Canaima National Park
Venezuela ·
Description
Canaima is The Lost World made real. Tepuis, flat-topped plateaus older than dinosaurs, emerge from jungle like islands in the sky. From Auyantepui falls Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall at 979 meters. On isolated summits evolved carnivorous plants and frogs that exist nowhere else on Earth.
Why It's a World Heritage Site
Canaima contains tepuis, Earth's oldest geological formations (2 billion years). Angel Falls is the world's highest waterfall. Summit isolation created unique endemic species.
UNESCO Criteria
Frequently Asked Questions
For containing Earth's oldest geological formations and the world's highest waterfall.
It was inscribed in 1994 under criteria (vii), (viii), (ix) and (x).
979 meters of free fall; 16 times higher than Niagara Falls.
Flight to Canaima, then curiara (canoe) and hike; or flyover in small plane.
Plateau with vertical walls and flat top; the name means 'house of the gods' in Pemón.