Guiana Highlands

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Entry posted by korver · July 8, 2021

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While our trip in the previous update was remarkable - some of the region's most awe-inspiring and magical sights can only be found at higher elevations. Today we'll be exploring the mountainous region of Venezuela and nearby countries called the Guiana Highlands. Let's take a look at some of this special region's best sights.

Spoiler

Our tour picks back up where we left off in the previous update - flying over the impressive Angel Falls. Billions of years of wind and rain has eroded the mountains here into flat plateaus called tepuis - and plenty of wonders can be found on them, ranging from waterfalls, sinkholes, colorful pools of water, and much more. The world's tallest waterfall are truly extraordinary from upfront or afar.

We finally land back down at the nearby Canaima Airport, which is located on a small river and lagoon that comes from Angel Falls itself. The lagoon is another one of Venezuela's best natural destinations and is known for the many impressive cascading waterfalls which feeds it.

We stock up on supplies in nearby Ciudad Guayana, an industrial port town on the Orinoco that's one of the region's most important cities. After that, we'll be catching another plane and heading even further west to explore even more of the Guyana Highlands' many wonders.

Huge sinkholes have formed in this region for eons, due in part to the eroding rock masses finally giving way, sinking into a huge cavity below. Some believe these huge holes were even used for human sacrifice by the numerous ancient tribes that once lived here.

Autana Tepui is another one of the region's most imposing peaks - the local tribes that lived here in ancient times believed that it was once part of a huge tree that was chopped down by the gods - giving it a very recognizable shape that's truly one of a kind.

For the second leg of the trip, we'll be heading back east and landing in the capital city of French Guiana - Cayenne. Known for it's unique blend of architecture and famous cuisine (it's where the "Cayenne" in "Cayenne pepper" comes from), it's a city that has plenty to offer.

Futher west is another one the region's most distinctive cities, Paramaribo. Waterkant Street, which borders the city's waterfront on the Suriname River, is lined with historical colonial architecture that represents the city's roots as an important Dutch trading town.

We catch a plane to begin another tour over the Guiana Highlands - and our first sight will be the unique rocky outcrop of Volksberg, Suriname's highest point.

Guyana is home to even more wonders in its section of the Guyana Highlands - and the breathtaking Kaieteur Falls are one of the region's best sights. For those wanting to get even closer to the falls, a massive rock ledge juts out in front of the edge of the falls - but make sure to watch your step and stay 8 feet away from edge.. it's a long way down to the bottom.

Another view of impressive Kaieteur Falls from above - these 741 foot tall falls are the tallest single drop waterfall in the world.

To the immediate west of Kaieteur is one of the region's largest savannas - the Gran Sabana. We'll have to spend many days and nights hiking across this vast plain to reach our next destination, but it will all pay off in the end with a trip to one of the region's most spectacular sights.

Our tour of the Guiana Highlands concludes with a trip to one of its most recognizable wonders, Mount Roraima. Sitting on the Guyana/Venezuela/Brazil border, it's one of the world's most famous Tepuis and is famed for the distinctive double-tiered appearance of its ledges. Here we see closeup mosaic of the mountain - with its many amazing waterfalls, forests, and martian-like pools of algae filled water on it's summit. Although the climb to the top can be quite demanding for the inexperienced hiker - you'll be rewarded with the view of a lifetime from the top.

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imgur link here.

Although Roraima is incredible in its own right - it was once part of a much larger system of mountains and tepuis many millions of years ago. Erosion over the millennia has formed what we see today - but in ancient times, these lands were truly something magical, with towering tepuis and cascading waterfalls for as far as the eye can see.