Venezuela

Travel Venezuela on your gap year. Ideas for gap year travel to Venezuela.

Venezuela gap year - Gap year programmes in Venezuela

Venezuela is one of the South America's most beautiful countries and offers an incredibly varied range of things to see and do. If pristine tropical beaches are what you are after from a gap year then Venezuela has more Caribbean coastline than any country (2,800 kilometres to be precise) as well as 72 islands. Many of Venezuela's beaches and off-shore islands are fringed with superb coral reefs and marine life, making it a fantastic destination for scuba-diving and snorkelling. Whilst we are on the subject of facts and figures, Venezuela is also home to the world's highest waterfall (Angel Falls), South America's largest lake (Maracaibo) and the world's longest snake (the anaconda). The anaconda and much of Venezuela's most spectacular wildlife - including jaguar and armadillo - can be found in the dense tropical rainforest of the southern Amazon. Other highlights in Venezuela include Morrocoy National Park, the Orinoco Delta and the ‘Lost World' of Mount Roraima.

The main international airport of Venezuela is located in Caracas, approximately half-way along Venezuela's Caribbean coastline. The capital of Venezuela is a vast, exciting and extremely vibrant city. Like many other South American cities Caracas is a city of extreme contrasts, with skyscrapers dominating the skyline and shanty towns clustered around its outskirts.

One of the best areas for beaches and exploring marine life in Venezuela is the Morrocoy National Park. Morrocoy National Park is located in the northwest of Venezuela, between the villages of Chichiriviche and Tucacas, and the area it covers is part land and part sea. If you plan to do any diving or snorkelling in Venezuela Morrocoy is one of the best areas in which to do so and it's also an excellent area in which to simply relax on a beach and chill out.

In the far northwest of Venezuela is Lake Maracaibo - at 5,100 square miles the largest lake in South America. Maracaibo is one of only 17 ancient lakes on planet earth and is thought to have been created approximately 36 millions years ago. Marracaibo is a particularly important area of Venezuela in that oil was discovered there in 1914 - a discovery which greatly changed the economic fortunes of Venezuela. Venezuela is now one of the largest producers and exporters of oil in the world today.

At the opposite, south-eastern, end of Venezuela are the Salto Angel (Angel Falls). The Angel Falls are one of the most famous attractions in Venezuela and, at 979 metres high, are the highest waterfall in the world. To put this in perspective the height of the Angel Falls is about 16 times higher than Niagara Falls. A visit to the Salto Angel is an absolute ‘must do' on a trip to Venezuela.

If you fancy doing some trekking during your time in Venezuela then, travelling further south east from the Angel Falls, one of the most exciting treks you can undertake in Venezuela is the Mount Roraima Trail. It's commonly thought that this 2,700 metre high tabletop mountain is the ‘Lost World' described by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his famous novel of the same name. In Pemon language Roraima roughly translates as ‘The Mother of all streams' and the area is a unique ecosystem of endemic animal and plant life. The top of the mountain is one of the most spectacular and unusual sights in Venezuela, and is often described as resembling a lunar landscape.

Another essential Venezuela experience is a trip along the Orinoco Delta, one of the largest deltas in the world. The Orinoco Delta is composed of an intricate maze of waterways carrying the waters of the Orinoco River through the jungles of Venezuela to the Atlantic Ocean. Travelling through this area of Venezuela is a classic South American experience. The flora and fauna are incredibly diverse - including many bird species, caimans, piranhas, anacondas and river dolphins. The indigenous people in this part of Venezuela are the Warao. The Warao live in small tribal communities on the shores of the Orinoco and their way of life has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years.

The main ‘hub' for exploring the southern Amazon region of Venezuela is the town of Puerto Avacucho, located in the southwest of Venezuela. This area of Venezuela contains vast areas of dense Amazonian rainforest with an intricate system of waterways meandering their way through it. From Puerto Avacucho it's possible to make your way in to the Venezuela Amazon along three main rivers - the Orinoco, the Sipapo and the Autana.

There is so much to see and do on a visit to Venezuela throughout the country that, realistically, you need to spend more than just two or three weeks there in order to enjoy everything it has to offer. An excellent way to fully experience Venezuela is by travelling there with Real Gap's comprehensive and action-packed ‘Gap Year Expedition - Venezuela' programme.

Venezuela gap year - Gap year programmes in Venezuela


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