Bartica is a town located within the Cuyuni-Mazaruni administrative region of Guyana. The region contains features of two of the country’s four natural regions – hilly sand and clay and forested highlands. The region’s main industry, apart from tourism, is gold and diamond mining, and Omai Gold Mines Ltd, the largest gold producer in the country, maintains operations there. There are also a number of Amerindian settlements in the area, whose residents grow crops for the mining camps.
The region’s main attraction is the Pakaraima mountain range, which includes Mt. Ayanganna and Mt. Roraima, which is over 2,800 meters high and lies at the point where the borders of Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil meet. The range creates a watershed between the basins of the Branco and Orinoco Rivers, and is home to a unique variety of indigenous flora and fauna, including small amphibians, insects, bushes, grasses and flowers.
There are a number of hotels in Bartica where you can stay on the way to the mountain range. Bartica can also boast of an active nightlife as there are several restaurants, a thriving nightclub as well as Brazilian restaurants and bars operated by expatriate Brazilians.
The town itself is near a number of attractions, including the Marshall Falls and the ruins of Kyk-Over-Al, a Dutch fort that was once the seat of Essequibo County. Bartica also hosts the Bartica Regatta every Easter weekend, where tourists can enjoy a variety of activities, including water sports, talent shows, a street parade, and the Miss Bartica Regatta Pageant. A summer regatta is also held yearly in August.