Bartica

Bartica sits where the Mazaruni and Cuyuni join the Essequibo, and it has been the gateway to the interior for well over a century: miners, loggers and boat crews pass through, supplies go upriver from here, and gold comes back down. The town is laid out on a grid above the landing, busy and rough at the edges, and the Regatta at Easter is the biggest event of the year. Boats leave from the stelling for the falls, the forts and the mining rivers.

History

The town grew from an Anglican mission settlement founded in 1837 and consecrated in 1843, and its name comes from an indigenous word for "red earth", plentiful in the area. It became the "gateway to the interior", the starting point for people working in the bush and mining gold and diamonds (Wikipedia, Bartica).

Highlights

• The three-river junction - the Essequibo, Mazaruni and Cuyuni meeting at the town.
• The stelling - the landing where boats leave for the interior.
• The mining trade - the gold and diamond business the town runs on.
• The Easter regatta - boat races and a large annual gathering.

When to go

September to April is drier and the most comfortable. Easter brings the regatta and the town fills completely. The wet seasons raise the rivers and complicate boat travel.

Before you go

This is a working frontier town rather than a resort and it can be rough after dark. Accommodation is basic. Boat prices to the falls and forts should be negotiated before departure.

Nearby

Kyk-Over-Al is at the river junction, and Marshall Falls is up the Mazaruni.

Key facts