Excursion and tours to Canaima National Park and Angel Falls. Canaima Park - Venezuela Canaima Park in Venezuela

Canaima Park is recognized as the largest nature reserve in the state of Venezuela. The park opened in 1962. It is recognized as the most ancient place on the planet, which is 2 million years old. Tourists visiting the park seem to be transported millions of years into the past and find themselves in the old Jurassic period.

The location of the reserve is in the southeast of the country, on the border of Guyana and. The natural resources stored in Kenaima Park are protected by UNESCO.

The park's attractions are the highest tepuis or mesas and fantastic landscapes. Scientists believe that local mountain peaks were formed on the site of a huge lake in prehistoric times.

The mesa plateau has a large number of sinkholes. They were formed as a result of destruction caused by groundwater. The diameter of karst sinkholes reaches 300 meters. The most popular cave among researchers and tourists is Abismo Gui Colleg. Its depth is 672 meters.

Tepui - mountains, translated from Indian mean “house of the Gods.” Their peaks reach the sky, drowning in fluffy clouds.

The highest rock is Piso de Neblina. Its height is 3,014 meters. The most famous mountains are Auyantepui, Roraima and Autana.

Auyantepui is the largest mesa within the reserve. The area of its plateau is 715 square meters. km. She became famous thanks to the presence of the highest in the world. Since the height of the fall of the stream is very large - 972 meters, the water, without reaching the earth's surface, turns into a thick fog that envelops the entire area, like a long scarf. Excursions to the waterfall are organized by boat or plane.

The area of Canaima Park is 30,000 km².

Autana is the most beautiful mountain. The peculiarity of the mountain is that it is pierced through from one end to the other by a cave. The mountain plateau is decorated with bizarre rocks and clear lakes filled with sinkholes.

The nature of the reserve is very diverse and unique. Only there you can see the rarest representatives of the world of plants and animals. In the forests growing at the foot of the mountains, you can see orchids and bromeliads growing. Among the representatives of the fauna world, there are various species of monkeys, jaguars, huge ants, and many species of birds.

Canaima Park invites its visitors to go on a river canoe trip. While sailing through the lagoon, you can admire the Ukaima and Golondrina waterfalls. There is a trail under the Acha and Sapo waterfalls. You can walk along it between falling streams of water and rocks.

The excursion route to the highest Angel Falls runs through the most beautiful and spectacular orchid island.

A plane tour will give you a lot of impressions. This is a great opportunity to see the entire park from a bird's eye view.

Canaima National Park is located in the southeastern part of Venezuela, near the border with Brazil. The total area of this amazing place exceeds 30,000 square kilometers. I invite you to admire its beautiful landscapes in a special selection

We often write about the most beautiful National Parks in the world, and Canaima is undoubtedly a worthy representative of this list

The founding date of the park is considered to be June 12, 1962, and several decades later, in 1994, Canaima was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. One of the most famous attractions of the second largest National Park in Venezuela are the flat-topped mountains - tepuis. Every year numerous tourists from different parts of the world come here to admire these wonders.

Among the most notable tepuis are Mount Roraima, which we also wrote about, and Auyantepui, from where the famous Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world, falls. These amazing mountains were formed a very, very long time ago, when Africa and South America were still one huge supercontinent

Tourists are also attracted here by the local Indian tribes of the Pemons, whose homeland is Canaima. Most of the Pemons are involved in the tourism sector, which is the main source of their income.

Due to the very large number of small mountain rivers, rafting and canoeing are very popular here. Many travelers also go on hikes with local guides to see all the park has to offer.

Scientists claim that these mountains, consisting of solid sandstone, with steep, almost vertical slopes and flat, truncated peaks, are the oldest in the world. They were formed as a result of the destruction of a huge plateau, which in prehistoric times stretched from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the boundaries of the Orinoco, Amazon and Rio Negro river basins. Back in the days when Africa and South America were one, about 200 million years ago, this plateau arose on the site of a giant lake.

Canaima National Park in Venezuela

Tepuis have a very interesting structure - the plateaus of many of them have many karst sinkholes with a diameter of up to 300 meters, formed as a result of the collapse of the arches of underground river tunnels, as well as caves washed out by water, the most famous of which - Abismo Guy Collet - reaches 672 -meter depth.

From the language of the Pemon Indians, “tepui” is translated as “house of the gods,” which is not strange, because high mountains, shrouded in fluffy clouds, may well serve as the habitat of such important people. Tepuis, for the most part standing far from each other, rise above the jungle with varied, inaccessible cliffs, which makes them a unique refuge for endemic flora and fauna.

Tepuis of Canaima Park

The highest tepuis include Piso de Neblina (3,014 meters), Pico Phelps (2,992 meters), Roraima (2,810 meters) and Cerro Marahuaca (2,800 meters).

The most famous South American mesas are Autana and Roraima.

Auyantepui has the status of the largest of the tepuis, the surface area of its plateau reaches 715 km². In addition, from the top of this mountain the tallest waterfall in the world begins its spectacular fall. The high fall height - 979 meters - leads to the fact that, before reaching the surface of the earth, the water scatters into tiny splashes and turns into a thick fog that envelops the surrounding area.

One of the most beautiful tepuis - Autana - rises 1300 meters above the forest and rocks. It is interesting because it is penetrated through and through by a cave that goes from one end to the other. The Autani plateau is decorated with dark gray rocks of the most bizarre shapes, and the surrounding sinkholes are filled with the purest water.

– the highest tepui in Venezuela. Its height is 2810 meters, and the top - a plateau with an area of 34 km² - is completely covered with dense vegetation, bizarre rocks, steep depressions, caves, small lakes and swamps. Local Indians call Mount Roraima “the navel of the earth” and believe that the ancestor of the human race, the goddess Quinn, lives on its top.

These three, as well as many other lesser-known but equally beautiful tepuis, are located in the national park Canaima, lying in the southeastern part of Venezuela, at the junction of Brazil and Guyana. The reserve, which stores priceless natural resources on its territory, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Canaima: nature of the national park

The nature of Canaima National Park is extremely diverse and unique. In addition to the majestic table mountains, hung with beautiful waterfalls, in the park you can see rare species of flora and fauna that are found exclusively in this area. For example, carnivorous plants lure insects into their beautiful fragrant traps and eat them. The foothills and slopes of the mountains are surrounded by cloud-covered forests, in which exquisite bromeliads and orchids stand out as bright spots. On the tops of the tepui, grasses and shrubs grow lushly. The fauna of the Venezuelan park is no less rich - there are monkeys of various sizes and species, jaguars, giant ants and many small animals. But the world of birds, which live in large numbers on this rich land, boasts the greatest diversity of species.

Excursions in Canaima

The largest natural reserve in Venezuela, Canaima National Park, was founded in 1962 and is considered the oldest part of the Earth, more than 2 million years old. This lost world, seemingly preserved by chance as it was many millions of years ago, is visited daily by thousands of tourists. You can get to these places from the capital of Venezuela by bus.

In Canaima Park, vacationers are offered exciting canoe excursions along the lagoon, into which four waterfalls flow. Two of them - Golondrina and Ukaima - can be seen by canoeing, and under the other two - Acha and Sapo - there is a path along which you can walk inside the waterfall between the raging stream of water and the rock:

You can go to one of the most spectacular attractions of the park - Angel Falls, excursions to which are carried out either by boat or by plane. If you go on a boat excursion, you can see the picturesque Orchid Island along the way.

A very interesting excursion on a small plane to the Cavac Canyon, which reveals all the beauties of Canaima from a bird's eye view.
After flying over the pristine land, the plane lands next to the Kavak Canyon, near which there is an Indian village of the same name.

Those who want to get to know the life of the aborigines of these lands better can go to the northern part of Canaima, where the settlement of the Pemon Indians is located. Here you have a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in an unknown culture, communicate with the aborigines, get acquainted with their rituals, traditions, legends and way of life, which has been preserved since ancient times.

Mysteries of the Tepui of South America

Among other things, this area is shrouded in an aura of secrets and mysteries, which are told not only by ancient legends and myths, but also by reports of several expeditions organized by brave researchers. The last major official expedition to these remote places, namely Mount Roraima, was formed in 1965 by the son of the famous Juan Angel, the discoverer of the world's highest waterfall.

The expedition diary describes an amazing world in which the flat surface of the mountain top is covered with bizarre hills shaped like mushrooms, unusual depressions filled with water are scattered everywhere, and in addition to the animals already known to science, an unusual creature was discovered, which was called the Cadborosaurus. The never-before-seen beast had the head of a horse and the body of a snake with humps on its back. Frogs hatching eggs, bloodsucking insects that were not affected by any chemical means of protection, and giant ants more than 5 cm long, capable of biting small tree branches with their steel teeth, were also found here.

The biggest discovery for scientists was the discovery of the remains of ancient animals that until recently lived in these places. There is an assumption that they died as a result of alien experiments. Scientists were prompted to this guess by a large round area discovered by the expedition, devoid of vegetation and completely strewn with silvery powder of unknown origin. Later laboratory studies showed that this is an alloy of rare metals, which is simply impossible to create under terrestrial conditions.

When examining the caves, researchers found a large number of rock paintings depicting fantastic animals and creatures vaguely similar to humans. The expedition members also discovered several crypts, inside of which there was thick fog and a sweet smell. Some members of the team, having inhaled this strange aroma, fell into a coma for several days, and when they woke up, they told their colleagues about incredible visions and trips to other worlds.

After this incident, the decision was made to return, but then a new surprise awaited the travelers: they could not find a way out of this enchanted world, as if some mysterious forces were preventing this in every possible way.

Only a few months later, exhausted by the search for a way out, people managed to return home. They claim that they were helped by some unknown force, which picked them up and slowly lowered them to the central square of one of the Indian settlements.

When the scientists finally reached civilization, it was discovered that the families had long ago given up hope of their return: after all, the expedition, which was scheduled to return after several months of work, had been absent for four years.

In South America, Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana are home to stunning mesas called tepuis, whose unearthly landscapes look more like the set of a science-fiction film than reality. Scientists claim that these mountains, consisting of solid sandstone, with steep, almost vertical slopes and flat, truncated peaks, are the oldest in the world. They were formed as a result of the destruction of a huge plateau, which in prehistoric times stretched from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the boundaries of the Orinoco, Amazon and Rio Negro river basins. Back in the days when Africa and South America were one, about 200 million years ago, this plateau arose on the site of a giant lake.

Descent into a karst sinkhole

The highest tepuis include Piso de Neblina (3,014 meters), Pico Phelps (2,992 meters), Roraima (2,810 meters) and Cerro Marahuaca (2,800 meters).

These three, as well as many other lesser-known but equally beautiful tepuis, are located in the Canaima National Park, which lies in the southeastern part of Venezuela, at the junction of Brazil and Guyana. The reserve, which stores priceless natural resources on its territory, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Tepui Kukenan.

Night view of Kukenan.

Roraima is the highest tepui in Venezuela. Its height is 2810 meters, and the top - a plateau with an area of 34 km² - is completely covered with dense vegetation, bizarre rocks, steep depressions, caves, small lakes and swamps. Local Indians call Mount Roraima “the navel of the earth” and believe that the ancestor of the human race, the goddess Quinn, lives on its top.

A small sinkhole on the Roraima plateau.

Auyantepui has the status of the largest of the tepuis, the surface area of its plateau reaches 715 km². In addition, the tallest waterfall in the world, Angel, begins its spectacular fall from the top of this mountain. The high fall height - 979 meters - leads to the fact that, before reaching the surface of the earth, the water scatters into tiny splashes and turns into a thick fog that envelops the surrounding area.

Evening view of Angel.

One of the most beautiful tepuis - Autana - rises 1300 meters above the forest and rocks. It is special in that it is permeated through and through by a cave that goes from one end to the other. The Autani plateau is decorated with dark gray rocks of the most bizarre shapes, and the surrounding sinkholes are filled with the purest water.

Mount Auyantepui

On the surface of Auyantepui.

Angel Falls. Inside view

Near Kavak Canyon.

View of the tourist camp in Canaima Park.

Orchid Island

Lagoon in Canaima Park.

Acha waterfall.

Venezuela's largest natural reserve, Canaima National Park, was founded in 1962 and is considered the oldest part of the Earth, more than 2 million years old.

Flying over Canaima

For a long time, expeditions were not organized in this region, but today this lost world, which previously instilled fear in people, is visited daily by several dozen adventurers. For safety reasons, it is advisable to climb accompanied by an experienced guide.

Venezuela conjures up a picture of a lost world, riddled with historical wonders and paradisiacal landscapes with which you want to merge forever. The Canaima Nature Reserve is that unique formation, every particle of which indicates that a person has found himself in another reality. Pristine nature, lush green forests, blue water - these beauties make you forget about everything.

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The park is located in South America, near Brazil and Guyana. Its surroundings stretch over a vast territory of 30,000 km. Canaima is the oldest reserve, the year of opening is considered to be 1962. Thanks to the unique flat-topped mountains called Tepuis, it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The purpose of the park is to protect the mountainous surroundings near the largest waterfalls.

The remoteness of the site from civilization makes it very difficult to reach the park by traditional routes. There are few roads connecting populated areas, so small aircraft are the most relevant. Hiking and moving along rivers using canoes are very popular.

Attractions

The calling card of the place is undoubtedly the Tepui. They are unique natural formations. Their second name is “table mountains”. And indeed, when you look at these outlines, it seems that someone’s gigantic, omnipotent hand placed fancy tables on the surface of the earth.

If you turn to history, you can get quite definite information about the origin. Tepuis formed during a period when South America and Africa were elements of one supercontinent. The mountains have an interesting topography: sharp and steep slopes, peaks that look like truncated pyramids. There are no such places anywhere else in the world. There are about a hundred of them in total, and each one has more than once become an object of conquest by climbers and given such “dared souls” a fabulous bird’s-eye view.

Local residents of Pemona worship these formations; it is no coincidence that the literal translation of the word Tepui means “house of the gods.” The Table Mountains are sandy in nature. The highest are Roraima and Auyantepui. The expedition of scientist Robert Schomburg to the top of Mount Roraima inspired Conan Doyle to create the legendary “The Lost World”. More detailed information about Mount Roraima can be found in our article.

The approach to Roraima can be clearly felt many kilometers away; A huge cloud flaunts above its giant “tabletop”, since due to its height the mountain becomes the center of concentration of moist air masses. This is also the cause of regular severe thunderstorms.

Angel Falls

Another gem of the reserve is Angel Falls. It is known from school geography textbooks as the highest waterfall in the world. Its height is 1054 m. It’s even hard to imagine how much this is. Before touching the ground, the drops in a powerful stream scatter into tiny particles and form fog.

Interestingly, the waterfall received its name in honor of James Angel, an American pilot. According to historical data, during landing on Auyantepui, his plane was damaged and the entire team had to descend the mountain under its own power, and the journey to the nearest settlement took 11 days. The fame of the traveler’s courage and valor spread everywhere and it was decided to give the waterfall his name.

The deep rivers Churun, Carrao, Caroni and Yuruani attract with their cool lagoons of stunning beauty. They just pull the tired traveler into their arms. They contain the planet's vast freshwater reserves. The water of the Karoni River has an interesting feature - a dark color, which is associated with an increased concentration of humic acids found in the river with humus from the coastal soil. This river is also called “black water”, along with the Brazilian Rio Negro.

Nature

The Canaima Nature Reserve is characterized by the South American nature of the transition zone from plain to mountainous terrain. The bases of the mountains are home to savannas, and evergreen forests can be found on the slopes. The flora is characterized by exceptional diversity.

The park is a real repository of endemic plants. More than three hundred species of them have been found here. But orchids are the most common, since here nature itself has created excellent conditions for them: high levels of temperature and humidity. There are overgrowths of moss and lichen. There are also rare Roraima sundews, which are classified as insectivorous plants.

The fauna of the park's surroundings also has many varieties, but these are completely traditional animals for the foothills of Venezuela: agoutis, chameleons, tapir, jaguar, peccaries, pumas and, of course, the fearsome wide-faced caimans.

Over the long period of its residence, the caiman has practically abandoned its hunting inclinations and basically does not hunt in the wild, but lives in ponds where peasants water their livestock. These animals become his prey. Fans of birds will be able to meet their favorites here, such as owls, parrots, and hummingbirds.

Pemons

The territory is the historical homeland of the Pemon Indian people, for whom local attractions are considered iconic - endowed with special strength and energy. Aborigines are something of an integral symbol of the area, an element of national color. Therefore, they are employed in the tourism industry as guides to the beauty of the park, as they are well versed in the area. It has already become a tradition for park guests to take a few photos with representatives of the tribe and listen to their fascinating stories and legends.

Inscriptions discovered on the territory indicate that this nation settled in the vicinity of the reserve more than ten thousand years ago. The Pemons prefer to live on the flat part of Canaima. They traditionally engage in gathering, hunting, and have small gardens where they grow fruits and vegetables for food.

The tribe exists, as it were, separately from civilization; children do not attend school, there is no electricity. Aboriginal people do not use medical services, preferring to treat themselves independently using folk remedies and techniques. Some residents earn additional income by building vernacular-style huts. Visitors are willing to pay money for this.

How to get there

There is only one road for the entire reserve - from the city of Ciudad Bolivar. It is the only one with crushed stone covering. There are no other roads. Mostly tourists get there on their own, although this takes quite a decent amount of time and can be dangerous for unprepared travelers.

Therefore, the bulk of guests arrive in Canaima by light plane from Caracas, or by canoe from the Orinoco Delta. Here the road will not take much time and will be exciting and memorable. There are no large cities around the park, which is, in principle, favorable for this area, because there is no pollution, nature retains its untouched appearance.

Several hotels are ready to accommodate travelers on the territory of the reserve. The most luxurious of them are Parakaupa Camp Lodge and Arekuna Camp Lodge. They look like small palm houses that fit surprisingly into the surrounding landscape. Guests can not only relax there, but also visit numerous restaurants, bars, cafes, where they will be pleased with the friendly atmosphere, friendly staff and delicious dishes.

Canaima National Park reveals to the traveler all the treasures, all the richness of its flora and fauna. Due to its inaccessibility, all this has been preserved almost in its original form. The staff of the reserve carefully ensure that guests follow the rules of conduct and protect nature. Only then will all the beauty remain intact and can be admired for many years to come.