Venezuela: Roraima
At first glance, the main difference between Roraima and other mountain ranges is that it looks a lot like a giant tabletop, with all four sides formed from sheer cliffs roughly 400 metres tall. The mountain serves as the tripoint of Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil. 85% of it is in Venezuelan territory, 10% in the territory of Guyana and 5% is in Brazil. Mount Roraima lies in Venezuela's Canaima National Park.
Since long before the arrival of European explorers, the mountain has held a special significance for the indigenous people of the region, and it is central to many of their myths and legends. A remarkable 35 percent of Mount Roraima’s species are endemic. It is also one of the most important mountain trekking routes in Venezuela, visited by people from all over the world. A Mount Roraima trekking trip usually takes around a week. The best time for a hike is in the dry season from December to April, even though it rains almost every day of the year.
Writer Arthur Conan Doyle, inspired by stories of Roraima, wrote his novel ‘The Lost World’ about the discovery of a living prehistoric world full of dinosaurs and other primordial creatures. It also inspired Paradise Falls from the Pixar film ‘Up’.
Unfortunately, there is a socioeconomic and political crisis in the country, marked by hyperinflation, escalating starvation, disease, crime and mortality rates, so it is recommended not to travel to the country at the moment.
