Must See

Georgetown

Considered to be the 'Garden City of the Caribbean', the capital, at the mouth of the Demerrara River, is furnished with impressive wooden colonial buildings, palm trees, orchids and lotus lilies. Some of the more impressive wooden buildings dating from the colonial past include St George's Cathedral, the city hall, the State House and the Law Courts.

Also worth visiting are the Walter Roth Anthropological Museum and the Natural History Museum, which contains an up-to-date display of all aspects of Guyanese life and culture. The Cultural Centre contains probably the best theatre in the Caribbean, whilst the nearby Botanical Gardens and Zoo, which covers 120 acres (48.6 hectares), has a fine collection of plants.

Iwokrama Rainforest

This rainforest, in the centre of the country, is lush with lowland tropical forest but dominated by the tall dense canopy 20 to 30 metres above. It has a rich species count, but was once home to many now extinct creatures.

Kaieteur Falls

Able to rival Iguazu, Niagara, and Victoria for size and awe, these falls are one set of three on the Potaro River, with a straight drop of 250 metres.

Rupununi

This vast area of Amazonian forest is not often considered as a destination, since the rainforest draws attention away. But these lands have their own unique peoples and ecosystems. Cattle ranching and gold mining are the major employers here. It is worth investigating the Macuxi and Wapixana Amerindian villages in the area.

Beaches

Beautiful beaches line the coast of the country. Almond Beach, Shell Beach, No 63 Beach and Saxacalli Beach are perhaps the most impressive. Shell Beach runs for 140 km to the border with Venezuela. Four species of sea turtle nest along the beach.