Essequibo River

The Essequibo is one of South America's major rivers and, near its mouth, so wide that the far bank disappears - a brown expanse scattered with forested islands, some of them larger than several Caribbean nations. Boats leave Parika for Bartica, the frontier town where the gold and diamond routes into the interior begin, passing the ruins of a Dutch fort on Fort Island and the old Kyk-Over-Al outpost. Upriver lie rapids, river lodges built into rainforest, and the sense that the road network has simply run out and the water has taken over as the way through the country.

What you actually see

• The river crossing - the boat run from Parika through the island channels.
• Fort Island - Dutch colonial fort and court-of-policy ruins.
• Bartica - the mining frontier town at the confluence.
• River lodges and rapids - rainforest stays upstream from Bartica.

When to go

Guyana has two dry seasons, roughly February to April and September to November, which give the easiest boat travel and lower rainfall. The rainy periods raise the river and make travel wetter but not impossible. Heat and humidity are constant.

Honest expectations

Speedboats on the river are fast, open and often crowded - life jackets are not always offered and worth insisting on. Bartica is a working mining town rather than a resort; it has a rough edge in places. Lodges upriver require pre-booking with transfers arranged, as there is no turn-up option. Biting insects are heavy at dawn and dusk.

Nearby

Parika and Georgetown downstream, Kaieteur Falls by air and the interior routes from Bartica.