Parque Nacional Canaima, Venezuela’s second largest national park, sprawls over three million hectares in south-eastern Venezuela along the border between Guyana and Brazil. Here, rolling savannas, moriche palm groves, montane forests, and dense river woodlands join sheer cliffs, astounding steep flat-topped table mountains called tepuis, from which fall spectacular cascades of water. Here is Angel Falls, Salto Angel, the highest uninterrupted waterfall in the world.
“Canaima was established as a national park on 12 June 1962 by Executive Decree No. 770, and management is regulated under the Forest Law of Lands and Waters, 1966. Its size was doubled to the present area under Executive Decree No. 1.137 of 1 October 1975. National park objectives are stated in the 1983 Organic Law of Territorial Planning as natural areas unaffected by human disturbance where recreation, educational activities and research are encouraged. Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994.” UNESCO led tube
In addition to safeguarding the environment, the park, through its river system feeding Guri Dam via the river Caroni, supplies most of Venezuela’s power. The area was the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, “The Lost World” in which he set his characters in a world of prehistoric plants and dinosaurs.
The name of the park comes from the Pemón people who inhabit the area, and means spirit of evil. In spite of the off-putting name, tourism is encouraged, but limited to designated areas in the western region around Laguna de Canaima, accessible only by air. There are “camps” or lodges around the lagoon that provide lodgings, meals, recreational activities and tour guides. There in one road in the park, linking Ciudad Bolivar in the southeast corner of the park, to other areas.
The most famous feature of the park is Salto Angel, or Angel Falls, which drop from the Auyantepui, or Devil’s Mountain, into the Cañon del Diablo, Devil’s Canyon. The falls are named for an American flyer, Jimmy Angel, who was searching for gold and insteand “discovered” the falls.
Salto Ángel is 3,212 ft (979 m) high and the highest uninterrupted falls in the world. As a point of reference: Niagara Falls on the US/Canada border falls a distance of 60 m Angel Falls is 15 times higher.Iguazu Falls is a series of waterfalls, or cataracts, averaging averaging 61 m (200 ft) high and separated by rocky crags and islands. Angel Falls is 16 times higher. Angel Falls drops into the Carrao river with varying amounts of water depending on the season and rainfall accumulating on the top of the tepui. The steep cliff of the tepui is constantly eroding due to the effect of water on sandstone.
Roraima, on the edge of the park bordering Guyana and Brazil, is one of the highest and largest tepuis. Its plateau is at 2700 m and the highest point is 2810 m. A favorite with climbers and trekkers, it affords a tremendous view from the summit. A trek to the top takes five days, (two for the climb up and down, the rest for sightseeing) starting from San Francisco de Yuruaní, north of Santa Elena.
Get a guide either in San Francisco, or in the tiny Indian village of Paraitepui. The headman of the village will insist on one, though the way up is very obvious. It’s on the top of the tepui that you’ll be glad you have one, for the surface of the tepui is a blackened landscape of weird rock formations, hidden gardens, pools and beaches made eerie with shifting fogs. You’ll want to stay at least two or three days on top.