Venezuela

Mérida is the town center of the Andes at an altitude of approximately 5,249 ft. Squeezed between tall, rugged peaks, landing in a small seater plane at Mérida slammed my gut into my throat, as the city sits in the valley of the Chama river, which runs from one end to the other. The backdrop of Mérida's skyline is the country's highest summit, Pico Bolívar.

We took a taxi up a steep road to a number of colonial villages that offered a variety of poasadas for rent: one a castle, another a monastery, another a hacienda at a coffee plantation. In the afternoons, we took hikes and horseback rides into the cool and misty countryside to view the lakes.

Venezuela

Angel Falls

The Andes mountain range begins in the northwestern part of Venezuela, and extends all the way to the Caribbean coast. Angel Falls is the world's highest waterfall and lies in the Guiana Highlands, along the northern fringe of the Amazon Basin.

In the indigenous Pemon Indian language, Angel Falls is called Kerepakupai merú, meaning “waterfall of the deepest place”. Canaima National Park is located in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State. The base of the falls feeds into the Kerep river (or Rio Gauya), which flows into the Churun River (a tributary of the Carrao River).

The falls were sighted in 1912 by the Venezuelan explorer Ernesto Sanchez La Cruz, but he did not publicize his discovery. They were not known to the outside world until the American aviator James "Jimmie" Angel flew over them on 16 November 1933 on a flight while he was searching for a valuable ore bed.

Returning on 9 October 1937, Angel tried to land his Flamingo monoplane "El Rio Caroni" atop Auyan-tepui but the plane was damaged when the wheels sunk into the marshy ground and he and his three companions, including his wife Marie, were forced to descend the tepui on foot. It took them 11 days to make their way back to civilization but news of their adventure spread and the waterfall was named "Angel Falls" in his honor.

With 1,740 cruising miles of coastline to explore, a variety of landscapes entices the adventurous sailor who visits this enticing region. The country is jam-packed with drippy rainforests that abound with wildlife like long-beaked toucans and anacondas. For the avid cruiser bent on tranquil waters as clear as mountain air, heavenly islands fringe the north coast, many of which are uninhabited. The best of all – the Andean mountain range that beckons you off your boat and into the wilds for some real fun, a bit different than palm trees and beaches, which you’ve seen all down the Caribbean island chain.

Though security issues exist, we recommend boning up on the hot spots to avoid, so you can get the best out of this fascinating country. Negate the fear factor by making intelligent decisions of how best to explore this country: take a cruising boat along, listen to the Cruising Nets, and ask other cruisers how best to approach an area. Keep informed. It’s well worth your effort, forever transforming how you view Venezuela. It’s one of our favorite countries to visit, due to cheap costs, the friendliness of the people (most whom ignore the woes of politics), the east of travel (clean, modern buses for long excursions into the mainland) and tour guides readily available to help.

Mainland Venezuela

The Venezulean Andes

Caracas

Mountain Village

To tour the Andes, we left "Scud" at CMO in Puerto La Cruz, under the watchful eye of the Security Guard, who used two rotweillers as his sidekicks. "Do not try to pet my dogs. They will EAT YOU," he told the kids. Say what? Ok, we're off then! Our Belguim barge dog stayed with a friendly Venezuelan family nearby. Once all was set, we took the modern, clean (!!) coach to Caracas. TIP: Take snacks and blankets along. The air conditioned was unbelievably c-o-l-d. Staff was friendly and helpful. No security worries at all. Our drive through Caracaswas interesting. Mud-brick homes are stacked one atop the other in total disarray. I so wanted to wander through the labyrinth of alleyways, but imagine I needed a Latino buddy to accompany me.

Robin (our black Belgium Barge dog), comfortable and safe in her temporary home, while we tour the Andes.

San Rafeal

Mucuchies

Sierra Nevada

Pico
Bolivar

Los Frailes

Jaji

Mérida - - Town center of the Andes

The terriferico rambled us in four stages up to Pico Bolivar, a snow-capped moutain year round at 15,634 ft. At the top, high winds swirled and fog enveloped the peaks. My stash of oranges went fast, as no shops were at the top.

Cable Car Up

Colonial Villages

A funeral procession in the midst of town, where everybody turned out. Many villagers were of foreign descent: Italian, Portuguese, and Colombian.

A former monastery, the Los Frailes Posada lay at the top of the narrow mountain road. An abundant of lavendar filled the gardens, cultivated by earlier monks. The specialty of the house: trucha, local trout caught frest that day. With Tina's mother and nephew, we saddled up for some mountain trail fun.

Sedate horses carried us around the pastoral Black Lake, quiet and empty of tourists. The precipitous trail was shrouded in vaporous mist, sending a mysterious spell through the hills.

Black Lake

Hacienda del Carmen

A running coffee plantation, the Hacienda del Carmen offered horseback rides into the hills. Andean workers were working the rows of plants. When the coffee beans are harvested, they are spread out to dry on mud-bricks in the afternoon sun for serveral days on the vast courtyard, located in the center of four stone walls, joined inside the hacienda. This protects the beans from wildlife and bugs.

The San Rafael chapel was built in stone by a monk, who is entombed inside. Alongside the skinny roads, young girls offered dried lavendar, baby's breath and red wildflowers for sale.

Funeral Procession

Angel Falls

Once hauling our boat for a bottom job at the Hilton Marina in Margarita, Warren and I popped into a 12 seater former cargo plane, a remnant from WWII, to see these Angel Falls, the highest in the world that drop 3,212 ft down a tepuis of rock. Near the falls, when landing in Canaima National Park, turbulent waters from the falls were buffeted by strong winds, turning into a thick, vaporous mist.

Soon after, we boarded a traditional craft to carry us across Canaima Lagoon to view the lower falls and tepuis. Before departing back to the boat, we purchased a set of bongos at the local kiosk. By sunset, Warren and Tina we were back on "Scud" sharing tales and treats with Pete and Adam.

Kerepakupai merú -- “waterfall of the deepest place”

Canaima National Park

HISTORY

Security concerns?

The name " Venezuela" originated from Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer who worked for the Spanish crown. Upon seeing the native dwellings built over water (palafitos) in the Guajira Peninsula, Vespucci was reminded of Venice (Italian: Venezia), so he named the region "Venezuola,"meaning "little Venice" in Italian.

My "" Little Venice"

Puerto La Cruz

Cumana

Marina Vespuscio

Aqua Vi Marina

CMO: Centro Marino de Oriente

Cumana is more of a commercial center for fishing fleets, than Puerto La Cruz. If you're facing a budget, prices to haul are cheaper here, but check on security first. We hauled "Scud" in the 1990's, before economic conditions worsened. Still, we found the people friendly and helpful. Facilties are not as modern and maintained as in the Puerto La Cruz marinas. By all means, before entering Cumanagoto Marina, contact the management first to arrange someone to meet you upon entry. Do not anchor outside the marina wall without checking security conditions first. When entering ourselves, we sailed nonstop, timing our landfall at the appointed time, arranged with management.

Cumana offers the curious cruiser a better eye-view of the fishermen and the Venezuelan culture.

Tina's mother

Adam fishing alongside the CMO dock

'Marina Boulevard'

With our 45' steel monohull, we hauled at CMO. At other times, we have stored her in a slip at Marina Vespuscio. Aqua Vi Marina and other marinas permited the use of their pools, which the kids liked. Our most recent bottome job in Venezuela was done at Hilton Marina in Margarita. We found dock conditions to be to satisfactory and the management very kind and helpful. Most of the off ice staff spoke English, but not the yard workers.

Puerto La Cruz is an excellent, secure port to leave your boat for inland travel.

Mainland
Ports

The
Out Islands

Puerto La Cruz is the yachting center of Venezuela with the following marinas in operation: Aqua Vi Marina, Bahia Redonda, La Marina Maremares, Marina Americo Vespucio, and PMO - Proyectos Marinos Orientales (CMO Marina).

Marina Cumanagoto

V E N E Z U E L A

O u t
I s l a n d s

Angel Falls

Anaconda, Los Llanos

The Andes

Angel Falls

Pico Bolivar
15,000 feet

Colonial
Villages

Snowy Summit