Venezuela Travel Guide

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Though best known for its oil politics and feisty president, Venezuela is in fact an action-packed traveler’s destination endowed with an astonishing array of landscapes and experiences. Tropical beaches, vast wetlands, great rivers, idyllic colonial towns, little-explored jungle and majestic mountains are among the South American country’s varied settings. Visitors can choose from a wealth of adventure activities or just kick back and enjoy the resort experience. The clear, warm waters of its Caribbean coastline and numerous offshore islands are ideal for snorkeling and diving. The tropical lowlands harbor an enormous array of wildlife, lush vegetation and dramatic waterfalls, while high Andean peaks challenge trekkers and mountaineers.

Originally inhabited by Carib and Arawak Indians, Venezuela was claimed as a Spanish territory by Christopher Columbus in 1498. Spanish rule was administered from a distance, leaving the various regions to develop separately from the capital, Caracas. In the 18th century, Simón Bolívar led widespread resistance to colonial meddling, and Venezuela finally became a sovereign state in 1830.

Today’s politics are dominated by President Hugo Chávez, who draws on the support of the disaffected masses of poor Venezuelans. Despite attempts by the opposition to remove him, Chávez has remained a formidable political force, gaining another six-year term after an overwhelming victory in 2006.

Geography

Venezuela is bordered to the north by the Caribbean, to the east by Guyana and the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by Brazil, and to the west and southwest by Colombia. The country consists of four distinctive regions: the Venezuelan Highlands in the west; the Maracaibo Lowlands in the northwest; the vast central plain of Los Llanos around the Orinoco River; and the Guyana region in the extreme south, which includes part of the Amazon rainforest and the Guyana highlands.