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wiki-travel forums |
-Best
page to ad your help to fellow travelers |
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Flora |
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The savanna, a combination of herbs from the Melastomataceae and
Ochnaceae families, Droseras, Stegolepys, y Brocchinias, low
bushes and Moriche palm trees in some areas. But we also
find tropical and cloud forests, rich in palm trees, fern trees,
orquids and bromelias. |
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Monte Roraima, whose name comes
from the Pemon words “roroi” (“cyan”) and “ma” (“large”).('Roroi-ma'
in Pemon means 'big blue-green') It is the tallest of all the
amazing tepuis and the only point you can legally cross from
Venezuela to Guyana. Look for the Tres Punto obelisk
marking the spot where the three main languages of the Western
hemisphere tough each other. |
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The km count on the Tarmac highway begins
in the mining town of El Dorado
at "0" |
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Venezuela is ranked in the top10 countries out of a total of 255
for its bio-diversity. |
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la plaga The sabana
is home to a biting gnat, jején. commonly referred to as
la plaga, the plague |
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Sarisariñama
tepui |
The Sarisariñama tepui is a
mountain in the Jaua-Sarisariñama National Park at the
far south-west of Bolívar State, Venezuela, near the border with
Brazil. Latitude/longitude 4° 33' N, 64° 14' W
This mountain is one of the most remote in the country, with the
closest road being hundreds of miles away. Access is restricted
to scientific researchers only.
The most distinctive feature of this 2,300 meter high tepui are
its fascinating, nearly perfectly, circular sink holes that are
still a challenging mystery to geologists and biologists. The
holes have a diameter of 350 meters and go down from the flat
top of the mountain straight down for 350 meters (over 1,000
feet). The vertical walls have managed to create an isolated
ecosystem at the bottom with some species of plants and animals
not found anywhere else in the world. These sink holes were
first seen and explored in 1974.
wiki/Sarisariñama |
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tepui tree of life |
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There are tropical forests skirting the base of many of the
tepuis, and throughout the Sabana are riverine forests and "morichales,"
seasonally flooded stands of sedges and native moriche palms (Mauritia
flexuosa) which provide oil, sugar, and shade. It was dubbed
"The Tree of Life" by Alexander von Humboldt, one of the first
European travelers to this area.
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La Gran Sabana -
Mount RORAIMA &
Santa Elena de Uairén |
______________ |
|
Weather |
On top of the tepuis, thunderstorms are frequent and torrential
downpours are a way of life. The dry season between December and
April is preferred but the weather is changeable at any
time, and rain and mist are a constant. With rain, the rivers
swell and crossing may be difficult.
Because of its elevation, the weather in the Gran
Sabana is more temperate than the surrounding lowlands, a
minimum of 10°C (46°F) and maximum of 32°C (90°F).The village of Santa Elena de Uairen
is at an altitude of 900m - 1000m (3000f - 3250f) with a
nearly perfect climate (16°C / 45°F - 28°C / 79°F all year
round). Lots of water, gorgeous waterfalls:
the rainy season extends from February to November. |
weather.yahoo
/Santa Elena |
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|
"It is probably
better not to arrange a Roraima trek from Ciudad Bolivar. Santa
Elena offers faster, cheaper excuriosn with local operators and
guides. Or you can pack plenty of food (for the porters too),
take the Santa Elena bus to San Francisco de Yuruani and talk
directly to the Indians."
Hilary
D. Branch in her travel Guide |
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Three Corners |
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Roraima is the tripartite border
of Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil, and at the moment can only be
approached from the Venezuelan side. Part of the ancient Guiana
Shield, which extends into Brazil and Venezuela and was once
part of Gondwanaland before tectonic activity moved apart the
continents of Africa and South America, |
 |
It was not until 1884 that Roraima was proven to be accessible
when explorers Everard Im Thurm and Harry I. Perkins made it to
the top. Thurn climbed Mount Roraima from the southeast by
same way nearly everyone now reaches the summit. His
expedition had to fight their way through hundreds of miles of
wild rivers and jungles, confronting dangerous animals and
savage Indians. Eventually he was within striking distance of
the summit:
|
"Up to this part
of the slope our ascent had been fairly easy. We have
now reached a spot where one long climb will take us to
the level summit, and we shall behold that which has
never been observed since the beginning of the world.
Although we can't say that the entire world has been
waiting to see what our eyes will now behold, at least
quite a few people have been anxious to know. We shall
see that which the few white or copper-coloured people
who have viewed the mountain declared would remain
unknown as long as the world existed. We shall know what
is Roraima." |
After Im Thurn and Perkins,
other British scientific expeditions arrived to collect and
classify the strange flora and fauna found on the mountain:
It was Im Thurns accounts that
also attracted British mountaineers Hamish MacInnes, Joe Brown,
Don Whillans and Mo Anthonie to Mount Roraima in 1967. They
wanted to climb the mountain by a new route and chose 'the prow'
located at the northern end of the plateau that juts into
Guyana. MacInnes's account can be read in his book
Climb to the Lost World. |
|
"South America is a place I love, it's the grandest, richest,
most powerful bit of earth upon this planet............the more
you know of that country, the more you would understand that
anythin' was possible - anythin'. Now down here in the Mato
Grosso or up in this corner where three countries meet, nothin'
would surprise me." (Conan Doyle: "The Lost World") |
This page is enhanced by many fotos and
additional commentary in our image server. We would
 particularly
like to express our appreciation to flickr/Creative Commons
contributor One Off Man Mental
/
Naadir
Jeewa from London who added
many spectacular pics. |
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Trip Reports |
"Half a year before I went to this region (I was here in
june.2005) tensions in this area arose. The indigenous indians
(who will guide you to their mountains) attacked the military
post (same one I mentioned before), captured the officer and
laid him in the sun, tied down, for a whole day covered in
honey, so the insects could have their way with him. Two Indians
where killed in this up rise."
La Gran Sabana Trip
Report on world66.com |
"When I was nine, I read a comic strip version of Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle's South American adventure novel, The Lost World.
Captivated by images of cloud-reaching, flat-top, cliff-sided
mountains gushing with waterfalls and wildlife, I dreamed of
visiting the mysterious, remote region of Venezuela on which the
book was based.
Forty years later, I finally fulfilled that childhood dream. |
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petertatchell.net/
|
Be in reasonable physical shape. The altitude is 9180 feet,
enough for some to feel a difference in oxygen level. The ascent
doesn’t require any special rock-climbing skills, but it is
necessary to use hand over feet on the final day of the
approach.
Pack comfortable shoes!!! I wore the field boots that I had
always considered comfortable, but the hike was too punishing
for them. I hobbled barefoot around the summit and made my way
down in socks, earning the distinction from the guide of the
first person to descend Roraima without shoes…. Traction is
important for the slippery rocks.
Raingear is important. It’s impossible to avoid being exposed to
water. There are numerous streams and rivers to cross, a couple
unavoidable climbs under waterfalls, and a lot of misty drizzle
on the top.
A liter-sized water bottle is enough to get you from one clean
water source to the next.
Bring enough warm clothes. On the top be prepared to handle 5
degrees C. Switch out of sweaty clothes upon arriving in the
camp, before you begin to cool down from the exercise.
A waterproof camera case is helpful so that you can carry your
camera outside your pack, avoiding having to unload and rummage
in your pack for each shot.
Health
and Safety
Chigoes are more of a nuisance than a health hazard. This is a
miniscule type of flea, carried by dogs and pigs, that burrows
under the skin of your hands or feet and uses your blood to fuel
its egg production. You will notice an uncomfortable swelling,
with a faint black dot in its center. You can remove it easily
by breaking the skin with a sterilized needle or knife.
Another nuisance is a type of biting gnat. These are known as
puripuri in Venezuela or pium in Brazil. They take a little bite
from your skin, leaving a single drop of blood and an itchy
welt. Wearing a thin-long-sleeved shirt will protect you from
them and sun as well. Some judicious citronella “Jungle Juice”
on neck, ears, and eyebrows will protect your uncoverable parts.
Rattlesnakes exist, but encountering one is rare. One of my
traveling companion’s did find a scorpion under the pants he had
lay on a rock to try. There were some impressive but
non-threatening spiders.
Use plenty of sunblock. An SPF factor of 18 wasn’t enough for
me….
Don’t overexert yourself. A friend of mine who worked for the
Austrian Red Cross told me that the most common cause of death
on mountains is heart attacks, brought on by pushing oneself too
hard. It happens most often in trying to keep up with other
members of a group, especially one’s son!
ilse ackerman from USA offers excellent
planning tips from her 2002 visit at epinions.com
|
HIGHWAY 10:
In Upataon the way up from Ciudad Guyana/Porto Ordaz
[67km or 42 miles south] we stopped "at the last decent
toilet for the next week." ...The road is in good shape but
getting stuck behind gas tankers taking subsidized gasoline
across the border is common. At the fork in the road to
Brazil or El Dorado [337km 235m from the km markings
return to 0 and you're formally on the Trans Amazonian
Highway
Birding with Emanuel Nature Tours [pdf] |
"There was no way to get even wetter, and I wasn't going to dry
anytime soon, so who cares. I took always the path of
resistance, through rivers, mud, everything. It felt good to not
to have to worry about getting wet anymore. It just became a
nice day for a walk in the forest.
from Jan-2006 at realtravel.com |
|
|
The eastern half of Parque Nacional
Canaima is crossed by a road, and this region is referred to as the Gran
Sabana (Spanish: Great Plains). The Sabana is a grassy
savannah-like plateau with an elevation of 900-1200 metres. Abounding in
natural wonders such as waterfalls, rapids and tropical rainforest; the
plentiful wildlife makes the Sabana a naturalist and birdwatcher's
paradise. Mount Roraima is one of the most acclaimed sights in South
America.
 |
|
British Everard Im Thurn and
Harry Perkins were the first explorers to ascend the RORAIMA in
1884 from the Guyana side. Upon returning, their scientific conference in London
inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write the science fiction
classic "The Lost World. The tepuys are regarded as
'islands in time' by scientists since species have developed in
complete isolation on top of them over milennia. The largest
tepuy is Auyan, located to the northwest of the park. From its
vertical flanks chutes the amazing Angel Falls, the world's
highest waterfall. Although impressive, in fact, after the rains
all the region's tepuys are threaded with waterfalls - a
beautiful sight for any visitor. Many of the tepuys are studded
with enormous sink-holes, up to 1000 feet wide and 1000 feet
deep, which are unique to the region. Like the tepuys
themselves, each of these sink-holes are "islands" and have
evolved species of amphibians and insects that are not found
anywhere else |
 |
|
|
This lightly populated region is where
the three major languages of the Americas intersect with the magnificent
table top mountain of Mount Roraima at their center. Here we can
interact with the Espanol of
Venezuela, the Portuguese of Brazil and the English of Guyana.
The highest of the tepuis (table
mountains) found in Venezuela, Mount RORAIMA, stands 2810 meters
(9,219’) tall
at the borders of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana. The majority of
these mountains range from 2000 (6,500’) to 2700 meters (8,800’),
the Roraima being the tallest of all. Having formed 1,800
million years ago, what remains today of the sandstone plateau has been
sculpted by the sun, wind, rain and is one of the oldest geological
structures on earth, home to many endemic plants and animals. The table
mountains of the park are considered some of the oldest geological
formations on Earth, dating back to the Precambrian Era, some two
billion years ago. Some of the tepuis have swamp-like surfaces while
others have been washed by rainfall to almost sheer sandstone.
To see Mt. Roraima you must hire a
guide, no independent hiking allowed. Expect to get wet even
during the dry season [ Dec - April.] At the top it is very cold, bring
or rent a good sleeping bag. Crossing Rio Kukenan is not
for everyone, good shoes are important.
Most hikers sign on for a fully-supported
trek in Santa Elena de Uairen
which has better visitor facilities and more guide options than the
nearer San Francisco de Yuruani . The village of Paraitepui
at the base has very limited accommodations.
Santa Elena de
Uairén
 |
| Santa Elena de Uairén, the Brazil
border town lying 20km to the south of the park, is the main
administrative centre for Canaima National Park and
capital
of the Gran Sabana municipal district. The town of 25,000 has
a frontier air but you can get well
provisioned here including cash advances from the Banco del
Orinoco. Santa Elena is home to a large expatriate community.
The town was founded in 1922 as a Capuchin mission, and grew in
the 1930s with the establishment of gold and diamond mines
in the region. It's proud of it's rough at the edges
'frontier' feel. There are plenty of tour operators who organize trips
around the Gran Sabana and to Roraima Tepuy There are many cafes around the town.
US dollars are accepted everywhere but Bolivars are more welcome and
help avoid being overcharged as a tourist.
Santa Elena de
Uairén is home to many travel agencies offering tours in Canaima
National Park, flights over Angel Falls, and hiking tours to the famous
Monte Roraima. The town is notable for its influential presence of
indigenous peoples; there is even a community called Manakrü (pronounced
mah-nah-CREE) populated entirely by indigenous people. The schools in
this neighborhood use both Spanish and Pemon, an indigenous language.
Due to its proximity to the Brazilian state of Roraima, Santa Elena sees
a busy exchange between the two countries of Brazilian consumer products
from Brazil and Venezuelan oil.
Tourist Office in Santa Elena in
a new building next to the bus stands, offering lots of information and
advice.
Annual Events: Santa Elena de Uairén holds a Frontier
Fiesta in August |
|
Other villages
|
Other villages in the region
include San Francisco de Yuruani (close to the turn-off to
Roraima Tepuy), Kavanayen, El Pauji, and Icabaru. There are small airstrips
at Santa Elena, El Pauji, Ikabaru, Wonken, Kavanayen,
Kamarata and Canaima.
These are served by six-seater
small planes. These flights are less than you might expect,
about $50-60 per leg, and offer an incredible way to see the
Sabana. There are small airstrips at Santa Elena, El Pauji,
Ikabaru, Wonken, Kavanayen, Kamarata and Canaima.
Two roads split from the main north-south
highway, allowing one to penetrate other parts
of the region. One heads to the mission of
Kavanayen, via the lovely waterfalls of Chinak
Meru. Another heads west from Santa Elena to the
small and interesting village of El Pauji and on
to the mining town of Icabaru.
|
El Paulji
Pauji
is a unique border town
where the Gran
Sabana ends and the Amazonian jungle begins
The
mining [low-tech subsistence gold and diamonds ] and tourist community has attractions like
Cathedral falls, Pozo Esmeralda (Esmerald Pool), Pozo El Paují (Paují
Pool), the Abismo overlook and many places to stay.
This special place is
surrounded by evergreen and gallery forest, bush and savannah and an
endless number of rivers, ravines and waterfalls.
Many
artists have settled here forming a strong community in harmony with
nature.
GETTING THERE:
you can best
get to on a 20 minute flight on Rutaca from Santa Elenas
airport. The road can be
terrible but continues as far as Icabarú.
Only for 4-wheel-drive vehicles.
Pauji
||
Places to Stay in Pauji by thelostworld.org |
|
Kavak can only be reached by air or
guided tour through the jungle. It is near spectacular falls and
rivers. |
|
Las Caritas a mining town
with spacious green areas extending to a great forest. Located very near
the Gran Sabana, it's a good departure spot for excursions with visitor
infrastructure, places to stay, Aponwao waterfall. |
|
El Callao The best
place to explore the mining treasures of the zone. Gold
trading and goldsmiths are principally concentrated
here. Also home of Venezuela's most famous Carnaval, over a
century old and based on the Caribbean Carnival traditions
brought by early gold miners from Trinidad and Martinique.
|
|
San Francisco de Yuruani
Pemen Indian village closest to Roriama.
Lots of trekkers hire all equipment - tents, sleeping bags
and mats, cooking gear - even rucksacks from here for a small
fee |
- Upata (founded
1762), a town well-known for its natural hot springs
- Guasipati (founded 1757),
where there are extraordinary examples of petroglyphs and
original cave paintings
- Cuyuni River,
- El Dorado A typical
mining town, primitive, rudimentary, populated by fortune
hunters,(Gustav Eiffel bridge)
- Tumeremo (founded1788),
|
|
Best Web Guides
|
espanol only but excellent site packed with data beautifully
presented |
 Roraima
by besthike.com Link Lists of resources by Rick
McCharles |
|
wikitravel.org/en/Gran_Sabana
|
"A dream landscape - a sort of watery wonderland where the rocks
have been eroded by water and wind into all sorts of intriguing
shapes. Little ponds, streams and bogs separate the rocky
outcrops so you spend the day bouncing from one to the next.
If you are lucky enough to have good sunshine then you will
appreciate the place even more. Often though, you will be in
clouds which break open ocassionaly to let the light and warmth
in. It can get really cold here, especially at night so come
prepared
.Roraima
Trip Reports submitted to saexplorers.org |
|
GETTING THERE: Gran Sabana
|
| To arrive at la Gran Sabana,
one must go by the tarmac road from El Dorado to Brazil. main highway (BR-174)
The highway marker
starts at
Kilometer 0 by the town of El Dorado at 169 meters or 554 feet
>above sea level up to Kilometer 135 at 1,400 meters or 4,593
feet
By
car: One
can also rent cars (preferably high clearance) in Puerto Ordaz
(Ciudad Guayana) or Ciudad Bolivar on the Orinoco and drive
south along the highwayA
4x4 opens up more options although guides provide many
options when you get there.
Passing
through the little villages on the way,
The main road from Venezuela to Brazil cuts through the
eastern sector of the park, giving access to various waterfalls,
beauty spots and to Roraima Tepuy
Brazil <-> Venezuela
Santa Elena de Uairen is 8 km from the
Brazilian border. Venezuelans can get an 8-day pass at the
border with just a passport. Brazil usually check for yellow
fever inoculation. Visas are issued in Santa Elena [0289
995-1256] and also Ciudad Guayana.
|
|
Airlines
to Santa Elena de Uairen
|
Flights: Domestic flight to Puerto
Ordaz or Ciudad Bolivar (1,5 hrs / 80-120 $US) and from there
the bus to Santa Elena (8-10 hrs / 15-20 $US) or a small plane
from Ciudad Bolivar to Santa Elena by Rutaca (140 $US one way).
At the time of writing, there were no direct flights from
Caracas to Santa Elena, you have to change
| Aeropostal
Teléfono: 0800 2376252 |
| Avior
Teléfono:0501-28467737 Vuela a Canaima / Ciudad Bolívar
y Pto. Ordaz |
Vuela Teléfono:
0289-9951584 a Pto. Ordaz
Aserca Vuela a Pto. Ordaz
|
Rutaca
Teléfono:0501-7882221 Tiene vuelos en avioneta a Santa
Elena de Uairén
rutaca.com |
Alternative via
Brazil: From Boa Vista, .the
busy gold rush airport in the capital of the neighboring
Brazilian state you can take a Taxi (2,5 h/ 10 $US) to Santa
Elena. |
|
Bus
|
The fastest, cheapest and
reasonably comfortable way to get to Santa Elena is by bus.
Transfer directly from the airport to the bus terminal and from
there straight to Santa Elena. Several companies operate
ultra-modern buses from Caracas to Santa Elena (20-22 hrs /
30-35 $US) and further to Manaus in Brazil. These double deck
buses are equipped with air condition, bathroom and TV/DVD. Bus
connection from Ciudad Bolivar (9h) and Puerto Ordaz (8h)
"Expresos Los Llanos", "Expresos Caribe" and "Expresos Occidente"
buses leave daily at 8.30pm (8-10 hours / 15-20 $US) to Santa
Elena. You can also use "Turgar" or "San Cristobal".
Expresos Caribe
Teléfono:
expresoscaribe.com
0289-9951217 Terminal de Autobuses
Santa Elena de Uairén, Bolívar |
Expresos los Llanos
Teléfono:
expresoslosllanos.com
0289-9951468 Terminal de Autobuses
Santa Elena de Uairén 0212-6822414 |
Expresos Occidente
expresosoccidente.com
|
Turgar Express
Teléfono:
0289-9951682 Terminal de Autobuses
Santa Elena de Uairén, Bolívar |
|
|
Places To Stay |
|
Santa Elena de
Uairén
|
hotelgransabana.com [58 rooms] Carretera Nacional vía Brasil,
Santa Elena de Uairén, Estado Bolívar,
Venezuela.
Phone.: (+58) 289 - 9951810 - 9951811 - 9951812 - Fax: 289 -
9951813
five minutes from the airport. Ten minutes away from the
Brazilian border,
great swimming pool |
lagransabana.com/hoteles.htm
Find telephone & address for 24 places to stay! |
| La Casa de Gladys,
popular with backpackers |
| La Posada de Michelle |
Hotel Michelle, Calle Urdaneta
Santa Elena de Uairen
|
|
| "Brilliant
location with low cost restaurants nearby as well as
various tour companies and facilities. Much better
than expected from the low prices!!..... "Brand-new
with 18 rooms, laundry, kitchen, call-service and
much more. The best place in Santa Elena for
Backpackers! Swiss manager speaks english, spanish,
german and french |
|
Camp:
Ya - Koo 6
cabins that combine modern and traditional construction,
14 rooms with private bathroom, hot water, porch.
The comfortable ecotourist
cam is in the hills overlooking the town of Santa Elena and the
surrounding Rio Uairen valley.
GETTING THERE: 3 km.
from Santa Elena de Uairén, on the way toward Sampay.
From Santa
Elena de Uairén, follow the
street
which goes to the Centro Frutícola, then take the dirt road to
the camp |
|
Las Claritas
[Km. 85 vía Santa Elena de Uairén]
|
http://www.strawberrybirds.com
[Comfortable
cabins, gourmet meals]
At Kilometer
84 Barquilla de Fresa is access to all the most
interesting birding areas, including the Capuchinbird lek, the
area of the spectacular Guayanan Cock-of-the Rock, both the
White and Bearded Bellbirds, and the lek of the Scarlet-horned
Manakin 627 bird species in
all have been identified. |
Campament: Anaconda At the meeting point of the
Antabares and Caroní Rivers
The camp is found on the high part of a hill and has a spectacular view of
the tepuis, jungle, and savannas. Leaving early, you can
reach the Antabares river in 1 hour, when it is full of
parakeets, macaws, toucans, and other avifauna. Climbing to the
summit, there is a majestic view of the savannah and tepuis. An
outing is also offered on the Caroní River with a walk of 1 km.
to reach the waterfalls of Las Babas. |
Camp:
Turístico Gran Sabana 5 rooms, with a full-size bed,
private bathroom, cold water and fan. Located in a woodland
area, it has a churuata
style restaurant
|
|
Kavanayén
[Km. 24 vía Santa Elena de Uairén]
|
Chinak-Merú (Aponwao
Falls)
20 km from the Kavanayen turnoff
The Aponwao falls and surrounding countryside is a truly
beautiful place, with spectacular views everywhere you turn.
|
| Camp:
Mantopai
comfortable stone cabins with a porch and bathroom incorporated,
with capacity for 24 people in double or individual beds.
restaurant service.
Located at the foot of the
tepuy Soro-Ropan, it has a pretty view of the western Gran
Sabana. There is a river nearby where you can bathe which has a
small waterfall. Not far away is the indigenous community of
Kavanayén, the falls Torón and Toroncito and
Aponwao
GETTING THERE: The road
to Kavanayén is by an unpaved road, only for 4-wheel drive
vehicles.
In Canaima national park only 20 km, from Kavanayén. |
| Hammock camping at Iboribo,
an indigenous village where trips to the falls are run from.
Restaurant - but they need to be told first how many will be
eating. From here you pay $5 p/p for the boat trip accross anmd
obligatory Pemon guide. You can walk or take a canoe for part of
the way, to Aponwao falls, Pozo Escondido, Pozo del Amor (there
are maps on the wall of the restaurant at Iboribo). NB. Canoe
rides may not be possible in the wet season, as the currents are
too strong. |
Campament: Chivatón 10 rooms with 4 or 5 beds in each
room all in a stone construction, in the style
of the capuchin missionaries.
On the eastern side of La Gran
Sabana, on the road to Kavanayén halfway between Luepa
and Kavanayen on the Aponwao river
GETTING THERE: The road to Kavanayén is by an unpaved
road, only for 4-wheel drive vehicles.
You can visit tepuis,
waterfalls, rivers and savanna everywhere.
|
|
El Paují
|
|
El Pauji is in the southern part of the
state, along the frontier with Brazil,
44 miles west of Santa Elena de
Uairen. |
Camp:
Chimantá 8
cabins with double rooms and private bath. bar
In the center of El Paují, in the south of the state, along the
frontier with Brazil. |
Camp:
El Paují
spectacular view. Lodging is in cabins with 2 rooms, capacity
for 5, private bath and lots of windows
In the center of El
Paují, on the Plaza Bolívar |
Camp:
Kawaik wood and
stone house with 2 quadruple rooms, a smaller house for 2, and
another for 4 people, all with private bath. Run by
Carolina Avlar and Paulo Patritti. Restaurant for guests only.
Offer river savannah and jungle excursions. Italian and English
spoken. 15mins by car past El Paujil (they will pick you up at
the airport).
10 km. from the village of El Paují,
|
Camp:
Marypak 5 cabins
with double bedrooms and private bathroom. A restaurant
frequented by the other camps
In the center of El Paují,
|
Camp:
Wei - More
On the edge of Los Altos de El Paují,
|
|
El Dorado
|
Agua Selva
Camping or hammocks dormitry style for $5pp. Restaurant with
typical food. Tlf: 911091. On the right hand side coming in to
El Dorado. Excursions in canoe through the jungle to "La
Tierra de los Salto" (The Land of Waterfalls) including a
guide and paramedic, food, hammocks, mosquito nets. Camping in
indigenous communities. They will take you to Payapal to
see the gold mines or up the Cuyuní River for the day by
canoe
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Encanto Cuyuní
Hammocks can be slung for $5, and you can also camp. They also
do day trips to local indigenous communities and to the gold
mines. Also 1 - 3 day trips up the Cuyuní river deeper into the
jungle. Tlf. 088 911155 Ask for Sr. Antonio - who is a friend of
theirs in El Dorado |
|
El Dorado-Santa
Elena de Uairén highway
|
Campament: Akopán
Camping site on
the banks of the River Aponwao. Restaurant, barbecue site, craft
shops and public loos.
In Canaima national park, in the eastern sector of the Gran
Sabana, Km. 140, on the El Dorado-Santa Elena de Uairén
highway
|
Rápidos de Kamoiran, km 171
Restaurant, Petrol station, shop, public bathrooms, river.
Camping allowed $1.50 per tent. |
Road to La Gran Sabana, 178 th
Km.
Camp: Kamoirán 16
double, triple and quadruple rooms with private bathroom and
capacity
for 45 people. Electricity and natural ventilation.
Restaurant
|
Salto
Kawi, km 194
Churuata for slinging hammocks, tents for rent. They will cook
your food or rent you the stove. Nice falls, jasper rock.
|
Salto
Kama Merú, km 201
55m high falls. Hammocks $3., Camping $1. Restaurant Good place
for buying handicrafts.
|
Quebrado Pacheco and Arapan Merú falls
(kms 237 and 238.5)
Hammocks, camping. Public bathrooms. If you bring food they will
cook it for you. There is a small path up the hill behind
Pacheco, which in 30mins., leads you to some thermal springs.
Ask Alejandro Romero - the park guard for details. Warning. Be
careful not to go past the red strip in Quebrada Pacheco, as
there is a hidden waterfall, which has claimed several lives. |
Suruape, km 244
Churuatas for hammocks, $15 / Churuata / night, sleeps 6-7 pax.
Camping free. Restaurant. Nice pool for swimming.
|
San
Francisco de Yuruaní, km 250
You can camp or sling a hammock at the posada run by Roraima
Tours.
|
Camp: Wentuna
8 double, triple or quadruple
rooms with capacity for 24 people, all with
private bath. Electricity, natural ventilation and a
restaurant
Of the road to La Gran Sabana, 303th km.
Located 5 minutes away from
Santa Elena de Uairén.
|
|
San Ignacio de
Yuruaní
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Uruve Camp 18 in hammocks or
42 and more in tents
GETTING THERE: Located in the Uruve valley
By air in light plane to Uruve it is 1.5 hours from Puerto
Ordaz, Santa Elena de Uairén, crossing
the Gran Sabana. After San Ignacio de Yuruaní, turn off to the
right. The camp is 9 km. from the paved road.
Five minutes from the camp is Salto Rue Merú,
which emerges from an underground section of the river, flowing
over red and yellow jasper, with a cascade of some 37 m. (over
100 ft.) which falls
in a beautiful natural pool.
|
From Paraitepui, Paraitepui means "to the tepui". It is a short distance off a
paved highway and it may be reached easily by four wheel drive
vehicle, with great difficulty by car if the unpaved road
conditions are unusually fine, or by foot in about a day.
Most hikers
take one day to reach the base of the mountain, and then another
day to follow "La Rampa" a natural staircase-like path, up to
the top. Another two days are typically needed for the return,
and many people spend one day on top of the mountain for five
days total. The only non-technical route to the top is the
Paraitepui route; any other approach will involve climbing gear.
The mountain has been climbed from the Guyana and Brazil sides
but these are technical rock climbing routes.
Hiring porters is a way to
contribute to the local economy. Porters can be arranged at Parapetui.
There is no fee for entering the park. Porters are also a way for you to
enjoy the scenery more and spend less time thinking about ankles, knees,
and toes.
At Paraitepui, "a list is made
of all packaged food-stuff to be taken on the walk as all packets /
bottles and toilet paper should be brought back down and taken from the
village to be disposed of in San Francisco / Santa Elena. There are
tight controls on items allowed on the mountain (no glass bottles for
instance)"
parapetui by sdnp.org.gy
It is also possible to take a helicopter journey to the top of
the mountain to avoid the climb. |
