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Wonders of Guyana

Potaro Canyon below Kaieteur Falls
Potaro Canyon below Kaieteur Falls. / Dan Sloan, Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

WorldBlue  Highlights

In the future Guyana may bring many positive surprises – this country is little explored and may hide unique natural wonders unknown to the people. For the most part, Guyana consists of unspoiled nature – wast expanses of tropical forests, savanna, mountains.

It is also possible that in remote parts of the country there are interesting archaeological monuments still to be discovered. Over the last decades, there have been found numerous sites with petroglyphs.

Map with the described wonders of Guyana

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WorldYellow Articles about Guyana

10 major waterfalls in Guyana

Kaieteur at low water, February 2007. Visible the enormous cave - habitat of swifts
Kaieteur at low water, February 2007. Visible the enormous cave – habitat of swifts / Wikimedia Commons, Bill Cameron / CC BY-SA 3.0

This list includes 10 enormous waterfalls of Guyana. Wondermondo can not assert that these are the largest falls in this country – but each of these falls is very impressive!

Waterfalls of Guyana – the list

Smaller waterfall near Kaieteur - possibly this is Old Man's Beard
Smaller waterfall near Kaieteur – possibly this is Old Man’s Beard / Stefan Krasowski, / CC BY 2.0

Table with some 70 impressive waterfalls of Guyana. It is very far from being complete, e.g. here are not included the countless rapids, such as the magnificent King Edward VII Falls. But, nevertheless – one of the best sources of information about the waterfalls of Guyana!

WorldBlue Top 22 wonders of Guyana

Geological wonders

Kaieteur Falls

Potaro-Siparuni

One of the most spectacular and powerful waterfalls in the world, combining a very high volume of water and a large height of fall. 226 m high free fall on Potaro River, total height – 251 m, volume up to 660 cubic meters per second.

Kaieteur Falls, Guyana
Kaieteur Falls, Guyana / , Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Mount Roraima

Cuyuni-Mazaruni, also in Brazil and Venezuela

The famous table-mountains in this part of the world have near-unique karst formations in quartzite. Over the many millions of years, it has been eroded by water, creating countless very interesting formations. Roraima is up to 2.8 km high.

View from Mount Roraima, Venezuela
View from Mount Roraima / , Flickr / CC-BY-2.0
Oshi Falls (King George VI Falls)

Cuyuni-Mazaruni

Very impressive, 214 m high waterfall with a single plunge. A large amount of water.

Oshi Falls, Guyana
Oshi Falls / Š P.Greaves, May 2014, published with kind permission.
Kumerau Falls (Kumarau Falls)

Cuyuni-Mazaruni

190 m high and 60 m wide plunge, one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country.

Kumerau Falls
Kumerau Falls / Ministry of Public Infrastructure, screenshot from Youtube video
Kamarang Great Falls

Cuyuni-Mazaruni

Some 160 m tall and 46 m wide waterfall with a single plunge.

Kamarang Great Falls, Guyana
Kamarang Great Falls / Otto Salonen, Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Amaila Falls

Potaro-Siparuni

Impressive chain of falls on Kuribrong River. The total fall over a 3.5 km distance is approximately 365 m. The largest plunge is 60 m high, falls have formed an impressive gorge.

Amaila Falls
Amaila Falls / Ministry of Public Infrastructure, screenshot from Youtube video
King Edward VIII Falls

Cuyuni-Mazaruni

256 m high single plunge fall on Semang River.

King Edward VIII Falls in the 1930s, Guyana
King Edward VIII Falls, the 1930s / From Paul A. Zahl, "To The Lost World", 1939., taken from an airplane.
Marina Fall on Ipobe

Potaro-Siparuni

152 m high fall of “bridal veil” type, with two plunges.

Kurutuik Falls

Potaro-Siparuni

Approximately 100 m tall waterfall with two main cascades.

Ayanganna mountain

Cuyuni-Mazaruni

Impressive tepui – high plateau with steep sides.

Orinduik Falls

Potaro-Siparuni

One of the known falls in Guyana, some 25 m tall and more than 150 m wide. Waterfall has formed on jasper.

Orinduik Falls, Guyana
Orinduik Falls / Ian Mazkenzie, Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Aruwai Falls

Cuyuni-Mazaruni

Series of rapids and waterfalls over the distance of some 2 km of Mazaruni River. Total height is some 60 m, width exceeds 500 m.

Biological wonders

Iwokrama Forest

Potaro-Siparuni

One of the last pristine tropical forests in the world, 3 710 km² large, dissected by one road. The highest diversity of fish species (known more than 420 species) and bat species (known 90 species) in the world.

Iwokrama Forest
Iwokrama Forest. / Avi Alpert, Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
Eastern Kanuku Mountains

Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Little explored mountains that are covered with tropical forests, up to 850 m high. Extremely high biodiversity, including the world’s highest diversity of bats in a single locality (31 species).

Eastern Kanuku Mountains near Rewa River, Guyana
Merume Mountains, central part

Cuyuni-Mazaruni

Jungle-covered mountains. One of the few places in the world not accessed by people yet. The last serious attempt to reach these mountains took place in 1992.

Shell Beach, Guyana

Barima-Waini

Approximately 140 km long beach. In some parts, the beach consists of pure shells of numerous diverse species. Important nesting site for 8 species of sea turtles.

Shell Beach in Guyana
Shell Beach in Guyana. / Rustom Seegopaul, Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Archaeological wonders

Aishalton Petroglyphs and Makatau rock shelter

Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Savannah with boulders that are covered with numerous petroglyphs and polissoirs. Stone arrangements.

Rewa petroglyphs

Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Numerous petroglyphs at the eastern end of Kanuku Mountains, near the confluence of Kwitaro and Rewa rivers, near Corona Falls.

Karowrieng paintings (Maiputi Falls rock paintings)

Cuyuni-Mazaruni

Rock paintings at the base of the tepui, some of the few known ancient paintings in Guyana. Contain also numerous prints of hands.

Petroglyph site near Big “S” Falls and Kurupukari petroglyphs

Potaro-Siparuni

Two of the many petroglyph sites near the confluence of the Siparuni and Essequibo rivers. Petroglyphs were created sometime around 3000 BC. Belong to Enumerative and Fish Trap Petroglyph traditions.

Architecture wonders

St. George’s Anglican Cathedral

Demerara-Mahaica

One of the tallest wooden churches in the world, 43.5 m high, built in 1899.

Georgetown Cathedral in Guyana, interior
Georgetown Cathedral, interior / Ian Mackenzie, / CC BY 2.0
Georgetown historical centre

Demerara-Mahaica

Originally designed by Dutch in the 1700ies, ornate wooden architecture, and green alleys.

Georgetown, City Engineering Building
Georgetown, City Engineering Building. / Dan Sloan, Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

WorldYellow Recommended books

The Guyana Story: From Earliest Times to Independence


The Guyana Story-From Earliest Times to Independence traces the country’s history from thousands of years ago when the first Amerindian groups began to settle on the Guyana territory. It examines the period of early European exploration leading to Dutch colonization, the forcible introduction of African slaves to work on cotton and sugar plantations, the effects of European wars, and the final ceding of the territory to the British who ruled it as their colony until they finally granted it independence in 1966.

Guyana (Bradt Travel Guide)


This new third edition of Bradt’s Guyana remains the only guidebook available to this South American gem, a jungle-clad country teeming with exotic wildlife. Thoroughly researched, easy to use, and interesting to read, Bradt’s Guyana is written and updated by writers who have lived in and promoted Guyana for many years and is an ideal companion for all travelers, from wildlife watchers to fishermen, anthropologists to conservationists and ‘voluntourists’.


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