Mount Roraima

Mount Roraima, rising on the borders of Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil, is the most famous of the tepuis, the ancient flat-topped table mountains of the Guiana Highlands, and one of the most extraordinary landscapes on earth. Its immense cliffs soar sheer for hundreds of metres to a vast, cloud-wreathed summit plateau, a surreal world of wind-sculpted black rock, crystal-clear pools, cascades and strange endemic plants, including carnivorous species, found nowhere else. This otherworldly plateau, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, famously inspired Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World. Reached on a challenging multi-day trek across the golden savanna and up a natural ramp, Roraima offers an unforgettable journey into a truly primeval realm.

What you actually see

• The sheer cliffs - the immense walls rising from the savanna.
• The summit plateau - the surreal world of black rock and pools.
• The endemic plants - the unique species found only here.
• The lost-world scenery - the cloud-wreathed primeval landscape.

When to go

December to April, the drier season, is the best time for the multi-day trek, when trails are firmer and the summit less shrouded in cloud, though the plateau makes its own weather year-round; the savanna approach is at its most golden and accessible in these months. Come prepared for rain and cool nights whatever the season.

Honest expectations

Roraima is reached only by a demanding multi-day guided trek with camping, river crossings and a steep climb, so it requires real fitness, time and preparation, and the misty summit can be wet and cold. As the most spectacular of the tepuis, a lost world of sheer cliffs and a surreal plateau of endemic life, part of a UNESCO World Heritage landscape, though, Mount Roraima is an unforgettable adventure.

Nearby

The Gran Sabana and the town of Santa Elena de Uairén lie at its feet.