, and there are many rapids wider than it. But even water falling from just 50 meters simply fascinates tourists. But less known are the more inaccessible high waterfalls, some of which were discovered relatively recently.

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1. Angel, Venezuela (979 m)

It is, undoubtedly, the highest waterfall on Earth, located in the distant Venezuelan tropics, where it falls from a fantastic height of 979 meters. Water falling from dizzying heights, breaks into millions of small splashes, so clouds of dense fog always hang below. This waterfall was discovered by pilot James Angel, who was flying over the local jungle while doing geological exploration and accidentally noticed this waterfall. This was in 1933, and 4 years later Angel, his wife and several other people decided to go to the waterfall to explore its source in more detail. But the plane they were flying on had an accident, and he miraculously landed on this very peak. As a result, the travelers had to wade through the jungle for 11 days to get home. Returning, Angel revealed to the world the secret of the existence of the waterfall.
In 1994, the waterfall, along with the surrounding area of ​​Canaima, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Although the Venezuelan President decided to rename this waterfall in 2009, returning it to the name Kerepakupai-meru, which was used local residents, but for the rest of the world so complicated name did not take root, and it remained Angel Falls.

2. Tugela, South Africa (948 m)

Another waterfall, Tugela, is only slightly inferior in height to Angel Falls. It is located in South Africa and consists of five cascades that fall down. The highest cascade has a height of 411 meters, but in total all its steps add up to almost a kilometer. But this waterfall cannot be called very powerful - it is nowhere wider than 15 meters, and the per second flow of water in it does not exceed 400 cubic meters. It is fed by the Tugela River in Natal National Park, where it tumbles down from the Drakensberg Mountains.
This waterfall looks especially impressive during sunset or after a heavy rainfall. The rays of the setting sun make the streams of falling water sparkle. The river itself is very short - it begins just a few kilometers from the cliff. The water in it is so pure that it is quite suitable for drinking.
In winter, the waterfall often freezes, turning into pillars of ice and making the surrounding area look fabulous. Many tourists traveling around South Africa strive to get to the waterfall. Two paths about seven kilometers long lead to it. It will take about 8 hours to climb them to the waterfall and about the same time on the way back.

3. Three sisters, Peru (914 m)

In the Peruvian Andes there is one of the highest waterfalls in the world, called the Three Sisters. It consists of three cascades of powerful water flows. The waterfall is very narrow - only 14 meters. It is surrounded by lush green tropical jungle, some of which grow up to 30 meters tall. The surrounding area is so beautiful that it resembles paradise. This is the region of Ayacuccio, remote from civilization.
The world discovered the Three Sisters Waterfall relatively recently and, in general, by accident. A group of photographers went to shoot another waterfall - Katarata, which has a falling height of 267 meters, however, making their way through the jungle, they came across a much more spectacular miracle of nature.

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4. Olopena, USA (900m)

Even in the United States, the above-mentioned Niagara Falls is far from holding the record for height. There is a waterfall in this country that is much higher, but you shouldn’t look for it on the mainland of the country - you’ll have to fly to the Hawaiian Islands. Among them is the island of Molokai, where the Olopena waterfall is located. But not everyone expects to see such a grandiose waterfall on these remote islands, because it is very difficult to get to. Therefore, most of his photographs were taken using aerial photography.
The waterfall is surrounded on both sides by mountains of volcanic origin. The stream of the waterfall is quite weak, and as it falls it falls from ledge to ledge many times. She doesn’t even fall, but glides almost vertical rock, rushing into the ocean waters. The waterfall cut deep into the rock, which is why it could not be discovered or photographed for so long. The best view of it is from the ocean, so many locals travel companies organize tours to it. True, you can only fly there in stable good weather.

5. Umbilla, Peru (895 m)

This is another high waterfall, relatively recently discovered in Peru. It is located in the Amazon basin, and regarding its height, there is still debate among scientists regarding its exact characteristics. Some data give 870 meters, while others give 895.4 meters. The waterfall consists of many cascades along four steep slopes. The Ministry of Tourism of Peru was very happy about the discovery of another beautiful waterfall in its country, after which it decided to organize a two-day tour of the most significant waterfalls in the country.
This waterfall boasts height, but not the power of the stream. Of the entire trajectory of its fall, only about 600 meters remain visible. It is impossible to get to the waterfall without a local guide, since there are no signs installed here. And its inaccessibility became the reason for the small number of available photographs.

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6. Vinnufossen, Norway (860 m)

Norway is home to the highest waterfall in Europe, Vinufossen, which is formed by the fall of the Vinnu River from the top of Vinnufjellet, which then flows into another river, Driva. Winnu is fed by meltwater from the Winnufon glacier, which melts from the sun's rays. It is curious that the root “vinnu”, which is present in the name of a mountain, glacier, river and waterfall, is no longer present in the current language of the Norwegians.
This is a cascading waterfall, its largest step is 420 meters. There are other attractions near Vinnufossen that are interesting for tourists. Also nearby (only 39 kilometers) is the Dovrefjell National Park.

7. Balaifossen, Norway (850 m)

There is another tall waterfall in Norway - Balaifossen. It becomes especially full-flowing towards the end of spring. The waterfall is 6 meters wide and is fed by the Bala stream flowing from mountain lake. This waterfall has three steps, after the last of which the water falls into the sea. The highest cascade reaches 452 meters. But it is not very interesting for tourists, since the volume of its spillway is quite small, and at some moments it even dries up. As soon as the warm summer begins, Balaifossen turns into a barely noticeable trickle, and all thanks to its low-water source.
Since the waterfall is completely dependent on melting snow, its power depends on the weather, time of year and characteristics of the season, and therefore is an extremely fickle thing. If you travel around Norway in July and plan to look at the Balaifossen waterfall, then when you get here you can see a stone and completely dry riverbed. The general warming of the world's climate has the most negative impact on this waterfall. The glacier above it is gradually decreasing in size, and is less and less able to provide water for the autumn replenishment of this waterfall, so after some time it may completely disappear.

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8. Puukaoku, USA (840 m)

On the small Hawaiian island of Molokai, there are two waterfalls that are among the ten highest in the world. It is at its fullest during the rainy season, which lasts here from November to March. And in this case, the water from the waterfall flows directly into Pacific Ocean. By the way, it is best seen from the water. In many ways, this waterfall repeats its taller brother Olopen, since it also does not give the picture of a free fall of water, which slides along almost vertical rocks. Since the surrounding slopes are inaccessible ordinary person, then few people were able to photograph this waterfall.
There are many dense thickets growing along the slopes, which, on the one hand, hide the waterfall from view, and on the other, holding weakly in the loose volcanic soil, they are a very unreliable support, at least for a person loaded with additional equipment. But it’s quite easy to look at it from the sea - you just need to buy a ticket for a boat, which is provided specifically for this by various travel companies. By sea you can get so close to the place where the water falls that you will find yourself immersed in a cloud of fog that always surrounds this place.
An even more impressive picture opens up when you look at the waterfall from a helicopter. Sometimes, when a strong wind blows from the ocean, the gusts of water do not fall into the ocean, but are picked up by the wind. But tourists, as a rule, cannot see such a unique spectacle either from helicopters or boats, since such a trip becomes too dangerous in bad weather.

9. James Bruce, Canada (840 m)

This tallest waterfall in North America was named after the famous traveler, Scotsman James Bruce, who distinguished himself by reaching the source of the Blue Nile. Bruce Falls itself is located in British Columbia, in marine park Princess Louise. It is not too wide - only 5 meters, and it is fed by two streams generated by mountain glaciers, one stream is constant, and the other dries up in the summer. Therefore, the largest spillway is observed at this waterfall in autumn or rainy winter.

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10. Brown, New Zealand (836 m)

On South Island New Zealand, in the territory National Park Fiordland, Brown Falls is located. With a width of 12 meters, it discharges 3 cubic meters of water every second, but when the water level in the lake that feeds it is at its maximum, the flow increases to 14 cubic meters. This is a very long waterfall, the water flows in it at an angle of 42 degrees, so it reaches its lowest point after covering 1130 meters horizontally from the start. We can say that this is one large cascade, where the maximum drop is 244 meters high.
Brown Falls is surrounded by typical New Zealand rainforest. It feeds on water from the alpine lake of the same name. At the end of its journey, the water enters the fjord, which is part of Arm Bay. The waterfall and lake were named after the aerial photographer Victor Brown, who first discovered them when he flew over local lands in 1940.

There are a lot of unique things on our planet, beautiful places and the most impressive objects of Mother Nature are the waterfalls. They are truly beautiful, you can look at them for hours watching how tens of tons of water in a continuous stream fall from the ledge, creating an incomparable view. But which waterfall is the highest on earth, and where it is located - that’s what we’ll talk about in today’s article.

Tallest waterfall in the world - this is Angel in Venezuela with a height of almost 979 meters (although some believe that it is 75 meters higher and its real height is 1 km. 54 m, but despite this it takes an honorable first place).

For the first time, Venezuelan researcher Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz mentioned it in 1912, but still did not officially publish his discovery.


21 years later, on November 16, 1933, American pilot Jimmy Crawford Angel accidentally noticed it while flying in his small plane, and the waterfall was named after him.


A few years later, he decided to return to him and learn more about him. Taking their wife and three comrades with them, they tried to land nearby, but due to the fact that the plane was damaged and its wheels were completely sunk in the swampy soil, they had to go down on foot to the very bottom. It took them 11 days to reach civilization.


A little later, 18 years later, the Latvian explorer Alexander Laime in 1955 decided to independently reach this area and, as a result of much effort, he succeeded. In the mid-60s, they managed to raise the fallen plane and it was taken to one of the aviation museums.


Angel Falls is one of Venezuela's top tourist attractions, but even today, traveling to it is not an easy task.

3. The Three Sisters waterfall is located in Peru, deep in the forests and got its name due to the fact that it is divided into three parts. Its height is 914 meters.

4. "Olupena" - the highest waterfall in the United States, located in Hawaii, it is only 14 meters less than the "Three Sisters". There are several around it, so getting to it without special transport is basically impossible.

5. “Yumbilla” - located near the well-known Amazon River. As for its height, the numbers here differ slightly. Some sources claim that its real height is 870 m, but other sources claim that it is 25 meters higher.

6. Norwegian V. Vinnufossen ranks sixth in our ranking and is the highest waterfall in Europe - 860 meters.

7. In Russia, the Talnikovy waterfall is considered the highest - 600 meters.