SARAH MARSHALL

WIn a world so connected, it’s hard to imagine there are places still under the radar. But Guyana, a tangled mass of pristine rainforest on South America’s north-eastern tip, is one of the few spots on scratch maps likely to have its shiny foil intact.

Four centuries after Walter Raleigh came here looking for the fabled lost city of El Dorado, prospectors have struck gold in the form of offshore oil. Extraction is due to start in 2020, potentially catapulting the continent’s only English-speaking country from rags to riches, but this stalwart of sustainability is determined to keep its true treasures safe.

Learning valuable lessons from the outside world, some indigenous tribes in the interior are declining lucrative mining deals in favour of small-scale tourism. Rewa and Surama are shining examples of community-run eco lodges, and despite big ideas for the future there’s a shared agreement to keep development to a minimum.

Take jungle treks in search of magnificent harpy eagles and goliath bird-eating spiders, enjoy boat rides amid rolling arapaima fish and learn about the culture of the Macushi tribe.

Almost 80 per cent of the country is covered in rainforest, home to thousands of plant and animal species, but the real attraction is wilderness itself. Teetering over the lip of Kaieteur Falls still feels like a discovery: in the absence of barriers, a misty valley stretches into infinity, and the only crowds are flocks of swifts darting through cascades of water to roost. Even though it’s one of South America’s greatest wonders, this mighty cataract receives as many visitors in a year as Machu Picchu gets in a day.

Frustrating to reach – largely via the Caribbean – a new route from Amsterdam via Suriname launched in September. But at a time when overtourism is becoming overbearing, remote, underrated Guyana is a rarity more precious than gold.

How to go Wilderness Explorers (020 8417 1585; wildernessexplorers.com) offers a 14-day tailor-made Guyana Nature Experience tour from $5,238/£3,988pp (minimum two travelling). Flights extra.

Sarah Marshall is a wildlife and adventure writer who loves to explore places where trees and creatures outnumber people.