Paradise Falls

In 2009, the movie Up premiered, featuring a protagonist who dreamed of visiting Paradise Falls. To make this dream come true, he lifts his house using thousands of helium-filled balloons and sets off on a fantastic flight. What few people know is that these falls were inspired by Angel Falls, located in Venezuela. After watching the movie, I felt deeply inspired. I didn’t use balloons, but I did use a plane ticket to embark on my own adventure.

Arrival at the Camp

To reach Canaima National Park, where the falls are located, access is only possible by air. I flew from Caracas and, in just over an hour, traveled the 648 kilometers (km) that separate the city from this magical place.

From the airplane, you can already see a massive tepuy—a word that means “house of the gods” in the native Pemón language, spoken by the Indigenous people of the region. This tepuy is an imposing rocky mountain that, at first glance, resembles an enormous wall. Just before landing, all you see is dense forest until suddenly the base camp comes into view around the Canaima Lagoon.

This is the arrival point because it’s where the airport is located. However, Angel Falls lies about 46 km from there. After landing, I headed to my lodgings, which, like most, are situated around the lagoon. The amber-colored water gave me my first postcard-worthy memory: the waterfalls known as El Hacha and La Golondrina, flanked by the Kusary Tepuy in the background.

View from the south side of Auyán Tepuy, the vast table-shaped mountain that Angel Falls descends from

After a few minutes of admiring such beauty, that same day I crossed the lagoon by boat and hiked to El Sapo Falls, where I experienced the thrill of walking behind the waterfall, which leaps like a frog. I then returned to home base to rest, as we would depart for Angel Falls the following day.

Journey to the Falls

After an early breakfast, we began a short hike to the place where we boarded a canoe. From there, we embarked on a four-hour journey along the Carrao and Churún Rivers toward Angel Falls. Along the way, you can see various tepuyes that make the experience unforgettable. After about 3.5 hours, the majestic Auyán Tepuy comes into view. In the Pemón language, this means “Devil’s Mountain.” It is the largest tepuy in Venezuela, covering 705 square kilometers and rising nearly 1 km high. It is from one of its edges that Angel Falls descends.

After skirting around and admiring it, we reached its base, where we could enjoy a closer and even more awe-inspiring view. We then set out on an hour-long hike through the forest to reach the viewpoint, where we could finally see the falls up close. In the Pemón language, its name is Kerepakupai Vená, meaning “waterfall of the deepest place.” It stands 979 meters tall, with an uninterrupted drop of 807 meters. The name Angel Falls, however, was given by a Venezuelan in honor of Jimmie Angel, an American aviator who “discovered” the falls in 1937 while flying over them in his plane.

Mist and clouds surround the towering cliffs

Return to Camp

After about half an hour admiring this natural wonder and imprinting the image in my memory forever, we made our way back through the forest to the base camp, where we would spend the night. At dawn, I opened my eyes to find Angel Falls seemingly watching over me as I slept; it was a truly majestic moment. Having breakfast with that view—arepas, of course—was an unforgettable experience. After breakfast, we returned to our Canaima camp, filled with the joy of having witnessed and experienced such a magnificent natural wonder, and with a deep desire to return again and again.

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