Discover the Amazing Tabletop Mountains (Tepuis) of Venezuela

Imagine a flat yet lush landscape seemingly at the world’s edge, with impossibly tall waterfalls alongside plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth. It may sound like part of another world, but it is one of Venezuela’s crown jewels. 

The Tabletop Mountains, also known as tepuis, of Venezuela, were once part of an ancient supercontinent. Millions of years later, what’s left are chunks of vertical landmasses stretching into the sky, above the clouds. Dense jungle transitions to a high-altitude platform, where new and yet-to-be-discovered lifeforms flourish. 

Discover all there is to know about the amazing Tabletop Mountains of Venezuela and learn what makes them so unique.

What Are the Tabletop Mountains in Venezuela?

Venezuela’s tepuis are remnants of the enormous sandstone plateau that once covered the area between the Orinoco River and the Amazon Basin. Around 300 million years ago, the plateau fragmented and eroded, leaving behind vertical remains of the once great Gondwana supercontinent. They are some of the oldest geological formations on the continent.

Known as the “house of the gods” to the native people in South America, the Tabletop Mountains are immense and majestic. While their name suggests they are part of a mountain range, the tepuis stand alone, isolated from one another, rising bluntly from the tropical forest. Their isolation makes hosting endemic species possible.

Found in South America’s Guiana Highlands, the tepuis make up more than half of the landscape of Canaima National Park, spreading across southeast Venezuela and near the borders of Guyana and Brazil. There are 60 tepuis, with roughly six being the most notable. Auyantepui is the largest, covering 270 square miles and containing Angel Falls, the world’s tallest waterfall, while Mount Roraima inspired the novel The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle. Autana Tepui contains a unique cave, and Sarisarinama Tepui holds spectacular circular sinkholes that plunge deep inside the top of the mountain.

What is Special About the Tabletop Mountains?

Everything about the Tabletop Mountains of Venezuela is incomparable, from its unusual rock formations and flat tops to its evolutionary mysteries. Each tepui is so impossibly steep it resembles a citadel, and very few have traversed its perpendicular terrain. The lowlands’ humid, warm climate radically differs from the summit’s cool air. The difference in atmospheric conditions, vegetation, and terrain from the top to the bottom makes these landmasses special, especially for those researching species evolution.

The landscapes of Canaima National Park and the dozens of tepuis within it are among the most spectacular sights on Earth. These geological formations and their surrounding forests have inspired works of art, from books to movies. It’s difficult not to picture dinosaurs and other fantastic beasts roaming the cloud-covered summits and dense lowlands. 

While no mythological creatures wander its topography, these mountains contain immense wildlife, including some species found nowhere else and differing from one tepui to another. 

The Tabletop Mountains of Venezuela also contain the tallest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls, and one of the longest quartzite caves, featuring 14 miles of tunnels and three rivers. The cave system contains new bacteria, minerals, and blind fish species. While it’s unknown how old the system is, some research suggests they have gone untouched for tens of millions of years.

Flora and Fauna of Venezuela’s Tabletop Mountains

The tepuis contain many animal and plant species from the thick jungles below to the elevated flat tops. The most common animals include monkeys, bats, jaguars, sloths, pumas, snakes, and iguanas. 

Among some of the most unique species are the mountain’s amphibians. As the tepuis became isolated around 60 million years ago, species from the lowlands ended up on the summits of different masses. The tepui frogs developed in isolation and differ depending on the tepui they inhabit. The pebble toad on one tepui cannot hop but tucks into a ball and rolls away from predators. These tiny toads resemble the black pebbles on the summit, effectively camouflaging themselves. Another species, Oreophrynella macconnelli, drops from tree canopies onto the forest floor to reach safety.  

Animals are not the only unique specimens on the mountains. One-third of the area’s vegetation is endemic. And the stark difference between the lowland forests and the summit vegetation is also interesting. The tepuis’ tops contain meadows, short shrubs, and herbs. Among the summits of the 60 tepuis, much of the flora and fauna evolved in isolation, making it wholly unique to each tepui.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Curioso.Photography/Shutterstock.com