Cover photo: Warapoka residents and a Guyana Tourism Authority team assessing a possible eco-lodge site, August 2026. Department of Public Information; original image mark ISB retained.
Warapoka is a Warrau community in the Moruca sub-district of Barima-Waini, Region 1. A 2022 account by writer and photographer Candace Phillips describes residents living along the Waini River and farther inland along Warapoka Creek. Farming is an important part of village life, while tourism offers another way for residents to share their surroundings and culture.
River life and local knowledge
Phillips’s account includes shrimp fishing with village residents and describes the relationship between everyday livelihoods and the river. It presents Warapoka through the knowledge and hospitality of its people, rather than simply as scenery for visitors.
Community tourism is a developing part of that story. In August 2026, DPI reported village discussions about activities such as canoeing, traditional experiences and birdwatching. It also described work with the Guyana Tourism Authority to identify a suitable location for eco-lodges. Those plans should not be mistaken for confirmation that new accommodation has opened.
Exploring with the community
A visit should be arranged with community representatives or a suitable operator so that access, accommodation and available activities can be confirmed. Wildlife encounters cannot be guaranteed, and visitors should respect village guidance and ask before photographing residents.
Read about Santa Rosa for another introduction to Moruca. The Region 1 directory and Essequibo directory place Warapoka among the wider communities of Guyana’s North West.
Sources and further reading
