TOURISM

A. Tourism Policy
Kerepacupai Meru FallsThe Ministry of People’s Power for Tourism (MINTUR) was created in 2005 to facilitate the development of a national tourist industry and promote tourism in Venezuela.

The Bolivarian government seeks to position Venezuela nationally and internationally as a tourist destination through mechanisms that contribute to the endogenous development of the country and promote the well being of the population.

B. Suggested Places to Visit

Venezuela has a vast variety of settings that are sure to please all preferences and tastes; sunny Caribbean beaches, tall mountains, deserts and sand dunes, rainforests and even the highest waterfall in the world. Venezuela is a land full of marvelous natural treasures.

Some of the country’s most beautiful places to visit are:

Bolívar: The Angel or Kerepacupai Meru Waterfalls and Canaima

This region offers many attractions such as the Gran Sabana, Piedra de la Virgen Natural Monument, Danto Waterfalls, Aponwao I Waterfall, Pioneering Soldier Monument, and the Kamoirán Rapids. Other places to visit include the waterfalls of Tarota, Kawi and Kamá; the eastern chain of tepuis or mesas (Traamen, Karaurin, llru, Wadaka Pía Pû, Ivarkarima, Roraima and Kukenan); the waterfalls of Pacheco Creek, Soroape, Arapená, and Jasper Creek; and the town of Santa Elena de Uairén.

All along the route are many tourist centers, gas stations, and lodging, dining and camping areas. Visitors can enjoy climbing, rafting down rapids, walking, adventure tourism and eco-tourism and cultural tourism.

Another popular activity is flying to the Canaima camp to see the famous Kerepacupai Merú Falls (or Angel Falls), the highest uninterrupted waterfall in the world, at over 3,200 feet tall.

Kerepacupai Merú is fed from the Churún River, which cascades from Auyantepuy Mountain. Inaugurated in June 12, 1962, it is located in Canaima National Park in the southern state of Bolívar, Venezuela. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The national park extends over 30,000 km² (larger than Belgium), to the border with Guyana and Brazil, making it the largest park in the world.

The capital city of the state, Ciudad Bolívar, is a historic location of the battle for Venezuela’s independence, complete with colonial buildings, castles and fortresses, and views of the Orinoco River. This region is also home to the Simón Bolívar Hydroelectric Power Station, best known as Guri Dam, which has excellent tourist facilities, and from there you can witness the majesty of the Caroní River and access other recreational areas.

For more information, visit the website of the Venezuelan Tourism Agency (VENETUR).

Roraima

Tepuy RoraimaRoraima is the most famous of the western tepuis of Canaima National Park. It is one of nature’s architectural beauties. Its correct name is “RorOima” and it is estimated that these formations are nearly two million years old. The highest point is made up by the rocky formation called Maverick Car (for having the form of that brand of vehicle).

It is the highest, best-known and most-visited of the tepuis of the Gran Sabana. Located at 2,800 meters above sea level (9,000 ft), its summit has a triple border point called “triple point” known for being the place where the borders of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana converge. It was placed in 1931 by an international commission.

For more information, visit the website of the Venezuelan of Tourism Agency (VENETUR).

Mochima National Park

Mochima National Park If you like beaches and nature, don’t miss the opportunity to visit Mochima National Park. Choose from some of the options available to sail through its 53 islands, practice scuba diving or select the beach of your choice to pass the day. During the journey, enjoy the mountainous vegetation of the coast contrasted against the islands, gaze on the corals and be ready to be surprised as you happen upon a restless dolphin. If sailing is not your pleasure, travel by land and visit the beaches of Isla de Plata, Arapito or Colorada —this last, a beautiful inlet where the reddish sand itself blends with the colors of sunset for a stamp made of daydreams.

Other places of interest are the El Morro Tourist Complex, built on artificial channels with a beautiful view of the ocean and the hidden beaches of Puerto Píritu.

In the cultural aspect, Puerto La Cruz and the its urban conglomerate -Barcelona, Guanta and Lecherías- offers you the Cajigal Theater, the Barcelona Cultural Society, the Dimitrios Demu Museum and the historic Maria Magdalene and Casa Fuerte fortress.

To learn more, please visit VENETUR

Los Roques

Los RoquesThe Los Roques Archipelago is a group of more than 50 keys and 300 sandbanks that form an atoll, which makes it a unique archipelago in the Venezuelan seas. It is distinguished by its heavenly, almost-virgin beaches, with white sand and crystalline water. The archipelago is a protected area of great ecological fragility, which is why a service infrastructure can only be found in one zone of the Los Roques archipelago. In the various islands of the archipelago the most popular activities are snorkeling and scuba diving, which allows visitors to admire the breathtaking marine landscapes.

More information about los Roques in the Comunal Council of Los Roques or in Los Roques Promociones

Mérida

Mérida stateSantiago de Caballeros de Mérida is a beautiful city located between Andes mountains in Western Venezuela. It has a beautiful colonial center and it is known for being a student city. Mérida features Venezuela’s second-oldest university: the Andes University (ULA). Among the places you should visit in this colorful city are:

  • The Coromoto Ice Cream: It is famous for having hundreds of varieties of ice creams (the bean-flavored ice cream is one of the most striking).
  • The Chorros de Milla Streams: It is a park with absolutely beautiful waterfalls.
  • The Espejo (Mirror) Peak and the famous Mérida Cable Railway: The Mérida Cable Railway is considered the longest and highest tourist mountain cable railway of the world. It is a system composed of four cable railways in series that facilitates a displacement of 12,500 km to surpass the existing disparity between the city of Mérida (1,640 m) and Espejo Peak (4,765 m).

Merida also has theme parks such as the “Venezuela of Yesterday, (Venezuela de antier)” where visitors are transported to the ‘20s, when Dictator Juan Vicente Gómez governed Venezuela.

For more information, visit teleferico de mérida´s web site

Coro and its Deserts

The historical downtown of Coro is considered a natural and cultural heritage site. Coro was the first capital of Venezuela. While there, you should visit the cathedral, the Coro Diocesan Museum and the Casa de las Ventanas de Hierro (House of the Iron Windows). Coro is where you’ll find the Museum of the Zárraga-Tellería Family, which has taken on the role of preserving the furniture of that era of the colony. Likewise, you should visit the Arcaya Balcony, the San Clemente Church, and the Coro Cultural Society.

A desert zone landscape awaits you at the Coro Desert National Park. It is a formidable experience and the desert extension ends in some beautiful beaches.

For more information, visit VENETUR

Aragua: Colonia Tovar and Henry Pittier National Park

  • Cata Bay, Aragua stateImportant and beautiful places of cultural interest, as well as natural monuments, can be found in many places of the geography of this state. One of the most visited areas is the Colonia Tovar (Tovar Colony), a small village founded by German immigrants in 1843. It is very visited by tourists due to its culinary art, landscapes, good mountain climate, and its picturesque Bavarian-style constructions and by its recreational activities.
  • The Henry Pittier National Park, Venezuela’s first, is one of the country’s most visited.
  • The Chuao Parish is another large attraction. It was one of the first towns founded in the sixteenth century, considered the oldest in the towns of Aragua, whose first inhabitants were the Caribe family.
  • The Codazzi Peak Natural Monument is one of the highest peaks of the Venezuelan Coast Range in the northern Venezuelan coastline with an altitude of 2,429 meters above sea level.
  • Choroní and Puerto Maya are other attractive places to visit. Puerto Maya is considered one of the best beaches of the northern coast of the country.
  • Other places to visit are San Mateo, famous for the battle by the same name, where Antonio Ricaurte, national hero of the battle for independence was sacrificed, and the Sanctuary of Maria de San Jose, Venezuela’s first beatified woman.
  • To list of places of interest, you can add the General Juan Vicente Gómez Mausoleum, the Cesar Girón Bullring (designed by Architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva) and the Maracay Opera Theater a true architectural jewel, designed by Luis Malausena and Carlos Raúl Villanueva an inaugurated in 1973.

For more information, please visit VENETUR

Lara and its Twilights

City of Barquisimeto, Lara stateIn Barquisimeto, capital of Lara state, we find the highest obelisk of Venezuela, from where one can gaze at its famous sunsets, which have distinguished this city for being the “City of Twilights.” Apart from Barquisimeto’s musical and cultural activities, museums, temples and theaters, the colonial and historic town of Carora as well as the relics of El Tocuyo are worth visiting.

Quibor is a town worth visiting, with its museums and famous handicrafts and archeology. Sanare, a beautiful town nestled in the Andes, is another place where you can buy beautiful crafts. Likewise, a visit to the Alto Humocaro and Bajo Humocaro towns is recommended, the latter of which has a beautiful Bolívar Square at the foot of a high mountain and surrounded by beautiful palm trees called “chaguaramos.”

For more information, visit this VENETUR

Trujillo and the Virgin of Peace Monument

FloraTrujillo has an immense cultural historic heritage, with spectacular places to know and enjoy, full of settings with colorful cultivations, crafts and traditions. Much of the ancient buildings, erected as architectural jewels of the seventeenth and eighteenth century, have been preserved. The Virgin of Peace Monument (Virgen de la Paz) is the world’s highest statue dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was built by sculptor Manuel de La Fuente and 46 meters tall. It has prayer and spiritual seclusion areas, a bell tower and five viewpoints. The statue has a hollow interior equipped with stairs and an elevator that allow visitors to ascend to the various windows. A symbol of all Trujillo citizens, the statue is located to the northeast of the city in the hill named Pena de la Virgen.

The Guaramacal National Park is one of the national parks of greatest scientific interest due to its biodiversity of flora, fauna and birdlife. Additionally, it offers the most unique speleological finds in the world. The park’s open areas give visitors the opportunity to hike and go camping. It is an ideal location for the development of scientific investigation.

The Tetas de Niquitao Guirigay Natural Monument is the highest point of the Trujillo state and boasts unique landscapes made up of monoclinal crests, lagoons of glacial origin, high plateaus, cloudy forest remnants*, caves and archaeological displays. Among its decorated landscapes with frailejón plants, we find the Las Parías Lagoon. Among the activities that attract tourists and investigators the most are the guided tours, outdoor recreation, camping and scientific research.

For more information, visit VENETUR

*Applies to the relic sense to plants that dominated another era, but are now scarce. By extension, what remains or survives of a country’s primitive vegetation.

Socially Owned Cooperative “Cap. (Av.) Rodolfo Alberto Domador Pineda”

The socially owned cooperative “Cap. (Av.) Rodolfo Alberto Domador Pineda” offers various recreational and agrotourist activities to enjoy the full splendor and serenity of Venezuela’s central llanos (plains).  Moreover, it offers guests the opportunity to take part in some of the farming and food production processes the co-op engages in under the framework of the agro-food security and sovereignty plan initiated by the Bolivarian Revolution.  These activities include: workshop on artisanal cheese production, agro-ecological work on coffee crops (primarily in October and November), agro-ecological work on orange and other citrus orchards, and agro-ecological work in greenhouses and organoponic gardens.

This cooperative also offers fun and relaxing activities for the entire family, such as: the main house (ideal for reading and relaxing in view of a beautiful natural landscape), horse riding, bicycle rides, motorcycle rides through the orange orchards, a pool, a playground and others.

For more information, please visit the “Cap. (Av.) Rodolfo Alberto Domador Pineda” web page.

Socially Owned Cooperative Las Cocuizas

Visitors to the “Las Cocuizas” socially owned cooperative will have the opportunity to learn about agro-ecological methods in organoponic gardens and greenhouses in soil that was underutilized and had its vegetation cover harmed as a consequence of the installation of a polo field that impeded any type of farming.

This cooperative has activities which can be fun and relaxing for the whole family, including: horse riding, bicycle rides, greenhouse tours, medicinal plan nursery tours, a lecture hall, a restaurant, a pool, a playground and others.

For more information, visit the Las Cocuizas web page.

To learn more about tourist destinations in Venezuela, visit the following Web pages:

  • Ministry of People’s Power for Tourism (MINTUR)
  • Venezuelan Tourism Agency (VENETUR)
  • National Institute of Tourism (INATUR)

C. Ecotourism in Venezuela

Venezuela is an excellent destination to enjoy and contemplate the different forms of virgin nature. Its beautiful landscapes of exuberant vegetation, fauna and its diversity of cultural manifestations, offers visitors a unique experience.

In these natural places, it is possible to visit colonial coffee and cocoa farms, dive into crystalline water, surf, sail the river rapids, practice sports fishing, watch diverse birds and walk along the Andean mountains or by the Amazon forests. These and other activities that have at its center the enjoyment of the nature and learning of local culture are possible in beautiful and happy Venezuela.

The following are various alternatives that we offer:

Bird Watching:

Cultural Tourism:

Adventure and Extreme Sports Tourism:

For more information, see the Ecotouristic Guide of Venezuela published by the Miro Popic Organization, where you can find information on places of interest, camping areas and hostels of Venezuela, as well as a series of maps with the ecotouristic routes of the country and more.
D. Basic Tourist Guide

  • Visas: In general, to enter the country a current passport is required from the country of origin, a visa granted by the Consulate of Venezuela and/or a tourism card, and roundtrip-ticket. See our Consular Section, to verify the necessary requirements according to nationality.
  • Vaccines: No special vaccinations are required to enter the country. Those persons travelling to jungle zones can be vaccinated against yellow fever, malaria and cholera, subject to medical consultation. See our Consular Section for more information.
  • Weather: Venezuela is regularly warm, but pleasant. It is recommended that you bring light clothes, but it is always good to include a sweater or light jacket, for nights or especially if you travel to the Andes.

To learn more about Venezuela’s weather, go to our Geography section

  • Telephones: The majority of the payphones function with phone cards that are sold in the stores and newsstands. To call the United States, you must dial 001 + area code + telephone number.
  • Hotels: go to the list of hotels suggested by Venezuelan Tourism Agency (VENETUR)
  • Gastronomy: The Venezuelan cuisine is a colorful expression of its inhabitants, its flavor and brimming happiness. The food is varied and originates from the fusion of an unimaginable variety of aromas and flavors that make it a unique kitchen, full of tastes and colors, native and African roots and European influence. For more information, visit the Venezuelan Tourism (VENETUR)
  • General information: For more detailed information on Venezuelan tourism, please go to:
  • Ministry of People’s Power for Tourism (MINTUR)
  • “Conoce Venezuela”, by Venezuelan Tourism(VENETUR)
  • Venezuelan Tourism Agency (VENETUR)
  • National Institute of Tourism

E. Currency Converter

To know the currency exchange rate, go to the Central Bank of Venezuela

Here you can find the current day’s exchange rate reference, as well as other indicators such as reserves, lending and borrowing rates, benefits, Gross Domestic Product among others.

To learn more about monetary reconversion

Here you will determine the equivalence of Bolívar with the Bolívar Fuerte.   Also, you’ll be able to use the transaction simulator with Bolívares and Bolívares Fuertes, as well as have access to games, documents and fundamental aspects of the monetary reconversion.

F. Simón Bolívar Airport
Recommendations before Arriving to Airport

  • Arrive at the airport three hours ahead of schedule for international flights. If flying nationally, try to arrive at the airport two hours before. Remember to confirm your flight ahead of time.
  • Have your documents current, like your ID or passport. It is also recommended to carry along your birth certificate, in case of travel with minors.
  • In the case of minors, remember that authorities require that when a child is not travelling with both parents, the permission of the other parent is required. In the case of minors travelling alone (without parents or a legal guardian), it is necessary that the permit is certified by the governing authority.
  • If traveling with pets, contact the airline to learn the necessary requirements for pet travel.
  • Learn from the airline the articles or products allowed in your carry-on luggage to facilitate exhaustive and detailed security checkpoints.
  • Don’t leave your suitcase unattended and report any event to properly identified security officials.
  • Use authorized services of transportation (taxis and/or public transportation units—Sitssa) authorized by the IAIM, to travel to the capital city or to your final destination.
  • Change currencies in authorized offices within the airport. Remember that is a crime to change currencies with unauthorized agents/vendors. Avoid security risks.
  • If your flight has a national or international connection, use the walkway connector to complete the transfer to the terminals in safe, quick, and comfortable way.
  • In case of any problems, go to the User Assistance and Information Desks, located in each terminal, or dial one of the following telephone numbers: 303-1403/ 1408 (National Terminal) and 303-1526/ 1527/ 1528/ 1580/ 1581/ 1582 (International Terminal).

For more information, visit to the Simón Bolívar International Airport web site

G. Link to Ministry of People’s Power for Tourism

To learn more about Venezuelan destinations and tourist information, visit the Ministry of the Popular Power for Tourism

 

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