Venezuela may make all the headlines for its brash political leader Hugo Chavez and its occasional beauty pageant winner but come to Venezuela to discover one of South America's biggest secrets. Blessed with the Amazon rainforest to the south, the Andes to the west, savannah plains, great value Venezuela hotels, wetlands and thousands of miles of glorious beaches Venezuela is a reflection of the larger continent as a whole.
Venezuela remains alluring, at the crossroads of historic change under the boom of petrodollars and yet it still remains relatively undiscovered. Come now before the rest of the world wakes up to this.
Those who love nature will find wetlands and turquoise seas home to caimans, capybaras, piranhas and anacondas. The steamy Amazon offers another vision of beauty home to thousands of species and is the ideal place for a Venezuela tour. National parks, rolling savannah grasslands and flat-topped mountains add to the sheer scale and diversity of things to see and do in Venezuela. The country is also home to the world's highest waterfall Angel Falls, Salto Ángel, a stunning visit.
Those seeking adrenalin will not be short of options with hiking, snorkelling, scuba diving, kitesurfing, windsurfing, paragliding just a few of the many activities that Venezuela provides. There are also numerous posadas and hotels in Venezuela to accommodate its visitors. You can even use our Venezuela map to choose your hotel in Venezuela based on its location.
With consistent temperatures all year round a trip to the seaside is a must. Venezuela is inexorably linked with its coastline. It was how the Spanish first arrived in 1522 and established Nuevo Andalusia, where present day Venezuela stands. It was also the scene of Venezuela's fight for independence under Simon Bolivar. Yet the coastline for all its struggles has not lost any of its magnificence.
Go to Isla de Margarita, Margarita Island, a place that was once described as the "Pearl of the Carribean". The town of Coro provides some of Latin America's best-kept colonial architecture. The Los Llanos wetlands also provide some of the best wildlife watching with giant anacondas, birds and caimans calling the wetlands home. Then there is the Los Roques archipelago which is simply stunning.
Merida State bordering the coastline offers some of the best opportunities for outdoor activities and tours in Latin America. The Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada has more than fifty lagoons and waterfalls offers opportunities for extreme sports such as bungee jumping, mountain biking, white water rafting, as well as general hiking and walking. The town of Merida is also home to some historic neighbourhoods as well as legacies to Simon Bolivar.
For music lovers Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, is home to some of the best salsa bars in Latin America. Regional festivals such as the Fiesta de San Juan Bautista play an important role in the country and are recommended for any tourist wanting to get a glimpse of Venezuela's astonishing past. For those who love the local, traditional handcrafts and glazed pottery are abundant. A journey to downtown Caracas can offer a glimpse of high-end jewellery shops and consumer products, which would proudly be found in El Norte.
With such a rich diversity of African and Spanish roots one would expect Venezuela's food and cuisine to reflect this and in this sense Venezuela does not disappoint. Feeling peckish? Why not fulfil your longings with an arepa, a cornmeal biscuit, which you can fill with any filling imaginable. Feeling thirsty? A Chicha Andina a delightful non-alcoholic drink made from pineapple and corn flour can help quench your thirst. Feeling tired? Venezuela as a coffee growing region is home to some of the best coffee in the world. Just make sure you leave enough space for Venezuela's impressionable chocolate.
Venezuela is easily accessible from North America, Europe and via land borders in Colombia and Brazil. The country is also compact and flying times are short within the country. Excellent bus routes serve the country from east to west, north to south making Venezuela an excellent destination to visit as of a wider South American tour or part of unique break.
The country is also relatively undiscovered compared to the neighbouring Caribbean islands and the larger South American nations of Argentina, Brazil and Peru. This makes all the more reason to visit the country as tourist sights such as Angel Falls, Curo and many beaches in Isla de Margarita remain uncrowded. Together with great value Venezuela hotels and tours in Venezuela it is the ideal place for a South America adventure!
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