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Venezuela

INTRODUCTION

Major cities include:

Caracas

Maracaibo

Barquisimeto

Valencia

HISTORY

Christopher Columbus explored Venezuela on his third voyage in 1498. Venezuela means "Little Venice" and it was named by a Spanish explorer. This country was one of the first South American colonies to win its independence in 1821. After being part of the Republic of Greater Colombia along with Ecuador and Colombia, Venezuela became a republic in 1830.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Climate: Venezuela is normally hot and humid, but if you head for the highlands you will find it to be much cooler.

Capital: Caracas

Languages: Spanish

Currency: The Bolivar - Currently 1 VEB = 0.0005 USD

Power: 120 V, 60 Hz

Time Zone: UTC-4

ATTRACTIONS

"Angel Falls" or "Salto del Angel" is the main attraction of Canaima National Park. Being the highest waterfalls in the world (falling almost a kilometer), we highly recommend visiting this place between May and November for is raint season. The reason is that during dry season, water levels can get significantly low not letting boats navigate and this is the only way to get there.

"Isla Margarita" is one of Venezuela's major attractions mostly because of its beaches.

"Los Llanos" is a region with two important spots: "Guanare" and "San Fernando de Apure". If you are into religious tourism, visit "Guanare" for it's a pilgrimage place. "San Fernando de Apure" is a very small town but it's almost a city compared to other places in the region. The hatos ("ranchos") in the region offer tour throughout the region.

One of the most popular destination in the Andean region is "Merida", a city with a population of 250.000. It's weather is really nice being mild and sometimes cool. The city is surrounded by mountains providing a beautiful landscape.

NIGHTLIFE

"Las Mercedes" is a great choice, because it's probably one of the safest places in Caracas. Tehere you can find numerous bars and nightclubs where you can party 'til next morning.

LODGING

"Posada Movida" is a nice and comfortable posada in "Los Roques". Its staff is really kind and is nicely furnished. It offers daily trips to islands nearby. "Costa Linda Beach" located at Margarita Islands is a beautifully decorated hotel. A great place just to relax just like "Dunes Hotel and Beach Resort".

PERSONAL STORIES