Follow The landscapes of Venezuela vary from the dense rain forests in the south to the snowcapped mountains in the west to vast deltas weaving
across the east to the stunning beaches and palm tree's on the northern Caribbean coast! I have backpacked in Venezuela 3 times now. In December 2010/January 2011 I travelled in Venezuela for 7 weeks. I was in San Cristobal, Merida, Coro,
Puerto Cabello, Puerto Colombia, Isla Margarita and other places. In April/May 2013 I returned to Venezuela a 2nd time. I did a lot in my 16 days here
including seeing Angel Falls, Colonia Tovar, El Tintorero and several colonial cities. In August 2014 I came back for 17 days and visited a few beaches
on the north coast including Adicora and Morrocoy National Park, then headed south via Barinas to the mountains. Here are my experiences and story.
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Located in the foothills of the Andes 188 meters above sea level, Barinas is the gateway from the east up into the heart of the mountains and small towns
located 3500-4000 meters up towards the west. I had made my way from the coast through Barquisimeto and Acarigua over a few days to get here. Moredate: August 2014
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From Barinas to the east is the perfect place to ascend westward up to the mountains north of Merida. A combination of buses and shared taxis will get you
there. It's a journey full of amazing scenery on a road that is in good condition. The ascent is a steady one but make sure you have a good meal before you
travel because the road is also a winding one. Moredate: August 2014
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I have visited or stayed in Mucuchies twice now. The first time was a quick visit as part of the El Paramo tour I did from Merida in 2010, a day trip. The most recent
time in 2014 I stayed the night and had a better look around the place. The town is built on a hillside and the center as usual is Plaza Bolivar and the
cathedral. Moredate: December 2010, August 2014
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San Isidro de Apartaderos is one of several small communities along the Transandina road north of Merida. These townships always have interesting and quirky
things to see. I had spent the night before in Mucuchies 15-20mins south, then headed up through San Rafael and got off the bus here in San Isidro de Apartaderos
to stay the night. Moredate: December 2010, August 2014
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Timotes 116kms north of Merida is situated in a beautiful green fertile valley with the Motatan River running beside. I arrived here from the junction in
Apartaderos 55kms south which took 1hr 20mins in a shared taxi. Timotes is located below the town of Chachopo which sits near the top of the valley. Moredate: August 2014
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North of Coro on the Paraguana Peninsula are a few places like Punto Fijo, Pueblo Nuevo and beaches like Adicora out on the east coast. I was mainly wanting
to get to Adicora but after arriving in Punto Fijo from Coro found that on a Sunday it was virtually impossible to get a shared-taxi or bus to the eastern
side. Moredate: August 2014
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Wow! If you are a beach and nature lover and you want to be in the most beautiful and amazing place full of secluded (or semi-crowded) beaches with crystal clean
waters, then Morrocoy National Park is your ticket! I did a day trip to Morrocoy from Moron where I had spent the night and also returned there for a night
after the day in Morrocoy. Moredate: August 2014
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Barquisimeto, a city I had passed through once before after visiting nearby El Tintorero and Quibor. I had lunch outside the bus terminal, gave my stinky
socks and shoes to a homeless man and caught a bus to Maracay for another to Ciudad Bolivar through the night. Moredate: April 2013, August 2014
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About an hour south of Barquisimeto (once you get out of the city) is the town of Acarigua. I was heading in this direction towards Barinas and the mountains
north of Merida and thought I would spend a night in Acarigua and have a quick look around. A taxi from the bus terminal took me into the center with the
first sight along the way being the huge statue of Portuguesa in Plaza 5 de Diciembre. Moredate: August 2014
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My first time in Venezuela! I crossed at Cucuta in Colombia to the border town of San Antonio in Venezuela on my way to San Cristobal
about an hour and a half away. I hired a taxi in Cucuta to take me across the border, to stop at both passport offices and wait while I
changed my USD for Bolivares and then to take me to a bus. Moredate: December 2010
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I left San Cristobal to get to Merida which took 6hrs by bus.
I bought some fruit for the journey from the fruit stalls right outside the bus terminal. A couple of hours into the ride there was
some major damage on the road just as we were approaching the town of Lobatera. Moredate: December 2010
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I thought a day tour to the area around Merida called El Paramo sounded great, and yes, it turned out to be one of the best things I did
in Venezuela. The scenery is amazing with mountains, lagoons, Andean towns, mind-blowing landscapes, churches, monuments and interesting
things to see along the Transandina roadside. Moredate: December 2010
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I left Merida after 2 weeks there and took a bus during the day north to Maracaibo, this journey took 9hrs. The scenery isn't the most
mind-blowing that Venezuela has to offer but it is pleasant enough and has long straight roads and open spaces. After leaving Merida the
bus headed in the direction of Tovar and El Vigia. Moredate: December 2010
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2014 Exactly the same trip as I did in 2010, read below, everything was the same as far as the road and scenery. We didn't make a lunch stop this time
however. We were stopped for around 90 minutes before crossing the Maracaibo bridge for police checks, there were many buses and cars lined up in the
hot sun, that was tough. Moredate: December 2010, August 2014
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2014 It was my 2nd time in Coro and I knew what to expect, a small but well-preserved historical zone with well-kept colonial buildings, leafy
plazas and cobblestone streets. Nearly 4 years after my first visit I intended to look for and find some new things to see that I hadn't seen on my previous
visit. Moredate: December 2010, August 2014
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It was the 31st of December 2010 and I thought I would head from Coro to perhaps Valencia for the night, then I thought 'no, big cities
are hard work'. So I thought I would get off the bus in a place called Moron which I did. But after racing around town in a taxi looking
for a hotel with a spare bed and finding none, I decided to go a short way east to Puerto Cabello. Moredate: December 2010, August 2014
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Puerto Cabello is not mentioned at all in the Lonely Planet. I ended up here for a night kind of by accident after not being able
to find a bed in nearby Moron on New Years Eve 31/12/2010. I didn't know anything about the place and I think not many people do, but I
was surprised on New Years Day while walking around the city how historically authentic it is. Moredate: December 2010
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Late morning on New Years Day 2011 I left Puerto Cabello on the coast via Moron to Maracay, this took just over an hour. When the bus
arrived at the terminal in Maracay there were young people everywhere getting ready to board buses for holidays in popular places. Moredate: January 2011
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From the Conferry terminal in Puerto La Cruz
I made the 4 hour trip by ferry to Porlamar on Isla Margarita (Margarita Island). It was early morning in Puerto La Cruz. I woke
before 6am and walked the 20 minutes west from the center of town to the ferry terminal and bought a ticket for $40 Bolivares one
way (around $6USD). Moredate: January 2011
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From the bus terminal 5 blocks from Plaza Bolivar in Porlamar I took a bus westward to La Restinga about 33kms away. I had been invited to
visit by a sweet lady friend I had met the day before while I was walking around Porlamar. I didn't know it then but I would end up staying
for 2 weeks living in a house on the beach with a family of fishermen. Moredate: January 2011
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Boca de Rio is 5 minutes west from La Restinga over the bridge that joins the western and eastern parts of Isla Margarita. It's a small but
colorful little place where most activity happens around the seafront. In Boca de Rio is the museum Museo Marino de Margarita, their
website is museomarino.com. Moredate: January 2011
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I set out for a day trip from La Restinga to Pampatar to see the castle. I had to go via Porlamar. The bus from Porlamar only took about 20 minutes and leaves up the road from Plaza
Bolivar in the direction of the church. Pampatar is located on the far east side of Margarita Island beside the sea, the main attraction
being the castle Castillo San Carlos de Borromeo. Moredate: January 2011
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La Asuncion was a place I wanted to visit for a few hours to see some of the historical attractions like the castle and cathedral. I
caught a bus in Porlamar down the
road from the plaza about 5 blocks past the church, the journey to La Asuncion takes around 25 minutes. Moredate: January 2011
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From La Asuncion I took a bus to
Juan Griego only 15kms away on the north west coast of Margarita Island passing through Santa Ana 8kms away. Juan Griego is
known as a laidback place where there is accommodation available. The bay has fishing boats, visiting yachts and tour boats docked. Moredate: January 2011
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After nearly 2 and a half weeks on Isla Margarita I returned to Puerto La Cruz and caught a bus at 10pm to Ciudad Guayana which took 6hrs.
I arrived shortly after 4am and waited in the bus terminal for a couple of hours until the sun came up. I had found a place to stay in
the Lonely Planet book and took a taxi there. Moredate: January 2011
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A 10hr bus journey during the day from Ciudad Guayana brought me to Santa Elena de Uairen in the south-east of Venezuela near the border
of Brazil. I stayed the night, looked around town in the morning and then made my way to the border at Pacaraima on the Brazilian side. Moredate: January 2011
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A week or so after the 2013 elections in Venezuela I returned for my 2nd time in the country. It was much cheaper than my first time here
2 and a half years earlier, black market exchange rates had skyrocketed. I arrived in Maracaibo this time from northern Colombia. Moredate: April 2013, August 2014
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I spent a couple of nights in Carora. I had read that it had a very well preserved Zona Colonial as they call it, historical colonial
neighbourhood. I spent a full day exploring the neighbourhood and other parts of town. Carora is located 2 thirds of the way to Barquisimeto
from Maracaibo, it took 3hrs to get here by bus. Moredate: April 2013
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I had heard about 3 special places in Venezuela that produced and sold arts and crafts - Quibor, El Tintorero and El Tocuyo. I decided to visit
one or two of them. I left Carora early in the morning,
it is only a 40min bus ride east on highway 1 to El Tintorero, west from Barquisimeto. Moredate: April 2013
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An overnight bus from Maracay brought me to Ciudad Bolivar, a 10hr journey arriving at 8am. I took a taxi from the bus terminal to a posada
(hostel) in the historical center. I came to Ciudad Bolivar to organise a tour to Angel Falls.
There are many tour offices around the historical center and prices vary so shop around. Moredate: April 2013
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I was glad I booked a tour to Canaima and Angel Falls, it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to in South America! You may be
surprised that in my opinion Angel Falls came 2nd as far as the most mind-blowing waterfall experience on this tour. Moredate: April 2013
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After a 5 hour bus journey from Caracas I arrived at around 11pm in Puerto La Cruz and shared a taxi into the town center
with some trustworthy people I met on the bus. I walked around the center for a while looking for a place to stay. I found a hotel and
offered to pay half price to stay until about 7am in the morning but the manager said I had to pay full price which was over $15USD, so
in the end I said no and decided I would go sleep in the park instead. Moredate: Jan 2011, May 2013
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I arrived in Colonia Tovar at night after a 2hr taxi ride from Caracas that cost a lot more than a bus would have, but it was a Sunday and too
late in the day for buses which I believe take around 3hrs. It's quite an ascent up to Colonia Tovar, 2200 meters in fact. Moredate: May 2013
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The town of San Felipe sits halfway between Moron on the coast and Barquisimeto city. I spent the night in Moron and took a bus for an hour
and a quarter and arrived in San Felipe by around 9am. I didn't know a lot about the city before arriving, only that it had some ruins of the
original city destroyed in an 1812 earthquake - Park Museum 'El Fuerte'. Moredate: May 2013
Dome, palm tree and monument beside Plaza Bolivar in Barquisimeto.
So much water moving so fast at Salto El Sapo waterfall in Canaima.
Plaza Zamora with lots of shade in Barinas.
Impressive historic building in Ciudad Bolivar.
Cobblestone streets and tiled roofs go together well in Carora.
Looking across tiled roofs towards the hills in San Rafael de Mucuchies.
Palms and shops at La Restinga lagoon, a popular place to visit on Isla Margarita.
Groups of pelicans sit on fishing boats at Juan Griego beach, Isla Margarita.
Amazing mural of 3 more interesting characters around Colina, near Coro.
Plaza Bolivar in Mucuchies has 2 monuments, Simon Bolivar and San Isidro.
La Grita, view from the hilltop overlooking the city in Tachira.
Santo Domingo to Apartaderos, 30mins in a shared car.
Plaza Las Heroinas in Merida - Maria Simona Corredor, Maria Isabel Briceno de Fornes, Maria del Rosario Navas, Maria Ignacia Uzcategui and Anastasia.
Restaurants at the back of the north beach in Adicora.
Bridge over a river between Maracaibo and Coro.
Jose Leonardo Chirinos (1754-1796) statue in Punto Fijo, led uprising against slavery.
Cuartel General Jacinto Lara, an army base in central Barquisimeto.
Cannonballs or ball and chains at Santa Rosa castle in La Asuncion, Isla Margarita.
Blue, green and yellow macaw at the Merida botanical gardens.
Images of lions and tigers on warm blankets sold in the highlands near Merida.