For Amazonian Forests, Lush Beaches and Outstanding Natural Beauty, Visit Venezuela

Venezuela is positioned at the northern extreme ofMangroves and coral formations occupy a lagoon
South America, bordered by Colombia to the West,surrounded by Los Roques. El Gran Roque Island is
Brazil to the South, Guyana to the East, and thehome to around 150 fishermen and their families.
Caribbean Sea to the North. The country also boastsThe Delta del Orinoco is a must for river enthusiasts; it
the World's highest waterfall and has the biggest lakeis one of the World's largest delta regions. This vast
in South America. Venezuela covers an area of a littlemainly swamp area is covered by one of the most
over 900,000 square kilometers and is divided into 23dense, complex and diverse jungles in the world,
states.inhabited by an abundance of tropical fauna and birds
Due to its geographical location to the equator,monkeys, reptiles, river dolphins, otters and fish. The
Venezuela's climate has few variations, it comprises ofWarao Indians live alongside the rivers in what is
two main seasons wet and dry. The wet season isknown as palafitte communities, they Fish, hunt, gather
from May to November and the dry season is fromfruit and produce traditional craftwork.
December to April. The temperatures are betweenEl Avila was declared a National Park in 1960 and is
22C and a maximum of 32C, with the averagepopular with local hikers and fitness enthusiasts. There
temperature of around 27C. The temperatures areis around 200km of walking trails and the majority of
cooler at higher elevations, particularly in the Andes,them are well signposted. There are a dozen
where jackets are necessary. Throughout the rest ofentrances that lead into the park from Caracas; all
the country, the temperatures do not vary much;start from Avenida Boyaca, commonly known as
Caracas has an average temperature of 24C.Cota Mil. No matter which way you decide to use, a
The capital of Venezuela is Caracas, which is situatedshort climb takes you to a guard post, which is where
under the Avila Mountain that has a height of 7,800 ftyou will pay a small entrance fee to the park.
and is around 3,000 ft above sea level. The beautifulInformation and maps containing marked trails and
Avila National Park is located on one side of the valleysuch are available.
and the rugged and densely populated hills of theScuba diving opportunities are fantastic in Venezuela,
southern suburbs are on the other side.which has the longest coastline in the Caribbean. The
There are several parks in Caracas including; thethree marine National Parks Los Roques, Mochima and
Parque del Este (East Park) which is one of the moreMorrocoy present dives for both experienced and
popular parks with joggers who are often seen runningnovice divers. There are some stunning drop-offs,
before dawn. It has a small zoo and artificial lagoons tobeautiful colored coral formations, and a range of
go rowing in. The Los Caobos Park is filled withmarine life, caverns and old shipwrecks ready to
beautiful trees, the fountain Venezuela and there is aexplore.
magnificent sculpture of the Venezuelan writer TeresaMargarita Island is located 38 km north east of the
de La Parra. The Jardin Botanico, which belongs toVenezuela mainland with easy access by ferry and
Venezuela's central University has many species ofair-plane. The Island is divided into two parts that are
vegetation, it is located south of Los Caobos Park.linked by a 24km sand bank which separates the sea
The Canaima National Park is located in the south-eastfrom La Restinga Lagoon National Park. There are
of Bolivar State, in an area called Gran Sabana aroundaround 167 km of shoreline offering an abundance of
225 km from the Orinoco River. Ancient Tepuys,gorgeous pristine beaches and as the island is small
table-top mountains command position amongst theonly 28 miles at its widest point and just 80 miles long,
jungle and savannas in the area, offering uniqueit is simple to get around and if you wanted to, you
ecosystems that are inhabited by endemic vegetationcould visit a different beach every day.
and animal species. One of the most natural wondersThe average temperature on the Island is 27C and the
of Venezuela is the Salto Angel (Angel Falls) whichyearly precipitation averages 27 inches giving mainly
are located in the Canaima National Park. It is thedry landscapes with some wooded areas and fertile
highest free-falling waterfall in the World at 3,212ft withvalleys. The majority of the 300,000 populous inhabit
an uninterrupted drop of 2,421 ft.the eastern side of the Island, where the capital of
The National Park Archipelago Los Roques is locatedAsuncion and the shoppers haven of Porlamar are
In the Caribbean Sea, 176 Km north of Caracas. It issituated. The Macanao Peninsula is located on the
one of the largest marine national parks of thewestern side of the Island. It is thinly populated and
Caribbean with remarkably glorious white sandbecause the availability of water is limited, it has seen
beaches, and colorful crystal clear warm waters. Itlittle development in its tourism infrastructure.
comprises of 50 islands, islets and coralline keys.