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Henri Pittier National Park, Orinoco Delta, Guacharo Cave & Los
Roques Archipelago
( 16 days,
15 nights )
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Day 1: Arrival in Caracas. Reception and transfer
to your hotel
Day 2:After breakfast, transfer to
Turmero. The hike starts in the afternoon as the weather is too hot
to start any earlier. From the start we will observe the semi dry deciduous
woods and savannah vegetation as well as many creeks and water sources
coming down from the mountains. With good weather after sunset we will
see the city lights of Maracay and the surroundings. We will reach the
campsite "Simon Machado" after dark. The night will be rather
chilly.
Day 3:Today we will still be trekking
towards the crest of the mountains... but now we will have the opportunity
to enjoy one of the richest biodiversities on the planet - the cloud
forest. We will descend towards Rio del Medio for lunch and then continue
to a small hamlet called "El Paraiso", at which point we will
be entering the xerofite, coastal landscape. Chuao and the worlds most
famous cocoa plantations are very close now and so are the lovely tropical
beaches. We will stay overnight in the small hamlet of Chuao in a rustic
posada.
Day 4: This morning we will experience
an exciting canyoning adventure with six waterfalls from 6m to 48 m
high in beautiful tropical cloud forest setting. Lunch before continuing
our trip to Merida. Transfer to your lodge.
Day 5:In the afternoon we will take a local fishing
boat and ship over to Choroni (Puerto Colombia) where bongo drums and
dancing will awaits us as our trip comes to an end. Accommodation in
a hotel.
Day 6: After breakfast, transfer to Tucupita by long
distance bus. Arrival and transfer to your hotel.
Tucupita is a hot river town, and the centre of the Orinoco Delta, the
second largest Delta in South America after the Amazon. It is a perfect
home for all kinds of animals as well as Moriche palms and other tropical
plants. It is common to see Monkeys, Herons, Terns, Caiman and a great
variety of insects and spiders, and with some luck one of the rare Manatees
or Jaguars.
The people who live here are the Warao Indians, who have built their
huts on stilts above the water known as Palafitos.
Day 7:A fast boat will take us from
Tucupita in around 1 ½ hours to the camp, the Orinoco Delta Lodge.
After arrival lunch is served, followed by a short rest. Activities
for the afternoon may be a choice of either Piranha fishing, a swim
in the bay in front of the camp or just enjoying the beautiful surroundings.
Late afternoon we'll take a boat ride to watch the spectacular sunset
and get to know the lively Dolphins (Toninas) of the Orinoco.
Day 8: Breakfast at 08:00 am. Return by boat back
to Tucupita. Transfer to the bus terminal for the trip to Maturin. Continue
onto Caripe, set in a verdant mountain valley not far from the coast.
Accommodation at your hotel.
Day 9: After breakfast, full day visit to Cueva del
Guacharo. The Cave of "Guácharo" represents the biggest
cavern in the country, with a surface area of 15.500 hectares. It was
initially decreed a Natural Monument in 1947 by the German scientist
Alejandro Von Humboldt who first visited the cave in 1799.
This fantastic natural monument has a total length of 10.2 kilometers
which many people believe is one of the most complete cave ecosystems
to be found anywhere in the continent. The strange formations on the
walls of the cave and the sound of the birds (Guácharos) howling
deep within the cave offer the visitor a reminding impression.
One of the most important features of this cave are the exits of the
birds (Guácharos) in the evening. During the twilight period,
these birds come out in search of food such as fruits and seeds of some
species of palm and other trees. The guácharo (Steatornis caripensis),
is a nocturnal bird, the only one of its kind in the world. It inhabits
caves in various parts of tropical America, living in total darkness
and leaving the cave only at night for food. The guácharo has
a radar-location system similar to that used by bats, which enables
it to find its way in the dark.
The Cave of Guácharo has an entrance 23m high and 28m wide. The
first portion is of 1500m of the cave crossing the Salón Humboldt
and the Gallery of the Silence (with formations baptized as the Cardón,
the Carmen's Virgin, the Guard's Angel) until arriving at the Salón
Sublime where the stalactites and stalagmites can be appreciated. These
were formed by the constant action of the water on the rocks. Return
to Caripe for the night bus to Caracas.
Day 10: Arrival to Caracas in the morning and transfer
to your hotel. Free day.
Day 11: Transfer to Caracas airport for the flight
to Los Roques. Welcome and transfer to your hotel Lunch, followed by
an excursion to the islands of the Archipelago. Dinner.
Day 12: Free day to explore the archipelago at leisure.
Lunch and dinner included.
Day 13: Breakfast before your return flight back to
Caracas and onward for your return flight home.
For current availability contact us at info@amazingperu.com
and we will send you the relevant trip dossier along with a 90 day fixed
quote, terms and conditions.
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