Venezuela – what is worth seeing? Paradise tourist attractions

Heavenly and beautiful Venezuela fascinates with its untouched nature, Caribbean beaches, Indian villages and cities full of contrasts. This is the quintessence of South America and a place where you can experience a real adventure of a lifetime during your holidays! What is worth visiting in Venezuela to get to know all the faces of this country full of surprises?

 

Attractions of Venezuela – Margarita Island

Margarita Island is the perfect place for your first South American vacation and the best starting point to explore Venezuela! During your holidays on Margarita, you can relax on the most beautiful beaches of the Caribbean, admire the exotic nature and underwater life, and even go for a day to Caracas or the jungle in Canaima Park.

In Venezuela, beaches are also a tourist attraction – the iconic El Aqua, El Yaque, popular among surfers, or the peaceful El Tirano encourage blissful laziness and water sports. During days full of relaxation, however, it is necessary to set aside time to go beyond the tourist resorts and see the main attractions of Venezuela! What is worth seeing? In the capital of Margarita – La Asuncion – there is the oldest cathedral in the whole country. El Valle de Espiritu Santo is Venezuelan “Częstochowa”. The local Marian sanctuary is a popular pilgrimage destination and was consecrated by John Paul II himself. Nature lovers should visit Laguna de la Restinga National Park, home to the best-preserved section of the rainforest. Stunning nature like from the movie “Avatar” gives the impression of moving to a completely different world!

 

Los Roques – Venezuelan tourism a la Maldives

The fabulous archipelago of Los Roques is one of the most beautiful places in Venezuela. The attraction is home to 50 white sand coral islets scattered across the turquoise Caribbean Sea – is there a better definition of paradise on Earth? The waters here hide one of the best-preserved coral reefs in the world, with an amazing wealth of exotic fish and other sea creatures.

 

The numbers speak for themselves – Los Roques features:

60 species of corals,
200 species of crustaceans,
140 species of molluscs,
45 species of echinoderms,
60 types of sponges,
4 endangered species of turtles,
280 species of fish.

 

In the vicinity of the islands, you can also observe as many as 92 species of birds! It is not without reason that the archipelago has been protected since 1972 as a National Park and at the same time the largest marine park in the Caribbean Sea. This is by far the best snorkeling spot in Venezuela! However, the interesting places do not end there.

 

Canaima National Park in Venezuela – interesting places in the heart of the jungle

Inscribed in 1994 on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List, Canaima Park is a place that cannot be missed during a holiday in Venezuela! Hidden in the heart of the jungle, this tourist attraction is one of the wildest places on Earth. It was here that the British writer Arthur Conan Doyle set the action of the cult novel “The Lost World”. Overgrown with a primeval tropical forest, the Tepui Table Mountains are one of the oldest geological formations – they are as much as 1.5 billion years old! Called by the Indians “Houses of the Gods”, until recently they were completely inaccessible to newcomers. The picturesque Canaima lagoon located at their foot is famous for its numerous cascades with exotic names – Hacha, Wadaima, Golondrina and Ucaima. A walk through the rainforest, macaws and toucans flying overhead and the sound of waterfalls in Venezuela will allow you to fully feel the power of Mother Nature and the spirit of adventure.

 

Venezuela – Salto Angel waterfall

The undisputed king of the local jungle is the world’s largest and absolutely spectacular Salto Angel waterfall! Discovered in 1936 by the American pilot James Angel and measured by the National Geographic Society in 1949, it is 979 meters long. It is sixteen times higher than Niagara Falls, four times higher than the Palace of Culture and Science and 151 meters higher than the largest building in the world – Burj Khalifa. To fully feel its majesty, it is best to admire it from a bird’s eye view, from the light aircraft deck. This is the biggest attraction of Venezuela and a place that you must see at least once in your life!

 

Orinoco – the most important river in Venezuela

Crossing the Amazon jungle, the Orinoco is the main river of Venezuela and one of the largest rivers in South America. The heroine of many adventure books and films captures the imagination of newcomers and allows them to experience the adventure of life away from civilization and close to nature. Here you can catch piranhas, meet the Warao Indians living far from civilization and observe colorful parrots in their natural habitat. A unique phenomenon is the place where two rivers – Orinoco and Caroni – meet with completely different shades of water. They flow in one channel, but never completely merge with each other.

 

Caracas – the capital of Venezuela

The capital of Venezuela is a bustling metropolis and a city full of contrasts. The surrounding hills make you forget that Caracas is only 11 kilometers from the Caribbean Sea, and the colonial, historic Old Town is adjacent to modern skyscrapers and poorer districts outside the center. A ride on the Teleférico de Caracas gondola is the perfect way to admire the panorama of the capital and observe its different faces from the best perspective. During the journey lasting a dozen or so minutes, you will move from the urban jungle to the real one – a dense and impenetrable tropical forest. This is El Ávila National Park, the green lungs of Caracas. Residents of this city in Venezuela love to relax here, and on weekends they seek a break from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis while hiking along the local trails.

What are other interesting places in Venezuela? In the very center of Caracas, it is worth seeing the Miraflores Palace, which serves as the seat of the president and government. It is also necessary to visit the areas associated with the figure of Simon Bolivar – the leader of the struggle for the liberation of South America from the rule of the Spaniards. Following in his footsteps, it is worth visiting the Cathedral of St. Anna, where he was baptized, to the charming Plaza Bolívar with colonial buildings, and finally to the National Pantheon, where this hero and other distinguished citizens of Venezuela are buried. However, the tourist attractions do not end there.

 

Venezuela – what is worth seeing? Coche and Cubagua Islands

If during your vacation you prefer to focus on sunbathing and swimming instead of sightseeing, we recommend a trip to the other islands of the Margarita archipelago. A cruise to Coche or Cubagua is the perfect idea for a day full of relaxation and seeing something outside the resorts!

Coche is the setting of the iconic book “Robinson’s Island” by Arkady Fiedler. A trip here will allow you to relax and feel the spirit of Caribbean adventure at the same time.

Cubagua is a former mecca for pearl fishermen, which today is famous for its wonderfully preserved coral reef. Go snorkeling here and see the underwater world of the Caribbean Sea.