Venezuela Travel Guide

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Top Things to See

• Explore the capital, Caracas, a modern metropolis in a stunning setting along the base of the Ávila range. Besides a fabulously varied culinary landscape, a vibrant cultural life and throbbing nightlife scene, the city also boasts an array of world-class museums.

• Take a scenic flight or motorized canoe trip to the foot of Angel Falls (Salto Ángel), the world’s highest waterfall, in the southeast, with an uninterrupted drop of 979m (3,212ft). The two-day canoe trip operates from June to November.

• Admire large colonies of pink flamingos and scarlet ibis at Parque Nacional Morrocoy (website: www.inparques.gob.ve), a coastal refuge about four hours north of Caracas. Best glimpsed in September, the flamboyant fowl congregate in the lagoons near Chichiriviche and along the mangrove canals.

• Catch a display of joropo, Venezuela’s national dance, in Los Llanos, the vast plains region where it originated. The flamenco-influenced step is accompanied by ensembles playing harp, guitar and maracas and singing in a high-pitched nasal style.

• Take a tour from Maracaibo north to the Guajira peninsula, where the indigenous Wayúu (or Guajiro) people live much as they did when the first Spanish settlers arrived, dwelling in houses that are raised above the lake on stilts (website: www.wayuutaya.org).

• Get to know Mérida, a delightful university town perched amidst snow-capped Andean peaks. More than just an excellent base for hiking, wildlife watching and whitewater rafting, Mérida boasts several fine art and archaeology museums and a vibrant nightlife.

• Linger in the beautifully preserved center of Coro, an early colonial settlement near the Caribbean coast that’s on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. Aside from its historical legacy, it’s also the gateway to the Paraguaná Peninusula, a prime windsurfing destination.

• Behold the eerie majesty of Mount Roraima, the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World. Tallest of the southeastern Gran Sabana region’s tepuis - flat-topped sandstone mountains - it is a habitat for various endemic flora and fauna.

• Marvel at the magical natural phenomenon of lightning minus the accompanying thunderclap at the Parque Nacional Ciénagas del Catatumbo, along a river delta southwest of Lake Maracaibo. The highly unusual displays can be witnessed throughout the year.

• Check out Colonia Tovar, a slice of Deutschland in the forested mountains west of Caracas. Settled by German immigrants from the Black Forest in the mid-19th century, the town retains its Old World traditions, food and architecture, making for a surreal excursion from the capital (website: www.coloniatovar.net).

Top Things to Do

• Try mountain trekking or rock climbing in the Sierra Nevada de Mérida, where several of the country’s highest peaks are located. Experienced guides and equipment can be hired in Mérida, the regional tourist hub.

• Ride the world’s longest and highest cable car (teleférico), which runs 12.6km (7.9 miles) from Mérida to the top of Pico Espejo (4,765m/15,629ft), providing easy access to starting points for mountain treks.

• Snorkel or dive at Parque Nacional Mochima (website: www.inparques.gob.ve) on the northeast coast, with dozens of offshore islands and islets, some - like the popular Isla de Plata - surrounded by coral reefs. The archipelago Los Roques is another underwater wonderland.

• Cruise through the mangrove caños (channels) of Parque Nacional Morrocoy (website: www.inparques.gob.ve) in the northwest, or sail out to the park’s chain of islands, renowned for their paradisiacal beaches and flocks of flamingos.

• Burrow down into the Cueva del Guácharo, the most spectacular of Venezuela’s many cave systems, and thrill to the eerie screeching of thousands of guácharos (oilbirds), a type of nocturnal bird that inhabits the subterranean dwelling.

• Enjoy the novelty of skiing in the tropics. The peaks of the Cordillera de Mérida have a permanent snowline and can be skied between November and June, though at an altitude of 4,270m (14,000ft) this is recommended only for the hardiest.

• Train your binoculars on hummingbirds, herons, tanagers, toucanets, curassows and hundreds of other exotic bird species at the Parque Nacional Henri Pittier, a birdwatchers’ haven on the central northern coast. See www.birdvenezuela.com for more information on twitching in Venezuela.

• Swim, sun yourself, savour superb seafood and generally unwind at the coastal resorts of Isla de Margarita, Venezuela’s largest Caribbean isle with 168km (104 miles) of beaches. There are daily air-shuttles from Maiquetía airport to Porlamar, Margarita’s principal town, and ferries from several mainland ports.

• Go deep-sea fishing off La Guaira, where the plankton-rich El Placer bank is renowned for its extraordinarily abundant blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish. Anglers can also hook bonefish in the Archipelago Los Roques and even piranhas in the rivers of Los Llanos.