Canaima

Parque Nacional Canaima (National Park Canaima), is a UNESCO World Heritage located in southeastern Venezuela.

The photos in this blog are from April 2012 when I visited the park for the first time. I was in the western side, that is only accessible by air to the village of Canaima. The eastern side has road access and connects to the border with Brazil.

The photo above shows the Lagoon of Canaima that is fed by various small waterfalls. From left to right: Salto (fall) Hacha, Salto Wadaina, Salto Golondrina and Salto Ucaima.

This photo shows the other side of the Lagoon which it is reached by curiara (dugout canoe). Not too far from here there are two other falls - Salto El Sapo and El Sapito.

On our way to Salto El Sapito, we walked through a path that took us underneath and right next to the curtain of water of Salto El Sapo. An amazing and unforgettable experience, also quite unexpected to be behind the waterfall. Through the path, we noted several warning signs to watch your steps and to abide by the instructions of your tour guide.

After a short walk and hike, we sat on the rocks next to Salto El Sapito. We admired nature and the immensity of the landscape, and from this vantage point one could also see the tepuis. A tepui (tɛpwi) is a table-top mountain. The origin of the word is Pemon, meaning “house of the gods”. Pemon are the indigenous inhabitants living in Canaima but they are also found in areas of Brazil and Guyana. 

We navigated by curiara about 3.5 hours upstream Carrao and Churun rivers to the Angel Falls. Due to the strong river rapids there is a section of the trip in which everyone must be off the curiara and walk. We passed by a hut / shop selling jewelry and other indigenous items.

As soon as we arrived at the camp on Isla Raton, we noted the impressive views of the Angel Falls right in front of our eyes. The orchids were a bonus to my photo considering that orchids are the national flower of Venezuela.

We hiked the Auyán-tepui (meaning “Devil’s House”) for just about 1.5 hours to the first lookout of the falls. Noted on the sign of the above photo as “Mirador Salto Angel”. The Auyán-tepui is one of the largest tepuis in the park and widely known because it is from where the tallest waterfall in the world drops –the Kerepakupai-Merú (Pemon of Angel Falls).

The Angel Falls are 979 meters (3,212 feet) high.

After the fog cleared out, the view of the Angel Falls from the camp on Isla Raton.

This photo was taken from the canoe on our way back from the Angel Falls.

An early morning view of the Tepuis from Camp Ucaima Jungle Rudy’s.

This last photo is probably my favorite from the whole trip. I noted this fisherman on his way to check the fisher trapping.