All activities / Trekking / Hiking / Surama
Trekking / Hiking in Surama
A Makushi community on a savannah island in the North Rupununi, ringed by the Pakaraima foothills and the edge of the Iwokrama forest. Its village-run eco-lodge is the base for the pre-dawn climb of Surama Mountain, forest and savannah walks, and canoe floats on the Burro Burro river, all led by guides who grew up in this country.
Why here
Surama is where you walk Guyana's interior with the people who know it best. The signature hike is the pre-dawn climb of Surama Mountain, a steep pull through rainforest to a ridge that opens over the savannah just as the sun breaks and the mist lifts off the Pakaraima foothills, with red howler monkeys calling and cock-of-the-rock possible on the way up. Beyond the mountain, trails run from the village across savannah and into gallery forest for a chance at giant anteater, brocket deer and hundreds of birds, and a walk to the Burro Burro river links to canoe floats where giant otters and tapir come down to drink. What sets it apart is that this is Guyana's first community-owned lodge: the Makushi villagers guide every trek, and their forest knowledge, from medicinal plants to animal sign, turns a hike into a lesson. It is walking as cultural immersion, low-impact and locally led.
Best months
The dry seasons, February to April and September to November, are the best walking windows: firmer trails, cooler air on the climbs and the fewest interruptions from rain. In the wet the forest paths turn slick and the savannah floods, though the river runs high for paddling. The Surama Mountain climb is short but steep and humid, done before dawn to beat the heat and catch the sunrise, and suits anyone reasonably fit; the savannah and river walks are gentler. Expect heat, insects near water and wild, remote terrain with no phone signal.
Getting there & around
Surama lies just off the Georgetown to Lethem road, reached by a long overland drive through Iwokrama or a charter flight to the Annai or Surama airstrip. Treks, guides, meals and simple lodge or hammock accommodation are all arranged through the village, and most visitors come as part of a wider Rupununi and Iwokrama itinerary. Guides are required for the mountain and forest trails. Bring boots with grip, plenty of water and a torch for the pre-dawn start.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate
Schools & guides (2)
Rock View Lodge
OutfitterRock View Lodge has welcomed travellers to the North Rupununi since 1992, set between the villages of Annai and Rupertee where the Pakaraima foothills meet the rainforest, a short drive from Surama. It offers guided hikes on savannah and mountain trails with long views across the Kanuku Mountains and the North Rupununi wetlands, and birding for harpy eagle and cock-of-the-rock. A long-standing Amerindian hospitality enterprise, it is a natural second base for treks into the surrounding hills.
Surama Eco-Lodge
OutfitterSurama Eco-Lodge is Guyana's first indigenously owned and operated lodge, run entirely by the Makushi community of Surama between the Pakaraima foothills and the Iwokrama forest. Its signature trek is the pre-dawn climb of Surama Mountain, led by village guides who grew up in this forest, for sunrise over the North Rupununi and a chance at cock-of-the-rock and red howler monkeys. Guides also run savannah walks and daybreak canoe floats on the Burro Burro river.