Canaima Conundrums:
What to Do First?

Encompassing more than 3 million hectares, Canaima National Park in southeastern Venezuela is the sixth largest national park in the world. This vast area includes a wealth of natural attractions for the nature and adventure tourist: Angel Falls, Canaima Lagoon, La Gran Sabana and the “Lost World” of Roraima, among others. Over 100 huge tepuis (table-top mountains) rise up from the endless grasslands and jungles, rivers weaving among them like the lifeblood of the region.

Canaima’s dramatic contrasts in geology and altitude have produced a huge range of habitats for a diversity of plants and animals, many of which are endemic to the region. The moist rainforests are home to bromeliads, tree ferns and more than 500 species of orchid, while the park boasts a dazzling array of bird species, including macaws, toucans, parakeets, parrots, tanagers, bananaquit, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, the illusive cock-of-the-rock and the harpy eagle. Anteater, jaguar, sloth and howler monkey are commonly seen. And herpetologists will rejoice in the many chameleons, caimans, iguanas, tree frogs and snakes that populate the region.

Indian communities in Canaima National Park are ethnically Pemón (which means “people”). They maintain a rich tradition of stories and sayings, as well as dances and rituals performed during festival seasons. You are also just as likely to find them engaged in a friendly soccer (football) game that you can join in.

The small community of Canaima (which includes scenic Canaima Lagoon and its seven waterfalls) is a great stepping-off point for the park’s many attractions. Angel Falls and dozens of other spectacular waterfalls can be reached by small plane, by boat or by hiking overland. Small nearby Pemón settlements such as Kavac and Uruyen allow you to experience their culture and lifestyle in a meaningful and unique way. Hikers can trek across grassy plains that never seem to end and through rainforests that reach to the heavens, while climbing around vertical rock formations that are 1 to 2 billion years old. No matter the choice, Canaima National Park is able to offer some amazing experiences that will be treasured for a lifetime.

If you would like to create your own experience of a lifetime, check out one of Walking Magazine's “World’s Top Ten Walks” through Canaima National Park. Hikers will visit Uruyén and Kavak – two Pemón lodges in the Gran Sabana region of Canaima National Park. Upon reaching either destination, lunch is served and the hikers have the option of continuing their hike to breathtaking waterfalls in Yurwan Canyon or the sacred Kavak Cave.