Best places to visit Venezuela
- January 16, 2023
- 6:07 pm
- Ben Rodriguez
- Venezuela
Best places to visit Venezuela
Here I enlist the 10 most interesting from my point of view, those that in 20 years with Osprey Expeditions I have been able to define as the most important ones.
Canaima National Park
Canaima National Park was decreed as such by the National Government on June 12th, 1962, with an area of one million hectares (1,000,000 Ha.), which was increased to three million hectares (3,000,000 Ha.) on October 10th, 1975, making it one of the largest national parks in the world. It is located in Venezuela’s Guayana region, South of the Orinoco River, in the Gran Sabana Autonomous Municipality and the Sifontes Municipality in Bolívar State.
Canaima National Park is truly one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, op by its very size and because of its joi spectacular scenery and vast natural resources. It is crossed by huge rapids as well as slow, majestic rivers, which flow TI in marked contrast to the thick jungle of this paradise, reflecting the variety of green hues as they blend with the water. On the plains, the rivers weave across the open grasslands, interrupting their course only at the many indescribable waterfalls that are the common feature of Guayana, Venezuela.
The rolling scenery meets the legendary tepuis, table-top mountains which rise abruptly, with polychromatic vertical walls transporting the spectator back over thousands of years and showing
the Earth’s physio chronology as if in an open book. Exuberant wildlife and flora = join in a variegated concert of living beings, with intense color and light in harmonious natural surroundings.
The daily spectacle includes jungles, forest, grasslands, mountains, strong winds and torrential rains, which give way to wide, blue skies.
In this landscape beyond comparison one cannot forget the human element Indian communities found in Canaima National Park are made up of members of the Pemón group. Even though they have been influenced by other cultures as a whole, they maintain their own culture and traditions.
Canaima is The Lost World, a place to be revered and preserved.
Tepuis
Among the main features in Canaima National Park, we find the tepuis with their vertical walls carved by the erosion of millions of years. Tepui walls are composed of poly chrome sandstone, quartz and agglomerates, which emerge abruptly out of the grasslands and thick jungles.
Tepuis have flat, slightly sloping tops, where plant life is endemic. Scientific men have termed the table-tops island in time or ecological islands.
The very peculiarities of these mountains, especially the plant life at the table-tops, make these ecosystems unique. Rising up through the clouds, the beholder cannot help but feel he is traveling back in time.
Climate
Most Canaima National Park is under the influence of Equatorial Climate.
The park’s average temperature is 10°C to 21°C. The average annual precipitation varies between 1,500 and with rather pronounced two seasons: period of relative dryness between January and April, and rainy season between May and December.
Geology
The most ancient rock formations in the world’s geo chronology are found in Canaima National Park. Dating from the Precambrian period, they are assumed to have been formed between 1,5 and 2 billion years ago. These rock formations belong to the Guayana Shield.
All these places look great, right?
To be frank, Canaima is just full of many places like them, there are 1000’s of waterfalls, caves, canyons, grottos, rock formations, unique spots that would be a Top notch attraction anywhere else but they are still not even photographed/named/ known in Canaima or Venezuela.
Distances are huge! You see the map and they look so close, looks like a walk in the park but in reality you need to join an expedition and have a big budget, logistics to reach them.
For Angel Falls you need a minimum of 4 full days. There are flights on Thursdays and Sundays, only one airline available. We have departures at least once a month and run our expeditions with small groups only. Keep reading our website, sure you will find more valuable information.
Roraima, you need a minimum of 6 days for the trek + 2-3 travel days. We have at least 1 departure every 2 months.
Let's talk about the different possibilities we can offer you
Top destinations in Canaima National Park
Angel Falls
It is the world’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall, with a height of 979 metres. The waterfall starts on the top of the Auyán-tepui mountain in the Canaima National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the region of Bolívar State, Venezuela.
Mount Roraima
is one of the world’s most extraordinary natural geological formations and the highest of South America’s Pakaraima Mountains. The 31-square-kilometer summit area is defined by 400-meter-tall cliffs on all sides and includes the borders of Brazil, Venezuela, and Guyana.
Gran Sabana
is a region in southeastern Venezuela that offers one of the most unusual landscapes in the world, with rivers, waterfalls and gorges, deep and vast valleys, as well as impenetrable jungles and savannas. The region also hosts the isolated tabletop mesas known as tepuis.
Los Roques Archipelago
Are these the best beaches of Venezuela?
Not really!
We have so many great beach locations here and Los Roques are surely one of them.
You only reach Los Roques by plane, there are 1 or 2 departures per day and they all depart from Caracas Airport only.
The Posadas in Los Roques have a good standard but they can be pricey sometimes, for example a decent place to stay can be around US$ 100 per person per night with 3 meals.
Feel free to contact us and let's explore all beach possibilities in Venezuela.
Orinoco Delta
The Orinoco Delta (known in Venezuela as Delta Amacuro State), is a largely undeveloped complex of tropical wetlands and shallow aquatic ecosystems within the coastal plain of eastern Venezuela that covers an area of about 30,000 square kilometers on both banks of the Orinoco river which runs through almost all of Venezuela and part of Colombia with hundreds branches. The Orinoco is the second largest river in South America after the Amazon and the fourth largest in the world.
The easiest way to explore the diversity of the Orinoco Delta is directly on the river. A tour on the Orinoco brings out the spectacular views of this spectacular river delta. Small boats, from motorized excursion boats to rustic dugout canoes, allow our clients to immerse themselves in the lush and dense green world of tropical sensations.
The fauna of the Orinoco Delta is as diverse as its flora. The most likely things to be heard and seen are the colorful parrots, macaws, birds and butterflies, as well as the howler monkeys and capuchin monkeys. Along the banks and in the water are numerous fish, including the infamous Piranhas, caimans and freshwater dolphins.
Warao Indians - Original inhabitants of the Orinoco Delta
Despite its apparent untouchedness, the jungle in the Orinoco Delta is inhabited by people. The Warao, an Indian people, have settled mainly on the river banks arms and live completely in harmony with nature.
Surface: 43.646 Square Kilometers
Climate: Temperatures average 26˚C, with a relative humidity of approximately 75%.
How to get to Orinoco Delta: By commercial flight to Maturin or Puerto Ordaz and then a car transfer to the Orinoco pier.
Choroni
Located on the outskirts of the coastal mountain range and hidden in the mountains of Henri Pittier National Park, Aragua State, 162 km from Caracas, It is a fishermen village with a population estimated at under 5.000 inhabitants where major industries consist of fishing, growing cacao, and tourism.
From Maracay, the state capital, a distance of 40 minutes by car separates the city from this wonderful destination.
The access road is narrow and has sharp curves, so it is recommended to do it during the day.
Playa Grande, one of the top beaches of Venezuela, can be reached at a short distance walk, it is well endowed with a gastronomic offer made up of a wide variety of fish. The beach is bordered by an extensive forest of coconut palms. You can also visit the Mirador after walking up hundreds of steps that can be a challenge for many and enjoy a 360º view of the town, this is a great spot to enjoy the sunset.
Local fishermen offer boat rides to Chuao (20mins) a cocoa plantation coastal village and Cepe (30mins), where other activities such as diving, snorkeling or kitesurfing can be done.
Choroni is the best value for your money. I always recommend this place to all my clients, I love Playa Grande and the feeling of freedom feeling you get from the streets of Choroni. Here you can find accommodation from US$ 30 with a nice location and service. You can also find crazy prices and high standard accommodation for those who can afford a higher standard.
Margarita Island
Merida & Andes
The Mountains of South America
The origin of the Andean system is the same global geo logical event that gave birth to the Himalayas, the Alps and the Rocky Mountains. This long range of mountains faces the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Amazon and Orinoco basins on the east of the continental mass. Its expanse through seven countries-Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela– shelters a great ecological and cultural diversity. The Venezuelan Andes represent the northernmost branch of this impres sive range; by the Maracaibo Lake it forks to the Caribbean coast as the Perijá Sierra, and to the northeast as the Mérida Cordillera.