When was the last time you visited the Essequibo Coast?

The Essequibo Coast is located in Region 2 of Guyana also known as Pomeroon Supenaam. The Essequibo Coast stretches from Supenaam to Charity, one of the portals to Guyana’s interior or bush as the locals would call it, and our neighbouring country, Venezuela. Anna Regina is the bustling capital and only town of this region. The Essequibo Coast is the home to welcoming Guyanese from various walks of life like rice farmers, cattle farmers, and even businesspersons. Some of the most popular villages found on the Essequibo Coast are Adventure, Huis’t Dieren, La Belle Alliance, Lima, Zorg and Queenstown.

Boat Ride from Parika to Supenaam

The Ferry at Parika Stelling

Start your visit off with a boat ride from the Parika Stelling on the East Bank of Essequibo to Supenaam on the Essequibo Coast where your day of fun begins. There are two options of travelling to the Coast, dubbed so by residents. The faster mode would be using the speedboats for a wild ride, captained with years of experience. If you are not a fan of speedboats, you can traverse the Essequibo River on the MV Kanawan or the MV Sabanto, the two Chinese ferries gifted to Guyana by China, which began operations in 2012. Both the speedboat and ferry pass islands such as Wakenaam and Leguan and provides a remarkable view at sunrise and sunset. You can sport a quick breakfast from the canteens of the ferries or walk with a good old homemade breakfast.

Parika Ferry Stelling:

• Address: T&HD Parika Stelling, Parika
• Telephone #: 592-260-4498

Visit the Lakes

Guyana is the land of many waters so it would not be fit to travel on the Essequibo Coast and not visit any of the three lakes on the Essequibo Coast. The Capoey Lake, Mainstay and Hot and Cold Lakes are quite popular spots to locals, tourist and overseas-based Guyanese returning for a taste of home. The Capoey Lake, Mainstay and the Hot and Cold Lakes are all homes to Amerindian settlements. The Hot and Cold Lakes are parts of the Iturbisi Conservancy at Suddie while Lake Mainstay sits next to the Whyaka Amerindian Village, about fifteen minutes inland from the town of Anna Regina. To get to the Capoey Lake, you need to take a loam road down several miles of fields and vegetation and pass the rural Capoey village. Upon reaching the lakefronts, you pay an entrance fee and take your pick of the recreational benabs available. You can have a camp or a ‘bush-cook’ then go for a swim in the lovely blackwater. Boat rides on the lakes are also provided by residents. Remember to wait about thirty minutes after eating before going for a dip.

Lake Capoey at Sunset

Capoey Lake

• Address: Capoey Village, Essequibo Coast
• Telephone #: 592-603-4680
• Email:  [email protected]

Hot and Cold Lake

• Address: Suddie, Essequibo Coast
• Telephone #: 592-601-1724

Lake Mainstay

• Address: Mainstay, Essequibo Coast
• Telephone #: 592-771-4952, 592-226-2975,  226-2975
• Email:  [email protected]

Lake Mainstay at Sunrise

Tour the town of Anna Regina

Pack up your bundles and get ready for a tour of the town of Anna Regina. Originally a Dutch Plantation, Anna Regina was sold to British planters, one of whom had two daughters by the names of Anna and Regina after whom the town of was named. Exit your vehicle at the Anna Regina Park and explore the market. Stop and chat with the vendors and purchase fresh and healthy fruits. If you are a fan of history, snap a picture with the Damon’s Monument. Damon was a slave who rebelled against the apprenticeship system but was declared a rebel and arrested, later executed. This monument was erected in his honour. In the late afternoon a snow-cone and chill on the high Bridge in Anna Regina, overlooking the water. Head to Jaigobin Hotel in the village of Cotton Field for a restful night of sleep.

Explore Charity

On your way to Charity, make a pit stop and La Belle Alliance and visit the Damon’s Cross also erected in Damon’s honour. Charity is situated on the Pomeroon River and is the end of the Essequibo Coast. The highlight of the village of Charity is the marketplace where people from all over the coast come together on Mondays, the known ‘market day’ to sell or purchase goods. The village is being modernized starting with the  Alphonso Supermarket and General Store, Big Bird & Sons Meat Centre, Delip Singh’s Shopping Mall, Diosan Marine Centre for Diesel, Eureka Medical Lab, Hotel Purpleheart Restaurant and Bar, WD’s Hotel & Mall and the Xenon Hotel & Bar. Take a boat ride up the Pomeroon River and back down into Charity. You can sip on coconut water, from fresh coconuts paddles down from the Pomeroon River. Chat with the friendly and hospitable residents and indulge them on their way of life.

Charity, Essequibo Coast.

Wind down at Xenon Hotel and Bar

For accommodation or just to hang out with friends Xenon Hotel and Bar makes an excellent choice. Equipped with a large patio filled with tables, chairs and even pool tables, it is a hotspot for locals and visitors alike. The nightlife on the Essequibo Coast is not lacking. Enjoy the fresh evening air with cold beers, good music and good company.

These are only a few suggested activities you can do on the vibrant Essequibo Coast. There is much more to see and do. From ‘Pomeroon to Supenaam’ as the locals would say, the people are warm, friendly and hospitable. If you happen to be there at the right time you would see vehicles laden with goods pass in the early morning heading to or from Charity and Supenaam, the busiest parts of the Essequibo Coast. Though the lakes are the popular sites on the coast there is still modernization in forms like the Barakat Mall, Xenon Hotel and Bar, Purple Heart Hotel Imam Bacchus Supermarket, mingled with the history of Guyana such as Damon’s Monument and the Devonshire Castle Martyr’s Monument. Anna Regina is also boasted to be the cleanest town in the whole of Guyana. Visit and see for yourself and you may find yourself agreeing with the locals.

Article References

• https://www.stabroeknews.com/2018/11/25/sunday/beyond-gt/capoey/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomeroon-Supenaam
• http://guyanachronicle.com/2018/09/16/life-in-the-country-the-village-of-charity-essequibo-is-teeming-with-energy
• https://www.stabroeknews.com/2012/09/11/news/guyana/chinese-ferry-begins-operation/
• https://www.stabroeknews.com/2011/07/24/features/anna-regina/