Guiana Highlands, Ancient plateau region in northern South America
The Guiana Highlands are a highland region in northern South America spanning across Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and northern Brazil. Wide ridges of sandstone shape this territory, where steep tabletop mountains rise above tropical rainforests.
Sandstone layers formed over 1.7 billion years ago on one of Earth's oldest rock shields. Erosion carved tabletop mountains over millions of years and created isolated habitats on the flat summits.
Indigenous communities throughout the Guiana Highlands maintain traditional practices adapted to the mountain environments and dense forest landscapes.
Travelers planning to visit remote areas should obtain permits in advance and hire experienced guides. Reaching some tabletop mountains requires days of trekking through thick vegetation and shallow river courses.
Minerals such as gold, diamonds, and iron ore lie deep beneath the forest surface in crystalline rock. Scientists estimate that many of the isolated tabletop mountains harbor their own species of animals and plants found nowhere else on Earth.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
