The lodge in Uruyén was built specifically to receive tourists; the Carballo family of the Kamarakoto tribe operates it. Their lodge, is situated in a savanna ecosystem deep in Canaima National Park is only accessible by small plane or many days walking! And what a flight to get there! Flying over Lake Guri, tropical rainforests, jungles and the world’s tallest waterfall – Angel Falls at 979 metres (3,212 feet tall). Not to mention some of the 160 majestic tabletop mountains that tower above Canaima National Park.
Uruyén (Yurwan) is a magical place, well off the beaten track and virtually unvisited by regular tourists. The lodge consisting of a number of comfortable churuatas (typical indigenous dwellings) is nestled alongside Yurwan River and close to where it flows into the Aicha River. It is located in beautiful Kamarata Valley within hiking distance of local Pemón settlements (villages) of Old Uruyén, Santa Marta, Kavak, Kamarata, nearby waterfalls and the impressive Yurwan canyon. The location is spectacular, neither words nor photos do it justice! The lodge itself is overlooked on all sides by spectacular tepuis – Auyántepui in particular – and situated at the edge of the savanna where both Jimmie Angel and Ruth Robertson landed (see links below).
Uruyén was derived from a mythical story of Yurwan (meaning “big fish” in Pemón) and is the famous site where both Jimmie Angel and Ruth Robertson set up base camp back in the 30’s / 40’s respectively before their expeditions to Angel Falls. Please refer to the following web sites for some background history of Jimmie and Ruth plus some wonderful black and white photos of the era. Jimmie Angel (jimmieangel.org) and Ruth Robertson (RuthRobertson.org)
The recommended stay here would be for three of four nights however it is a good starting point for other destinations in Kamarata Valley (Kavak, Kamadak and Kamarata) as well as a couple of the longer tours that Angel-Eco Tours has to offer by land and river to Angel Falls and Canaima Lagoon. Also Uruyén is the last stop before accessing the only route available to trek to the top of Auyántepui (a six day excursion to the summit and back).
Activities include hiking, trekking, cultural visits / dances, swimming and visits to local waterfalls dotted around the area.
Angel-Eco provides tours in particular that retrace Ruth Robertson’s “Forgotten Expedition” all the way to Angel Falls to and from Caracas and of course featuring this pristine location in the middle of serenity!
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