Fly to Maturin or Cumana and then transfer
overland to the small and beautiful town of Caripe, base
to visit the Guacharo Cave, Venezuela's most famous and
magnificent cave. One of the longest with its total 6.38
miles length known by local indian tribes long before
the discovery of the American continent they were explored
by Alexander von Humboldt in 1799 and Agustin Codazzi
in 1835. Guacharo Cave was declared the first natural
monument of Venezuela in 1949 thus preserving the vast
array of wildlife that dwells there. Considered one of
the most complete cave ecosystems on earth, incredible
stalactites and stalagmites formations are sculpted by
nature in a never-ending process. The cave houses an important
colony of "Guacharos" (Oilbirds), the only nocturnal
bird in the world that feeds on fruit. In order to protect
the feeding grounds of this peculiar bird, 242 square
miles around the cave in the Monagas and Sucre States
were declared El Guacharo National Park in 1975.
Also located near Caripe in the wilder,
easternmost but most beautiful section of the El Guacharo
National Park, the caves of Mata de Mango have also kept
all their biodiversity and exceptional natural beauty
due to their remoteness and difficult access. The caves
are small and pristine, their delicate ecosystems intact.
Located
in western Venezuela between the Falcon and Lara States
and thus reachable from Coro or Barquisimeto, the Sierra
de San Luis is said to have more than a thousand caves
thanks to its porous limestone, including the one situated
in the 21,000 acres Quebrada del Toro Cave National Park,
created in 1969. Out of this cave flows the largest underground
river in Venezuela and oilbirds, a limestone canyon and
a variety of flora (fungus, likens, ferns and unbelievable
tall palms up to 213 feet high) and fauna (parrots, macaws,
howler and capuchin monkeys, crab-eating foxes, tapyrs,
squirrels and snakes) can also be seen. Small sections
of the river can be even navigated by canoe in this cave
which horizontal development reaches 5,256 feet.
One of the most visited caves in Venezuela
and the fourth longest one, The Alfredo Jahn Cave is located
near the towns of Curiepe and Birongo, some two hours
drive east from Caracas
in the Miranda State. This cave boasts imposing, ample
and beautiful gallery systems and has 15 different "mouths"
or gates, some ample and impressive, some small and difficult
to access. The fauna is diverse and bats, insects, spiders
and crabs can be found.
Contact
us to include caving and
spelunking in a customized itinerary of travel to Venezuela.
