CANAIMA y su villa

CANAIMA and The Lagoon Village

It was established as a National Park in 1962. It has 3mm hectares. Canaima is bordered by the Rio Carrao, Rio Caroní and the Pakaraima and Roraima Range. The most famous tepuis are the Auyan (of the size of Menorca) and the Chimantá. The nearest city is Ciudad Bolivar. The park averages an annual temperature of 24.5oC, but on top of the summits it can be as cold as 0oC during the nights. The second semester of the year is considered the rainy season. Its native occupants are the ‘Pemon’ Indians. The settlement counts with more than a thousand people and everything there must be provided by plane. You must pay an entrance fee to the park of no more than 10.000Bs, and the guides can go as high as for 50$ a day, or as low as 20$. And food price is very reasonable. Your guide will get you to travel in the “curiaras” (hollow tree boats) around the lake, they fit anywhere from 10 to 30 people. The boat can be stationed in any of the rocks or sand banks inside the lake to sunbathe and you can even choose to get very close to any of the waterfalls nearby, named Salto el Acha, Salto El Sapo y Salto El Sapito. You can leave the boat and walk on top of the waterfalls or even behind the curtain of water; this is one of the camp’s best attractions. You can also hike around the many sabana trails, visit Indian villages or set off to a longer adventure up river to the angel falls. Despite the danger typical of a virgin savage reservoir, the National Park Institute (Imparques) has done a tremendous job ensuring the safety of the public like nowhere else. The main excursions are endowed with well prepared tracks and signs, the steep walks are provided with stairs and in all cases there is a handle bar to lean on. The leaders are well educated and dominate Basic English. There is a restriction on the areas you can visit, besides it is strongly recommended that your guide be aware of your location at all times. You will find plenty of guides as soon as you land in the airport, and they can show you the way around and get you accommodation in either of the hotels or the few newer posadas.