From Wikitravel Shared

Canaima National Park is in the La Gran Sabana region of Venezuela.

[edit] Understand

Canaima National Park is home to the Angel Falls. There are some smaller spectacular waterfalls an lagoons that can be visited.

[edit] History

[edit] Landscape

Savanna with tepuys (table mountains)

[edit] Flora and fauna

There is an incredible variety of tropical wildlife in the area, including monkeys, poison arrow frogs and hundreds of species of orchids. Aside from the monkeys, mammals in the area are generally difficult to spot but include giant anteaters, armadillos, porcupines, three-toed sloths, otters, jaguars, pumas, tapirs and capybaras.Some of the birds that you can see there are king vulture, paradise tanager, white bellbird, guianan cock of the Rock, musician wren, great kiskadee, bananaquit, velvet browned brillant, capunchinbird, sooty-capped hermit, blue-cheeked parrot and others.

[edit] Climate

Tropical, with frequent rainstorms. The driest time of year - when the Falls may be just a trickle - is from December to April.

[edit] Get in

There are no overland routes to the settlement of Canaima. The only access is by air. Avior and Rutaca fly to and from Ciudad Bolívar and Caracas.

Access to the Sector Occidental is by air into villages like Canaima. However, the Sector Oriental (eastern sector) has road access via the Troncal 10. The new El Dorado-Luepa road to Santa Elena de Uairen connects the east of the park with the Brazilian frontier and a branch of it reaches the small village of Kanavayen, which is close to the spectacular Aponwao Falls.

[edit] Fees/Permits

At arrival at the Canaima airport a Bs. 8000 (around 4 US$) entrance fee is collected.

[edit] Get around

[edit] See

The main attraction is Angel Falls, which itself is located about 5 hours' ride in a dugout canoe upstream from Canaima village. Most of the Park's attractions can only be visited with a guided tour from Canaima. These can be booked from outside Venezuela, from Caracas, or from Ciudad Bolivar but prices are much more competitive in Ciudad Bolivar. Most tours that take you to the foot of the falls are two nights (one in Canaima, one at the falls) and three days, and combine all of the three elements below (and also include food and transport). Alternatively you can hire shorter tours just to go up to Angel Falls and back again.

• Two day tours run to the foot of the Angel falls by motorized dugout canoe (curiara). The first day a five or six hour boat ride will lead you to the base camp. From there it's a one hour walk to the foot of waterfall. Here you can take pictures and swim. The night will be spent in hammocks and the next day another a five hours will bring you back to Canaima.
• A half day tour brings you to Isla Anatoly, very close to Canaima village, where some other waterfalls are visited such as Salto Sapo. Some of them can be walked behind the water curtain.
• Just west of Canaima is a beautiful lagoon with water stained a tea colour by the vegetation in the area, and with a nice view of the waterfalls and tepuy mountain.

A good option is the Canaima based Bernal Tours, which can be contacted through Adan Adventures [1] in Ciudad Bolivar, Tel: +58 281 268-9839 (adanadventures@cantv.net).

[edit] Do

[edit] Buy

[edit] Eat

[edit] Drink

[edit] Sleep

• Wei Tepü offers basic triple rooms with fan and private bathroom for Bs. 30,000 (around 15 US$). There are meals on request (breakfast Bs. 15,000, lunch and dinner Bs. 25,000).

[edit] Lodging

[edit] Camping

[edit] Backcountry

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