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An inviting blue carpet The Caribbean Sea bathes the Venezuelan northern coast, offering to the visitor its blue welcome carpet, spotted with 311 islands and islets. The highlights of this insular area are Margarita Island, with an exuberant blend of beaches and Los Roques, the only coralloid atoll in the southern Caribbean, famous for the high quality of its fishing and diving sports. Islands with evocative names such as La Tortuga (The Turtle), Los Testigos (The Witness) and Las Aves (The Birds), shelters for pirates in ancient times, offer today beautiful land and submarine landscapes, with white sand beaches where birds and sea turtles spawn. On terra firma, the coast covers 2.150 kilometers. At the west, are La Guajira and Paraguaná peninsulas with their dry landscapes, Lake Maracaibo, Coro's dunes and Zulia and Falcon mangrove swamps. At the east, the coast is marked with sandy beaches and rocky cliffs. The forest jumps right into the sea at the Paria Peninsula and the Orinoco Delta touches inconspicuously the Caribbean Sea through the Dragon Mouth, opposite to Trinidad. The wildlife in this region is represented by an array of sea bird species, such as the red-billed tropicbird, brown pelican, american flamingo, magnificent frigatebirds and gulls. Sea turtles, such as the green turtle, the hawksbill turtle, and the leather back turtle spawn on many of these sandy beaches. Species suitable for fishing such as the marlin, the sailfish and the tarpon are abundant. Sometimes, schools of dolphins and even some small Bryde whales can be seen at open sea. Plains that bridle the horizon
This is the land for those who love natural scenery. A land crossed by gallery forests and spattered with irregular copses and palm groves. Huge flocks of ducks, egrets, storks and ibis gather here, where the food is abundant. The capybaras-a rodent of approximately 60 kilos in weight-go over the plains in groups grazing along with the cattle. Other animal species are very common in this zone: the anaconda snake, the Earth's longest ophidian, the spectacled caiman, and the Orinoco caiman.
The Andes Mountains are a sort of spinal column stretching along the South American continent, which penetrates about 400 kilometers into Venezuelan territory. The diverse ecosystems, which can be observed when we climb its heights, change according to the altitude and vary from the foothill jungles, the turf forest, the helmetcrest spattered with speletia of velvet leaves and the rocky heights where vegetation is reduced to a minimum, to the glaciers crowning the highest peaks of the country. From October to December, the Andean mountains show an amazing tapestry of flowers covering its hills: dark yellow flowers from the speletia, bright red flowers from the Andean's linden, and blue or pink from the lupine. The traveler can combine the road trips with walks and horseback riding by the helmetcrest and the cloudy forest at the foothills. Merida's funicular railway is another option to climb the 4.765 meters of the Espejo Peak. The Andean people share the heights of these lands with dazzling birds such as the bearded helmetcrest hummingbird, or the Merida sunangel or the imposing black-chested buzzard eagle, king of the summits' winds. The attentive observer can see white-tailed deer and cotton-tail rabbits. The trout, introduced into the Andean cold currents and lagoons, amuse the fans of sport fishing. The Venezuelan Andes are part of the mountain chain closest to the sea, and their views are unforgettable. The Coastal Range, at the north of the country, emerged thousands of years ago, pushing the sea away to leave a dry region: the central plains. Nowadays, it reaches towards heaven, imprisoning the clouds within the forest and condensing the humidity drawn by the sea breeze. On the coast of the Caribbean Sea the visitor can find lodging facilities in a mosaic of villages established during the era of the grear cocoa plantations, and enjoy an interesting mixture of races and traditions. "Portachuelo", a migratory path for insects and birds, is located in the core of the mountain, at Henri Pittier National Park. More than 40% of internationally known Venezuelan bird species pass through this path. The cloudy forest of this park offers excellent sample of bromeliad, orchids and other epiphytes. They hang from big trees such as "the child", whose massive cuneiform roots sustain a colossal trunk which can grow up to 50 meters. This park is particularly known by bird watchers from around the world. Its abundant species are found not only in the "Portachuelo" path, but also all along the gauges and way crossing their environments down to sea level. When walking inside this sanctuary, you can hear the greeting of the giant marsupial frog. Finally, a roaring echo reveals the presence of the red howler monkey defending its territory.
The Orinoco river has isolated a portion of land from the rest of the country, as preserving it for something special. At the east and south of this river is located the huge region of Guayana, a vast area covering the Bolívar and Amazonas states, as well as Delta Amacuro state, where the Orinoco embraces the Atlantic Ocean. This region offers interesting environmental diversity. The rainy forest in Amazonas serves as a majestic frame to the union of two big river basins: Orinoco and Amazonas. One of the highlights of this wild plain is the Autana tepui, which means "Tree of life" according to the Indian legend. Also worthy to be mentioned are Guayana's highlands, located in Bolívar state and majestically crowned by tepuis such as Roraima and Kukenán. The real spirit of this ancient land may live in the Angel Falls image. This waterfall, falling from the Auyantepui, is three times higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Finally, we find the Orinoco Delta, a labyrinth with more than 300 fairways and rivers, forming genuine water roads. These aquatic roads can move and change direction with the season, and are the main form of communication in this state. Guayana hosts the highest number of Indian people of the country. In spite of the diversity of animals such as the spider, capuchin and red howler monkeys, tapirs, armadillos and even the elusive jaguar, the "punch" of this region is its august landscape abundant in superlatives, where the human figure is minimized. Venezuela's weather In Venezuela the weather is determined by its proximity to the Equator. A tropical climate predominates, with warm days and cool nights. The temperature varies according the altitude, from 0ºC or less at the highest Andean crests to more than 34ºC in the lower zones of the coast, plains and Amazon. There is a dry season (summer) and a rainy season (winter). The dry season goes from November to April, intensifying its harshness during this last month. The rainy season runs from May to October. July and August are the rainiest months. Venezuela welcomes you Venezuela, described as "paradise on earth" by its discoverer Christopher Columbus, is an amazing country... Welcome to this jewel generously open to your senses. Venezuela Speaks Spanish...but singing: Venezuelans sing while speaking. This expression illustrates the local cadence in Spanish, the official language. Many Venezuelans, however, speak some English. And to pay: The traveler can exchange U.S. dollars at exchange houses and hotels. Credit cards are accepted in main commercial outlets, restaurants, shops and hotels, but only in the larger cities and tourist sites. Observe the rules: During your stay in Venezuela, you should always carry your passport, with your tourist visa, valid at least for six months. Lodging facilities to try: The country offers a wide range of lodging facilities, from luxurious hotels in the main cities and tourist sites to hearty cabins and camps. Transportation is not a problem: Most of the air connections must stop in Caracas. If you want to rent a car, you only need your drivers license, issued in your own country, or to have an international drivers license, passport and credit card. "Bon appetite..." Among the local dishes we recommend the "pabellón" (black beans, rice, meat and fried bananas), "cachapas" (a round, thin bread made of corn meal) and the traditional "arepas". Leading cities feature an ample choice of restaurants with international cuisine.
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Venezuela
Geologically
the youngest portion of Venezuela's territory,
for almost a third of its total surface, located
in the central zone, crossing from east to west.
It is an alluvial savanna, with high borders and
a deep bottom, formed by the accumulation of
material drawn from the surrounding mountain
chains, particularly the Andes.
Snow
in the tropics
Cloudy
Barrier 
Guayana,
"Other of the Waters"