Before you go

Your trip to Lethem.

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

Lethem – Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Capital

How to get there

Lethem Airport (LTM) 1 km
Aeroporto Internacional de Boa Vista (BVB) Boa Vista (Brasil) · 130 km

Approximate road distances. Check flights and bus schedules before you travel.

Confirm before booking. From Georgetown, roughly 420 km by road, there are domestic flights to Lethem’s small airport and overnight minibuses.

How many days

Two or three days: one for the town, the bridge and St. Ignatius; another for the Moco-Moco and Kumu waterfalls at the foot of the Kanuku mountains. With more time, continue to the northern Rupununi and spend the night in Karanambu, Annai or Surama.

When to go

From September to April, in the dry season, when the dirt roads are in better condition and the waterfalls still have water at the start of the dry season. From May to August it rains a lot and some routes become slow. Lethem's rodeo takes place on the Easter weekend and usually fills the town.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

Do you need a car?

For the town, no: it's small and can be explored on foot or by taxi. For the waterfalls, the mountains and the villages, hire transport with a driver or a tour in Lethem, because the roads are unpaved. In Guyana you drive on the left.

Suggested itinerary

An order that works

Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.

One day in Lethem

Morning
Lethem and the bridge over the Tacutu
Walk through central Lethem, with its market and shops, and go to the bank of the Tacutu River, from where you can see the bridge that connects the town to Bonfim.
Afternoon
St. Ignatius
Head to the village of St. Ignatius, adjoining Lethem, with the Catholic church of the old Jesuit mission and the cashew cooperative.
Late afternoon
Sunset on the savanna
Stay in the savanna around the town to watch the sun set over the grass, with the Kanuku mountains in the background.
Evening
Dinner in Lethem
Try Guyanese cuisine, such as pepperpot and cook-up rice, in the town's simple restaurants.

2 days in Lethem

Day 1

Morning
Center and bridge
Center of Lethem, market and Tacutu River bank.
Afternoon
St. Ignatius
Village of St. Ignatius, church and cashew cooperative.
Late afternoon
Savanna
Sunset on the savanna, with the Kanuku in the background.
Evening
Lethem
Dinner in town.

Day 2

Morning
Moco-Moco waterfall
Leave early for the Moco-Moco waterfall, about 15 km away at the foot of the Kanuku, and climb the stairway beside the falls up to the upper pools.
Afternoon
Kumu waterfall
Have lunch on the savanna and head to the Kumu waterfall, managed by the village, with tiered stone falls and picnic areas.
Late afternoon
Return through the savanna
Return to Lethem via the dirt road, with the mountains falling behind in the late-day light.
Evening
Lethem

Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.

Before you go

Frequently asked questions

Is Portuguese spoken in Lethem?

The official language is English, and Guyanese Creole is heard on the streets. Because of the border, many people in Lethem and in St. Ignatius speak or understand Portuguese.

How to get from Lethem to Georgetown?

By plane, on domestic flights from Lethem airport, or by minibus, which travel through the night along the dirt road for about 420 km. In the rainy season the road becomes slower.

When is Lethem's rodeo?

On the Easter weekend, in the dry season. There is rodeo riding, horse racing and food, and it attracts people from Guyana and Roraima. Book accommodation in advance.

Back to Lethem