Kavanayen

Kavanayén sits on a plateau in the western Gran Sabana at the end of a long rough track off the main road, a Pemón village grown around a Capuchin mission founded in 1942. The mission church and the older houses are built of cut local stone with slate roofs rather than the usual thatch, which gives the place an appearance unlike anywhere else in the region. Tepuis stand around the horizon and several waterfalls are reached from here on foot.

What you actually see

• The stone mission - the 1942 Capuchin church built of cut local stone.
• The stone houses - village buildings roofed in slate rather than thatch.
• The tepui horizon - flat-topped mountains standing around the plateau.
• The waterfall walks - Torón Merú and other falls reached on foot from the village.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the only reliable window for the track. The rains make the seventy-kilometre approach very difficult. Nights on the plateau are cold.

Honest expectations

The track in is rough and takes hours; four-wheel drive is essential and fuel must be carried. Accommodation is very basic and food supplies are limited. Permission and fees are handled through the community.

Nearby

Salto Kama is east, and Salto Aponwao is southeast.