El Paují
Named after the Helmeted Curassow (Pauxi pauxi) — an endangered bird with a bluish-grey bony helmet on its forehead, found in the surrounding cloud forests. In the 1980s, a handful of young Venezuelan couples — university-educated, artistic, disillusioned with city life — drove to the end of a dirt road near the Brazilian border and decided to stay. They built houses, a school, a church, a clinic, and a rescue service in what was, frankly, the middle of nowhere. That community is El Paují, and it still feels like an experiment in living differently.
Getting There
From Santa Elena de Uairén, take the road toward Icabarú. The first half is paved; the second half deteriorates into unpaved track with rustic bridges and washed-out sections. A 4x4 is essential. The drive takes roughly 4 hours for 75 km. There's a small airstrip (SVPI) for charter flights.
The road itself is part of the experience — it passes through open savanna, crosses small mining areas, and offers views of tepuis receding into the distance. The highway to Icabarú was extended in 1963, and the landing strip was built the same year.
The Edge of the World
El Paují sits at a geologically dramatic boundary. The ancient Guiana Shield — 1.8 billion years of Precambrian quartzite and sandstone — drops off sharply here toward the Amazon basin lowlands. The viewpoint of El Abismo (The Abyss), at 1,053 m, looks out over this escarpment: behind you, the open golden savanna of the Gran Sabana; below, the unbroken green canopy of Amazonian forest stretching to the horizon.
This transition zone means El Paují has unusual biodiversity — species from both the highland tepui ecosystem and the lowland rainforest overlap here.
El Paují sits on rock that is 1.8 billion years old — the Guiana Shield predates complex life on Earth. Below the escarpment, the Amazon basin begins. You're standing at the boundary between two of South America's most ancient landscapes.
The Community
The settlers built alongside Pemón families who were already in the area. What emerged is unlike anywhere else in Venezuela — organic farms growing coffee, cacao, fruits, and vegetables; small-scale sustainable agriculture; artisan workshops producing crafts, chocolate, and preserves.
The community has its own school, health clinic, and community hall, all built and maintained collectively. Some residents are artists, some are farmers, some are both. The vibe is cooperative and self-reliant, shaped by decades of operating without much government support.
A few details that capture the spirit: Nicole, a French beekeeper from Bergerac, runs Casa de la Miel, selling honey, royal jelly, and pollen from her jungle apiary. Antonio Castillo, a Caracas-born painter who settled here in 1987, developed a unique painting technique using syringes filled with paint to create three-dimensional works of tepuis and wildlife. And tucked behind the forest, ten minutes from town, sits a dance hall designed by Fruto Vivas — one of Venezuela's most celebrated architects — perched on a hill overlooking the valley. A world-class building for a village of 500.
Waterfalls
El Paují's waterfalls are reached by trails through forest and savanna. The main ones:
- Salto Catedral — 12 km before the village, a 10-minute trail from the roadside to a cascade with a swimming pool at the base
- Salto Chaberú — on the Chaberú River, whose waters are cold and dark with tannins, reddish-brown in color
- Pozo Esmeralda — just 1 km past the village toward Icabarú, an emerald-green swimming pool with a sandy bottom, surrounded by forest
The rivers here are classic Gran Sabana: tea-colored, acidic (pH 3–4), cold, and strikingly clear despite their dark tint. The color comes from humic acids released by decomposing vegetation on the ancient sandstone.
What to Expect
- Accommodation: Several posadas run by community members, ranging from simple to comfortable. Some offer meals made with locally grown ingredients. Helicopter transfers to more remote lodges exist.
- Food: This is one of the few places in the Gran Sabana where you can eat genuinely local produce — organic chocolate, fresh fruit, and simple home-cooked meals.
- Remoteness: No cell signal for much of the area. Limited supplies. Bring what you need from Santa Elena.
- Pace: This is not a place to rush through. The community rewards slow visits — conversations with residents, unhurried hikes, meals that take all afternoon.
Combine With
El Paují is a natural complement to Santa Elena de Uairén (the supply base) and the northern Gran Sabana attractions along the Troncal 10. The road to El Paují passes near small-scale mining operations that can sometimes be visited. The border with Brazil is close but there is no formal crossing here.