Region Sights & Activities
Amazonas
The natural wonder par excellence in the state of Amazonas is the Orinoco River. In and around the city of Puerto Ayacucho, there are several camps with accommodations right on the shores of the Orinoco. Many of these camps offer day excursions to various places of interest. Activities worth noting in this area include: a swim in the clear waters of the "Pozo Azul", and a slide down the "Tobogán de la Selva", a waterfall and rock slide surrounded by dense forest. In "Cerro Pintado" one can observe the largest petroglyphs found in Venezuela, among these a serpent measuring approximately 30 meters which some consider represents the Orinoco River.
From the port town of Samariapo one can travel deeper into the jungle by hiring a local tour agency. Trips can range from 2-5 days, there are also excursions for longer periods-- some offer month-long trips! The voyages are conducted in fully equipped dugout canoes (curiaras) during the day, stopping to eat and sleep at various small Indian (Piaroa) villages. One of the most popular destinations is the 1,200-meter high Autana Mountain, or "tree of life" as it is known in the indigenous Piaroa legend.
Deeper in the Amazon territory, in the shadows of the Cerro Druida (2,396 meters), rests the Yanomami village of Platanal.
El Parque Nacional Canaima
Within El Parque Nacional Canaima there are several options to choose for lodging that allow for easy excursions to Angel Falls and several other waterfalls and lagoons.
Angel Falls, the world's tallest waterfall plummets 807 meters (2,647 feet) from the top of a giant mesa called Auyantepuy -- the largest tepuy, or meseta in the park, which covers more than 700 km2. Uruyén, a Pemón-run camp situated on the southern side of Auyantepuy, on the opposite side from Angel Falls, offers easy access to excursionists wishing to climb the tepuy.
All camps in Canaima are accessible by plane only, either from Caracas or Ciudad Bolívar.
La Gran Sabana
The area on the eastern side of a paved road that crosses El Parque Nacional Canaima is referred to as La Gran Sabana, or the Great Plain. Three to four-day, all inclusive excursions can be arranged to La Gran Sabana by 4-wheel drive vehicles that will take you to waterfalls, lagoons, Indian villages, and vantage points that provide magnificent views of the tepuys. These trips usually originate from either Ciudad Bolívar or Ciudad Guayana, working slowly south towards the town of Santa Elena de Uairén near the border with Brazil (this same road can actually take you the Brazilian town of Boa Vista).
But you don't need either a 4-wheel drive vehicle or a special all-inclusive package to travel this park. Driving your own vehicle on the paved road to Santa Elena de Uairén can present wonderful opportunities to admire the extensive scenery and the beauty of the landscape. If you choose to drive from either Ciudad Bolívar or Ciudad Guayana, we recommend you stay a night in Las Claritas (km 85). Besides offering an interesting opportunity to explore a typical mining town with its varied and improvised infrastructure, you can find a few suitable options to rest here before you continue south on the 227km trip to Santa Elena de Uairén.
The road enters El Parque Nacional Canaima, and La Gran Sabana, a few kilometers south of Las Claritas, where you'll find the first point of interest, Piedra de la Virgen. Continuing through the dense vegetation of Sierra de Lema you'll find the Santo de Danto waterfalls.
When you leave the jungle the panorama expands to a wide savannah where you'll see impressive cliffs covered with vegetation, rivers lined by palm trees, and in the backdrop the first lines of the tepuys you'll encounter along the drive.
One of the most breathtaking tepuys here is Roraima. From San Francisco de Yuruani the most adventurous travelers can hire a Pemón Indian guide to hike Roraima and marvel at its unique flora and fauna, as well as at its fantastic lunar-like landscape. To hike Roraima, or the other well-known and more challenging tepuy Kukeran, you need approximately 5-6 days.
Other interesting side trips in the area include: the Chinak-meru waterfall, which can be accessed only by motorboat from Iboribo, and el Salto Kama, another lovely 50 meter high waterfall.
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