posted by Travel Cat on Sep 25
Destination Venezuela
One of the 9 countries bordering on gigantic Brazil, Venezuela sits to the north. It rests on the shores of the Caribbean Sea and has a whole host of pristine beaches,strands of coral reef and isolated tropical islands to it’s name.
To the east you find the Orinoco Delta weaving it’s way across the land into the Atlantic Ocean; and to the west you can find the snow-capped peaks of the Andes, which can be seen for miles around. Finally, the mighty Amazon sits to the south of this diverse destination and offers a whole host of tropical rain-forest and amazing wildlife to explore - including the highest waterfall in the world: Angel Falls.
Lets take a quick glance at what each of these locations has to offer the visitor.
The Caribbean:
There are several groups of islands in the Caribbean sea that are worth visiting and are inhabited. Of course there are many more islands that are uninhabited and are great for snorkeling and diving but there are too many to discuss here.
Archipielago Los Roques- This chain of small coral reef islands around 160km north of the mainland - about 40 of which are large enough for names - where as the other 250 or so are just rocks or sandbars. This area is a real paradise for divers and snorkelers and the infrastructure makes getting around very easy. The whole region is a National Park, so you will be charged an entry fee when visiting here.
Dos Mosquises Sur - This inhabited island is home to the Marine Biological Station which rears turtles from the surrounding area to be released locally. There are therefore some restrictions about activities in these waters.
Isla de Margarita- This large island is a vacation spot for package tours and is very popular with Canadians and Europeans. The island has some amazing white sandy beaches and 2 national parks. It is also a duty-free shopping zone so is very popular with Venezuelan vacationers too.
The Orinoco Delta:
This river basin is second only to the Amazon Basin in size and at it’s widest, the river is over 20km wide. It then splits into around 40 main channels that spread out across the delta and empty in the Atlantic Ocean.
It is easy to arrange a boat tour of the delta from most surrounding towns and even from some more distant destinations, such as the Isla de Margarita. Along the river banks you will find a whole host of wildlife species, including spider monkeys, caiman, hummingbirds and toucan to name a few. And in the water you are sure to find pirahna, but also pink river dolphins if you are out at dusk……
Many tour companies will arrange for you to stay overnight in an old oil prospectors cabins or local stilted houses on the river itself the very places that gave this country it’s name - Little Venice. Take some serious insect repellant though if you are out in the rainy season!
The Andes Mountains:
The very tip of this huge mountain chain splits into 2 and creeps into the western corner of Venezuela and can be snow-covered all year round. Many of the highest peaks are around 5000m and most towns between 2500m and 3500m. Hiking is risky at any time due to the changeable weather, but August to October really are the worst months here.
Merida state is nestled in-between the 2 ridges and does have an excellent infrastructure for travel and touring, however; neighbouring states can still offer some amazing landscapes and are probably less touristy - although you may have to be a bit more flexible with your arrangements.
Remember that the altitude here can easy reach over 3000m, so it is possible that you will need to take a few days to acclimatise yourself, otherwise you may find yourself feeling terrible the whole time possibly with some serious headaches and other unpleasant (and possibly fatal) side effects.
The Amazon Jungle and Angel Falls:
The Venezuelan Amazon is only small - just a 5th of the country’s size, but never-the-less it is a beautiful place to visit. It is predominately thick forest filled with networks of streams and rivers criss-crossing the land. Many indigenous tribes live here, and around 20 different languages are used.
Puerto Ayacucho is the main town on the Orinoco River and with a landing strip, but the infrastructure is poor and private guides are the only option here if you want to explore. Flora and fauna abound here, with birds, insects and reptiles fitting in every niche. Mammals such as the giant river otter and the ocelot do live here, but are rarely seen - but monkeys may be more frequently seen.
Salto Angel - or Angel Falls is the most visited tourist destination in the country - and I know why. When I flew here recently, the views from the ‘plane were amazing. We flew low over the tops of the giant outcrops of the ‘tepuis’ - the flat-topped mountains. Rather than the mountains coming up out of the ground, these 1000m high plateaus are what is left of the original ground when all the rest fell away!!
I though that was a great site until the ground fell away from under our plane in an instant and we tilted to the left over the falls. All I could see was the continuous drop of this amazing waterfall all the way to the ground below me!!!!! All that water, falling away into the depths of the jungle below leaving a rainbow behind as evidence of it’s beauty!
This is certainly a place to return to, over and over again. And I will.
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