Canaima is a national park in south-eastern Venezuela, a place almost cut off from the civilization. There are no roads leading to this place. The only way to get there is by air or by water. In the far distance, we could see the Lagoon of Canaima and table-top mountains called tepuis. And here we were!

Being surrounded by beautiful beaches and waterfalls, the Lagoon of Canaima is extremely picturesque. The most full-flowing waterfalls are Hacha, Golondrina and Ucaima, the smaller waterfalls are Sapito and Sapo, and there is also one big rapid called Ara.

But only the name of Hacha waterfall is recognizable all over the world because of its secret! The falling water hides a tunnel stretching through the whole width of the waterfall. You can’t see anything behind the splashes. You need to step into the unknown, but, having overcome the dense water flow, a wet cave is revealed, overgrown with vines at the entrance.

Depending on the thickness of the flow, the water was changing its colour: the right side of the waterfall was almost transparent and the blue sky could be seen. The left side was much denser and featured different shades of orange. There is so much water here, that its roar drowns out any sounds and small splashes swirl into whirlwinds.

Surprisingly, it is quite light inside the cave: the sun breaks through the streams of the waterfall and the glare dances on the walls. At the same time, water flows from everywhere: it feels like splashes are flying not only from above, but from all sides!

Salto el Hacha is one of the most popular places to visit in the Canaima National Park. It is worth keeping in mind, that during the rainy season which lasts from May to October it is almost impossible to make an excursion behind the waterfall due to the huge stream of water rushing from the top of the waterfall.

Video and photo by Sergey Shandin, Stas Sedov

12 July 2024