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guarapitas,
alcoholic juice drinks, a regional specialty. |
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emerge from the
forest at paradisiacal beaches |
|
Chocolate 101 |
| In 1810,
Venezuela was producing 50 percent of the world's cacao whereas
today it produces less than 2 percent, but those beans are
arguably the finest. Here, along the Paria Peninsula, south of
the Caribbean—as well as on the shores of Lake Maracaibo and in
the Andean foothills on the Colombian border—the criollo and
trinitario varieties thrive. Less than ten percent of the
world's cacao supply is criollo or trinitario; most is forastero.
forastero beans grown in Africa and Brazil that produce higher
yields than Venezuela's criollos. However the hardier strain is
much less flavorful strain. The cocoa in most common candy bars
comes from forastero beans, fine chocolate always includes at
least some criollo or trinitario. It's these varieties that
separate good chocolate from the rest of the pack. Enormous
bucare trees that are the hacienda's namesake. Some experts say
that the cacao plant withers in full sun; others argue that the
necessity for shade has to do with the midges that pollinate its
flowers: These little insects are most content in the shade,
ideally in an environment with a soil rich in composting leaves
and pods. |
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|
world's best
chocolate |
La
Praline has a shop in the quiet Los
Palos Grandes neighborhood According to Chantal Coady, an
authority on chocolate, the author of three books on the
subject, and the owner of London's acclaimed chocolate boutique
Rococo, La Praline's are even better than Godiva's and Mary's,
the purveyor to the Belgian royal family.
"El Rey has been compared with with the venerable
French company Valrhona, for world's best
chocolates-elrey
Krön
another of Caracas's leading chocolatiers |
|
|
Origin of
Venezuela |
The name Venezuela is believed
to have originated from the cartographer Amerigo Vespucci who,
together with Alonso de Ojeda, led a 1499 naval expedition along
the northwestern coast's Gulf of Venezuela. Upon reaching the
Guajira Peninsula, the crew observed the distinctive stilt
villages (palafitos) that the indigenous Añu people had built
over the water. This reminded Vespucci of the city of Venice (Venezia
in Italian); as a result the region was named Veneziela. Some
argue that this actually meant Little Venice, later evolving to
Venezuela. Other historians (notably Francisco Herrera Luque),
noted that the Spanish suffix -zuela usually has a pejorative
meaning (e.g., mujerzuela, cazuela) and sustain the thesis that
the name more implied the notion of a second-rate Venice.
On the other hand, the Spanish geographer Martín Fernández de
Enciso, a member of the same crew, says in his work Summa de
Geografía that the aforementioned population was called
Veneciuela, and that it was built on a large, plain rock.
According to this theory, the name Venezuela could be a native
word. Nevertheless, the first account remains by far the most
popular and accepted version of the origin of the country's
name. |
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|
RUM
Carupano |
Destilería Carúpano nestles in a valley amid
the humid and fertile earth of the Hacienda Altamira in
Macarapana. Founded in 1762, by a Spanish slave trader, captain
Felix del Fierro, when aguardiente or firewater was produced and
went unsold, it was kept in barrels imported from Europe, which
originally had contained wine. The result was Aged Rum, a term
denoting sugar cane alcohol that needs more time and care for
its preparation, closer to a true liqueur art than just an
adequate distillation technique.
As the true heir of these traditions, Destilería Carúpano
produces only the best rums, selecting the best alcohols from
its unique distillation process and, for over two centuries,
using only the purest water drawn from its own springs. White
American oak barrels increase the rum's complexity; exacerbate
its fragrance and subtleness, create astringency and help to
develop color, mixing together with other flavors emanating from
previous use of the barrels when aging Bourbon. The time and the
wood make the rum.
A history of experience, attention to detail and its present
production capacity, allows Destileria Carupano to manufacture,
not only the best rums, but also dry and sweet liqueurs,
flavored drinks and spirits such as brandy, whisky, vodka and
gin.
[more at roncarupano.com
] |
|
Paria Peninsula
-Carúpano -
Rio Caribe |
______________ |
WEATHER:
 |
|
The Paria Peninsula enjoys a mild climate year-round. High season—when
most room rates jump 10 to 20 percent—is defined by the Venezuelan
vacation season and runs from July through mid-September, and includes
the last two weeks of December, Carnival, and Easter. |
 |
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|
On the nearby coast the colorful and joyous
carnivals of
Carúpano in the state of
Sucre are
recognized as among the best in Venezuela. The Carnival of
Carúpano is known as one of most colorful ones in Latin America.
During Carnival the population in Carúpano raises from 150,000 to
more than a million people, who gather to celebrate the carnival in
a cheerful and peaceful way. Carupano Carnaval, well known as far back as 1887,
begins its season's festivities in January and finishes with parades
of elaborate costumes, comparsas, and clever elaborate floats.
This Carnaval history salutes with
the
government of Antonio White Guzmán, who set out to end the constant
aggression of the water fights at carnival by elevating the
celebration through song, dance organized into costumed
comparsas parades.
In December of 1963, organizers revived the famous celebration of
life with a new campaign against the water fights showcasing dances
and Queen competitions. Since then the floats, dances, live music,
comparsas, and collection of participants coming to participate from
wide and far has made this Carnaval Venezuela's most widely known
and allowed Carúpano to be known as the
capital of Venezuelan Carnaval.
Among the most distinctive elements are the dancing girls who
synchronize there routines with impressive samba rhythm s and bunda
action.
The parade is the main event growing in scale and luxury each day
until Carnaval Monday and Tuesday when it peaks.
Rum flows plentifully and cheapy. Everyone wants to dance in the
streets with hot couples dancing salsa,
merengue or rude bum draw a crowd.
If in doubt just go to the beach, peruse the hundreds of special
Carnaval vendors and tip your Cuba Libres to the sound of the
pounding surf. As in Brazil, the locals repeatedly warn you to be
wary of crime and not carry a camera.
There is no doubt you are in the thick of Carnaval spirit
WHEN: Carnaval in Venezuela is pre-Lenten with the main
events concentrated in the five days before
Ash
Wednesday - a floating holiday In Carupano there is a parade
every day getting more spectacular with adult groups on Carnaval
Monday and Carnaval Tuesday. |
Beauty Queens form the state of Sucre are
special [more] |
" The carnival queen was wheeled back and forth
smiling and waving in the manner you would expect from a country
with a history of beauty contest winners.....The
marching bands were high-school America with a samba twist: the
girls twirled their batons wearing smart blazers and matching Shako
hats, but instead of stiff backed striding, they shook their petite
backsides to some heavy samba beats with a vengeance. I was
mesmerised by the dancing - even eight-year-old children were
dancing like professionals. Some seemed as if they were in a trance,
just shaking their booty as they paraded for miles."
Sonia for travel.guardian.co.uk-2004 |
 |
|
Trip Reports -
Carnaval |
"We thought
Carnivale was crazy until we experienced it here. We were told, with
some pride, that the celebration here was second only to Rio de
Janeiro. What this means, is that it’s a time of depravity and
recklessness. Unlike Mardi Gras in New Orleans, there weren’t really
many tourists in the city, so when you flash somebody, you’re quite
likely to see them again sometime. In the rest of the mission, most
missionaries stayed indoors during the week of Carnivale, in
Carupano it was mandatory, and the blinds had t o
be shut as well." |
|
Symbolic Carúpano
Although you
wouldn't have thought it now, Carúpano once basked as one of the
richest towns in Venezuela. It boasted a tramway and an opera house,
and avenues where sophisticated doñas donned their white gloves for
their evening paseo.
Little
remains of these halcyon days. Approaching Carúpano from the west,
you have to pass the municipal dump. For miles either side of it,
plastic bags and trash muffle roadside shrubs, and the overwhelming
stench makes you gag. .... He told me
that Paria is not only bucolic - fulfilling Europeans' and North
Americans' visions of a terrestrial Paradise - it is also symbolic.
It was the first encuentro (meeting) of European and
Amerindian cultures.[more
from Dominic Hamilton at venezuelavoyage.com ] |
|
Trip Reports:
Chocolate |
|
"I'd come here in search of the
world's most famous cacao, and what I'd found was an unspoiled
Caribbean that seems increasingly elusive. "
|
|
Trip Reports:
Wildlife |
"There
are no motorways, golf courses, fast food restaurants or hotel
resorts. Some villages are accessible only by sea. Nightlife is
non-existent, apart from the nocturnal animal variety. The
serene silence is broken only by the sound of birds, frogs,
cicadas and palm fronds rustling in the wind. You can have a
whole beach to yourself. This place is, for the moment, largely
unspoilt and unvisited."
petertatchell.net/
travel/paria
2005 |
"We had promised ourselves for some time a trip to
Playa Medina, which I have seen described in several independent
places as the most perfect beach in Venezuela."
Luke
Mastin beach remains much the same after his confirmation 10+ years
later |
|
"Macuro is Venezuela's first and
last town." |
|
Eduardo Rothe, the curator of Museo
Mucuro. The museum has fossils, pre-Columbian pottery and a handmade
airplane. |
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|
|
| The Paria Peninsula; the slim finger
pointing at the island of Trinidad from the north eastern corner of
Trinidad is sometimes called the “chocolate coast” for its many cocoa
trees banked from coast to coast. Today, the fisherman wonder
about their future as both oil exploration and tourist promoters eye the
region as high in potential for development.
The majestic beaches of sands golden,
crystalline waters and abundant coconut palms are joined by an enormous
colonial inheritance that is breathed everywhere, in his
houses, churches, seats, as well as in his people. As you tour the area
you will be tempted by roadside stands selling bolas de cacao puro
("pure cacao balls") and enchanted by ubiquitous hummingbirds. This is a
land of beautiful beaches, exotic landscapes, delicious food, but
mainly, is full of friendly and warm people. This land of
fisherman, artisans, hard-working farmers, kilometers of
 white-sand
beaches, tropical forests and cacao fincas, is slowly rising from
its isolation.
This is also Carnaval country and you can count on every village to know
where the best opportunity to delight in the senses and unleash the
imagination might be during this magical time of year. The gateway city
to the Peninsula is Carupano with both a ferry and airport. It holds the
title for not only the best Carnaval in the state of Sucre but the
entire country of Venezuela |
There are no large hotels on either of the
two peninsulas. Club Med attempted to open a resort on the Paria
Peninsula, but locals are determined to maintain the region's placid
existence and keep the negative effects of tourism at bay as long as
possible. The first phase did give the area its cachet as owning
the state's best yet isolated beach--Playa Medina. It is the land of the Cumanagotos
Indians, famous pearl divers and large mysterious mansions which might
be related to drugs. Unforgettable palm-lined beach nestled in
the verdant foothills bordering Paria National Park on the north side of
the Paria Peninsula You can enjoy the region without too much
hassle by booking a custom tour from the visitor mecca on
Margarita Island
The road from Carupano through the
mountains, past farms and cacao plantations, is quite beautiful.
Small villages dot the countryside, whose farmers still work the land
with oxen and primitive plows to cultivate maize, yams, dasheen,
cassava, cush-cush, bananas, and plantains. T |
|
Carupano
|
Carúpano is a perfect place to get to know the
surroundings of the state of Sucre. An excellent departing point to
visit the two peninsulas it sits at the center of: Araya and Paria.
Situated at the opening of two valleys, 65 miles northeast of the city
of Cumaná. Visitors find the narrow shopping
streets charming. Eventually you discover Plaza Colón, where
everyone stops to sit and talk under the trees.
Carúpano is a nice little coastal city, with a university and
technical school. There are two rum factories that you can
visit. One is called “El Muco” (after the suburb in which it is
found) and it is easy to get to by public transportation.
Carúpano is the commercial nucleus and
principal port of this agricultural area, the principal export of which
is cacao. Other exports and crops include:
coffee, sugar, cotton, timber and rum have been important exports of CarúpanoIn other times it has been a very important city
because of cocoa and coffee trade. Some sulfur mines close to the
city made it the most important harbor at the end of the 19th
century. The telegraph office of the first transatlantic cable to
reach South America when the City was joined with the French city of
Marseille back in the late XIX century. This is where
Simon Bolivar, the liberator of Venezuela, issued a decree ending
slavery in 1814. A perfect city to experience some of the rich
history that Venezuela has to offer.
Four national parks are close by, Venezuela’s most
beautiful beaches are found here, thermal springs, cocoa
plantations, rivers and jungle - and all of this is well within
reach.
This house is today the
headquarter of the Tomas Merle foundation and the Paria Project, two
organizations that are trying to improve the region through a model
where tourism, industry, nature and people can coexist with harmony.
|
GETTING THERE:
|
|
By Air
From
Caracas Airport, transfer to a prop
plane flying direct to Carupano. Daily one-hour flights from Caracas on
Avior Airlines (212-955-3811 in Caracas
Go Margarita Island and Carupano.
In 2006 they had 2-3 flights/day between Caracas & Carúpano
Teléfono: +58 (0294) 331.2867 |
| Bus: Buses to
Guiria take 2.5 hours and por puesto take 2 hours from Carupano |
| By Boat: Boats
should anchor inside the harbour and take the dinghy to the
steps. All offices are near the port and formalities are simple.
Only immigration works at weekends and will clear boats on
arrival. The customs and port captain offices are only open on
weekdays. |
|
Day
Trips
|
Carúpano is a perfect place to get to know the
surroundings of the state of Sucre. Four national parks and
Venezuela’s most beautiful beaches are found here. There's thermal
springs, cocoa plantations, rivers and lots of virgin jungle
|
|
|
Rio Caribe
|
|
Río Caribe
is a small town on northern side of the Península de Paria.
In the early 1900s, pleasant Rio Caribe
was one of the country's major cacao-exporting centres, and the pretty
pastel-coloured colonial buildings from its heyday still survive
although the main industry is now fishing. The town of 15,000 is
attracting a stylish set who are converting fine old houses built when
Río Caribe was a successful cacao port developed by Corsican immigrants.
On a hill to the south, a statue reminiscent of of Rio's Christ the
Redeemer, erected in the '50s, oversees the town. There are 3 large
plazas, a hospital and St. Michael's Church build soon after the
founding of the town in 1713. There are also the chapels of El
Calvario and La Ermita and a large cross high on a hill. The pleasant location has long stretch of beach
nearby and
is a good base to explore the surrounding area. It is
regularly serviced by local buses. The town serves as point of entry to
the region beautiful beaches--such as Playa Medina and Playa Pui Pui.
|
Annual
Events: Rio Caribe
|
FEB: Riocaribenos love their annual
festivals and Carnaval is the big one. Many return from
their homes
elsewhere for the event which has a float parade and steel pan
music.
APR: There is a large Easter procession for Semana
Santa where they begin from La Ermita a chapel facing
the sea above the town and head to the Cristo Rey, a large
crucifix on a hill.
July 16:Virgen del Carmen is brought out of her shrine at
La Ermita to lead the procession of decorated sea boats for a
meeting with San Ramon, patron saint of El Morro de
Puerto Santo. Fireworks blast off as they meet.
SEP:The town's patron saint is St. Miguel the
Archangel and he is celebrated in a week-long cultural
festival at the end of September. |
|
Getting
there and beyond
|
From Carupano two routes lead to Paria
Peninsula. Buses to Guiria go south and east via El Pilar, The
longer 2nd route follows the dazzling coast through fishing
villages and beaches. About 18km beyond Carupano is Rio Caribe.
There is no road eastward after Rio Caribe. To reach the
beautiful bays beyond you must either contract with a boatsman
or take the southeast Bohordad route.
Bus: Coaches to/from Caracas park on the northeast side
of Plaza Bolivar Cruceros Oriente Sur Also on Plaza Bolivar you
can catch a por puesto to Carupano. |
|
|
San Juan de las Galdonas
|
|
The small fishing village boasts over four
beaches, three good posadas, two roads, one food stall. Parque Nacional
Península de Paria begins in earnest, stretching to Venezuela's
easternmost tip. |
|
Guiria
|
Guiria is where most of the eastward traffic stops
although the road to Macuro has been improved and it is hoping that and
other recent infrastructure upgrades will lead to more visitors. Guiria
is an industrial city of 30,000 that has not attracted visitors for some
time.
|
GETTING
THERE: Guiria
|
 (GUI)
Guiria Airport, VECheck Flightstats
for scheduled flights |
| Buses
Buses wait on the streets around the triangular Plaza Sucre at
the west edge of town 6 blocks from the bay as there is no bus
terminal. to Caracaus is 12 hours or more usually traveling at
night. To Carupano take 2.5 hours and por puesto take 2 hours. |
Boat: The
Windward Lines ferry service from Guiria to Trinidad, St.
Vincent and Barbados was suspended in 2000. In its place Pier 1
Cruise sailed weekly with a 105 pleasure craft but this too has
ended.
A December 2006 article in the monthly Trinidad
boaterenterpirse.com advises not arriving on a weekend for
clearance to travel on to other parts of Venezuela such as the
nearby bay of Ensenada Enquirito and to hire an agent [Gollo
@ 0494-982-0169] early on to avoid undue delays [more
pdf] |
On the stretch from El Pilar east to Tunapay get
off the bus in Guaraunos [2.5km west of Tunapuy] and go south on the
paved road |
|
Macuro
|
|
Columbus and Day of the Americas
To mark the quincentenary of Columbus'
landing, the minuscule town of Macuro became the country's capital for a
day, on August 5, 1998. It was renamed Puerto Colón. Macuro at the tip
of the peninsula usually receives its radio and TV signals from
Trinidad. The first road connecting Mucuro to Venezuela opened in 2000
and was upgraded by current President Hugo Chavez who also gave the town
a 450 W power plant, sewage plant and ambulance boat.
A small mission-town was formally established in 1738
under the name of San Carlos Barromeo de Macuro and lived off the
harvest of cocoa and cotton. Towards the end of the 19th century the
Venezuelan government decided to build a port to serving as intermediate
transfer point for cargo. In 1903, president Cipriano Castro inaugurated
the Cristobal Colon port. Its deep waters were ideal for receiving large
ships. The town became the capital of Cristobal Colon Federal Territory
and enjoyed a considerable level of activity. However in 1935 the
government decided to relocate all the equipment and facilities to
Guiria, 65 kilometers away.
Early in the 20th Century when seaplanes started to
become the main means of air travel, Pan Am used the bay of Macuro as
the place where its passengers to Trinidad would disembark, due to the
serenity of its waters; from there they would be taken by boat to the
island a few miles away. Today a gypsum extraction facility and fishing
are the main industries leading many to leave the town looking for
employment elsewhere.
Today the town is sustained by fishing and small agricultural plots.
There is said to be smuggling income too since it is only 4 miles from
Trinidad and this is a natural route for the big business of cocaine and
parrot smuggling to ocean worthy vessels. The national guard permanently
operates a small naval station to patrol the area.
Each year a large number of sea turtles lay their eggs in the beaches of
Macuro.
Two trails lead from Macuro to the north coast and the villages of
Uquire and Don Pedro. It's a 6 hour walk and you can do it
faster by boat. Uquire has an excellent beach and good snokling while
Don Pedro, 2 hours further on the trail is very quiet.
You are surrounded by the Paria National Park here which is very
wild. The lack of marked trail and snakes means you should venture forth
with the assistance of a guide. |
|
Places To Stay
|
|
Carúpano |
Eurocaribe
International Hotel,
 [90
rooms]Av.
Perimetral Rómulo Gallegos, Edf. Euro - Caribe Carúpano, Sucre
6124
Teléfono: +58 (294) 3313911 Fax: +58 (294) 3313651
just in the Colonial area, 1 km from the famous Carúpano
Market and at 3 kms from the Airport.
www.hoteleurocaribe.com.ve? |
hotellapionera.com/
El aeropuerto mas cercano del Hotel se encuentra en la Ciudad de
Carúpano, tres compañías aéreas cubren este destino (Avior, Lai,
Rutaca) y aseguran vuelos diarios desde Maiquetía Porlamar,
Maturín, y Cumana |
 copey.info/:
Posada la Escollera, Carupano, Sucre
|
Posada Panda at venezuela-holiday.com
4 km away from Carupano. 7 rooms w/ bathroom
Posada Panda lies directly on the snow-white beach of Playa
Copey, swimming pool roof-covered
hammocks beach restaurant |
POSADA NENA
at venezuela-vacation.com
Playa Copey
Carúpano- Estado Sucre
Phone : 0058 294 3317297 or 8083602
In Venezuela: 0294 3317297 and 0294 8083602
The nicest and most recommended Posada
in
Carúpano
|
|
In 1998 the Sucre Dept. of Tourism
published this list of hotels in Cumaná |
|
NOMBRE |
DIRECCION |
Size |
TELEFONOS |
|
Astoria |
Calle Sucre No. 51 |
23 Rooms |
0293 4332708 |
|
Bahía
Azul |
Av. Perimetral |
56
Rooms |
0293
416 0152 |
|
Vesubio |
Calle Sucre No.
53 |
22 Rooms. |
0293
4314077 |
|
Cumaná |
Calle Sucre No.
55 |
10 Rooms |
0293
4310545 |
|
América |
Calle Comercio No.
9
Edificio
Papín |
30 Rooms
|
0293
4321955 |
|
Italia |
Calle Sucre
No.
71 |
19 Rooms
|
0293
4333678 |
|
Miranda |
Av. Humboldt
Plaza
Miranda |
11 Rooms
|
|
|
Center |
Calle Cantaura
No.
9 |
7 Rooms |
0293
4311769 |
|
Regina |
Av. Arismendi
No.
1 |
51 Rooms
|
0293
4311073 |
|
Dos Mil |
Urdaneta entre
Av.
Mariño
|
27 Rooms
|
0293
4323414 |
|
Guaiquerí |
Av. Bermúdez
No.
26 |
55 Rooms
|
0293
4310321
4333444 |
|
Mariño |
Calle Junín con
Mariño |
78 Rooms
|
0293
4320751 |
|
Minerva |
Av. Cristóbal Colón |
126 Rooms
|
0293
4314471 |
|
Savoia |
Av. Perimetral |
47 Rooms |
0293
4321455 |
|
Don Bosco |
Av. Perimetral
Calle
19 de Abril |
14 Rooms |
0293
4310969 |
|
Sol y Mar |
Av. Universidad
|
32 Rooms.
|
0293
4512725 |
|
Trevi |
Av. Universidad
|
50 Rooms |
0293
4514884 |
|
Angelopolis |
Av. Universidad
Zona Industrial
San
Luis |
40 Rooms |
0293
4511274 |
|
Gran Hotel |
Av. Universidad
|
50 Rooms |
0293
4510218 |
|
Caribe |
Av. Universidad
|
19 Rooms |
0293
4514548 |
|
Villa Coral |
Av. Universidad
|
18 Rooms
|
0293
4513282 |
|
Nueva Toledo |
Final Av.
Universidad |
64 Suites
|
0293
4519595 |
|
Cumanagoto |
Final Av. Universidad
Sector San Luis |
163 Rooms |
0293
430 1400
Fax
452
1877 |
|
|
Rio Caribe and
east |
caribana.com.ve
Posada Caribana
is (294-646-1242; doubles, $50)
restaurant bar, hall reading and
solarium.
social club where
the gran cacaos whiled away the hours waiting
for their precious pods to ripen. Most of the 11
rooms face a central courtyard with a gurgling
fountain. The others lie beyond the courtyard, above
a lush garden with a patio where breakfast and
dinner are served daily.
--"the top choice" John Newtone |
 |
|
Cabañas de Playa Medina
(tel 0294/331-5241, playamedina@ cantv.net; US$25–US$60)
The only beds on the best beach so best to reserve a few
weeks ahead of time |
Hacienda Termales
Aguasana (tel 0212/265-9150; US$25–40) [6 rooms]
| about 45
minutes from Río Caribe, the is situated right on a
geographic fault, with seventeen small thermal
baths of varied temperatures. The water and mud
are reputed to have therapeutic properties, and it
is best to go in the early evening when it's a bit
cooler outside. Day visits costs about US$2, but
some choose to spend the evening there.Massages are
available. |
 |
|
|
Posada Playa de
Uva is a private,
secluded beach with a stunning posada of the same name
12 rooms
(tel 0416/781-3705,
caribana.com.ve;
US$40–60), built by the owner of the Caribana.
This beautiful hideaway is set in
the grounds of a lime plantation, in a narrow valley surrounded
by lush tropical vegetation that extends right to the beach.
Perfect combination of nature and adventure. Account with 12
rooms with private bath and Vista to the sea, hut restaurant and
bar on the sea 15 minutes walking to two beaches.Optional:
transfers from Carúpano airport and outings to hot springs,
Peninsula de Paria, excursions to the Orinoco Delta |
Posada La
Colina [17 rooms]
Located in the city of Carúpano, all with conditioned air,
telephone and TV. Social areas with swimming pool and
restaurant. Near the Church of Santa Rosa |
Cabañas
de Playa Pui Puy
Located in the beautiful and transatlantic
beach of Pui Puy, between the exuberant vegetation of coconut
palms, 18 beautiful cabins constructed using modern ecological
concepts, all with private bath and ventilator. The lodging is
an all-inclusive. |
|
Posada El Milagro
(tel 0416/794-5291; US$15–25), 2km before the Medina beach, just
before the split in the road |
La Rua de Cacao [10 rooms] 2km out of town
Horse ranch used as a base for horseback explorations of Paria
Peninsual Otilia Campos tel: 0414 994.0115
|
Bukare.com/ Hacienda
Bukare, Via Playa
Medina, Chacaracual [4 rooms] 294-808-1504 road that drives from Río
Caribe to Playa Medina, you will find a very special lodge: The Bukare farm. This lodge is in the middle of a cacao plantation
and inside a colonial house
“The cocoa
plantation has been described
as ‘green anarchy’,” explains plantation owner Billy
Esser, who has just cracked open a fresh pod and
scooped out the beans for me to taste. “The trees
grow where they want to grow, and the pickers
remember where each tree is when it’s time to
harvest.” |
|
Catherine
Quinn on the trip of a
lifetime to Venezuela’s Paria Peninsula
The flavor of
Venezuela at thetravelrag.com |
|
|
San Juan
de las Galdonas
|
| Leaving Rio
Caribe arrive at the cross road for Playa Medina. Turn right
till the sign San Juan -Unare. Continue the road till arrive to
San Juan de Las Galdonas |
|
hotellapionera.com/:
Hotel la Pionera, San Juan de las Galdonas, Sucre
Telefonos: + 58 294 3315101 / 8081509 fax : + 58 294 3319908 /
8081508 Cel: 0416 - 694.08.43 |
|
habitatparia.vzla.org/:
Posada Habitat Paria, San Juan de las Galdonas,
Sucre |
|
Caripe -
in the adjoining Monagas state with a
cool mountain valley climate
|
http://www.villasbellermann.com/
Las Reservaciones se realizan llamando directamente a los
teléfonos: 0292-414.8968 / 0292-545.1326 y 0414-767.29.68 2
night minimum, deposit req'd
|
|
Camping
|
Rio Caribe Beach
A nice beach, closer to Rio Caribe than Playas Medina and Puipuy
is Los Cocos (towards Carúpano) $0.50 from Rio Caribe, ask to be
let off at the "escalera de Los Cocos". Camping is permitted and
there is a restaurant and bar, and public loos. |
Playa Puipuy Beach
Camping is permitted for $1 / day p/ tent which includes use of
the public bathrooms on the beach (shower extra for $0.50pp).
The beach is cleaned every day and there is a security guard.
Parking $0.50 /day. There is a restaurant open to the public
which serves lunch and supper. To get there you can take a taxi
or boat from Rio Caribe.
|
|
Beaches
|
| Further east, where the
roads end and the Parque Nacional Peninsula de Paria begins,
you can really have beaches all to yourself. Many beaches
are accessible only by boat which also makes it possible to
snorkel in the hidden coves. |
Playa Medina. A
half-mile long, palm-fringed cove with golden sand is the
main beach in the region. lush mountain backdrop.
Lying in a protected cove,makes it ideal for swimming. On
weekends and holidays, local vendors offer delicious fried
fish for around US$3
|
Playa Medina"My next
turn off took me through more glorious scenery, back down
towards the coast, and to what must still be one of Venezuela's
best-kept secrets. Friends had recommended Playa Medina as our
kind of place, but knowing that there were package tours from
Caracas I assumed that it had already been over-developed and
spoilt beyond redemption. But, after quite a drag over steep
dirt roads, I finally arrived and, no, it is still almost
perfect. It is set in a secluded cove between rocky headlands
and backed by a copra palm plantation, like so many other
Venezuelan beaches, but this one is clean and well looked after,
with a little thatched bar and a handful of rustic chalets set
back discreetly in the palms, and absolutely no naff plastic
beach chairs, no encroaching barrios, and no
ghetto-blasters pumping out salsa music. Quite charming!
lukemastin.com/diary/mar95
|
|
| Playa Pui-Puy
8km beyond Playa Medina and
2km long. Its
currents have made it popular with surfers, but swimming is not
advisable. |
| Playa Chaguaramas
mile long, quiet and remote |
| Playa de Uva
is a private, secluded beach with a posada on it |
|
Other
Attractions
|
| thermal springs of El Pilar This
melting pot of nature with its ambient sulfur
Moises
Termal Waters
· Poza Azul Termal Waters |
| Cerro Humo (smoke
mountain), its 1350m peak is usually covered in puffs
of smoke-like cloud. A lush environment favored by botanists
and bird-watchers |
Mirna de Matos
sells fruit juices, cacao, and other liqueurs from her store
on Avenida Bermúdez in Río Caribe
| "Cacaíto
is made from mashed cacao, syrup and rum, while
Chingüirito from molasses, white rum, cinnamon,
aniseed and various spices. My favorite was the
Singa Parao, a wicked combination of cherry,
pineapple, passion fruit, guava, orange, white
rum and syrup. The name, nudge-nudge wink-wink,
means "Stand-up Shag."
PARIADISE FOUND at
venezuelavoyage.com |
|
Buffalo ranches are
within an hour of Río Caribe, both owned and run by Germans
who came to the area many years ago to employ innovative
sustainable development practices. Typical visits involve
education tours of the premises, canoeing in water channels
amongst water buffalo and birdwatching.
Hato Río de Agua (tel 0416/894-4122, wilfried
at telcel.net.ve),
owned by Wilfried Merle, is a mostly flooded 540-hectare ranch home to over
500 water buffalo. Small tourist camp of six thatched
cabins, powered by solar power and biogas digesters.
Hacienda Vuelta Larga (tel 0294/666-9052) is
owned by Klaus Muller, whose son Daniel gives excellent
tours in English or Spanish. The ranch is home to 450 water
buffalo and 230 species of birds. |
|
Cueva del
Guácharo near Carppe
|
|
biggest
cave in South America |
The Cueva del Guácharo
National Park covers an area of 45,500ha. The
largest of the many caves in Venezuela, with over 11km explored so far,
and the huge 25m cave mouth is set into a sheer wall of rock and
spiked with stalactites and stalagmites. It was discovered
along with its unique inhabitant, the guácharo (oilbird) by the
scientist and explorer Alexander Humboldt in 1799. A unique,
frugiverous (fruit-eating) species, the oilbird leaves the cave
at dusk to search for food, using echolocation to maneuver in
the dark. The colony numbers around 18,000 and occupies the
first chamber of the cave together with mice, crickets and
crabs. Oil-birds are the only birds known to fly in
absolute darkness, finding their way with an echo-location
system very similar to that of bats. Visitors are guided by
lanterns down a concrete path that meanders alongside a stream
and amongst vast piles of decomposing palm-seeds dropped by the
guácharos. Spindly palm-seedlings sprout from these mounds, but
soon die, starved of light. Ornate stalactites and stalagmites
and other intriguing geological formations decorate the entire
subterranean network, many of which resemble and are named after
plants, animals and famous landmarks.
THERE: Cueva del Guácharo (Cave of the
Oil-birds)walk down a well-marked but steep trail which
leads to a La Paila waterfall, lush forest
surrounds the cave. The cave has, adequate parking, a ticket
office, restaurant, multi-lingual guides, information plaques
and leaflets Visitors have access to the first sector of
the cave; deeper exploration is possible but only with
specialized equipment and permission from the park's
authorities. Access varies according to the time of year, as the
caves are liable to flood during the rainy season in August and
September.
The remainder of the park, accessible by trails, encompasses
thick, lush forest and a waterfall and is home to a variety of
birds and plants.
GETTING THERE: Near the town of Caripe which has a
Caracas-like climate at 900m above sea-level, and it s set quite
spectacularly in a deep valley between rugged forested mountain. The
beautiful village Caripe is called "el jardin del oriente" ("the
garden of the east").
By Boat: anchor near the village of El Muelle, located at the end
of the Gulf. It's a one and one-half hour trip across wonderful mountain
scenery, |
Paria Peninsula National Park,
spot more than 300 bird species can be spotted.
Santa Isabel, a remote town on
the edge of the Park.
Occupying some 37,500ha, the
Península de Paría National Park encompasses the single mountain
range on the northeast tip of the peninsula. The relief is
relatively low; coastal lowlands rise into steep slopes reaching
the height of Cerro Humo at 1,356 meters.
Encompassing the park is a magnificent cloud forest, as low as 800
meters, with a lush canopy and verdant fauna of palms, tree ferns,
lianas, epiphytes, and huge buttressed trees.
The arid coastline is rich in xerophytes
while thick deciduous, tropical moist and cloud forests cover
the mountain sides, fostering a diversity of bromeliads, heliconias, lianas, orchids and an abundance of climbers and
endemic epiphytes. The endemic colored parakeet inhabits the
park, and mammal species include puma, ocelot, deer, armadillo
and monkey. Many mammal species are shared with the
Guyana region, including the two-toed and three-toed sloths (Choloepus
didactylus and Bradypus tridactylus) and the silky
anteater (Cyclopes didactylus
Trails that crisscross the
park's rarely visited mountains offer the chance of some
close-up views of the wildlife. This includes several species of
birds found nowhere else in the world, like the yellow-faced
redstart, the white-throated barbtail and the scissor-tailed
hummingbird. Care should be taken, such as going with an
experienced guide, , to avoid close
contact with the poisonous bushmaster and fer-de-lance
snakes that abound here.
Paria Peninsula National Park
was created the 12 th
of December, 1978, and is.
GETTING THERE: . Best accessed by boat but the park is via the road
between Carúpano and Güiria or by boat. Tours are available.
|
