Sprawling for
38,600 square miles across Venezuela's interior between
the Andes and
the Orinoco
River and covering one third of the country, the Llanos
(pronounced Ya-nos) grasslands offer the greatest opportunity
to see Venezuela's wildlife and a truly memorable experience.
Over 300 species of every size, every color birds have
been identified here.
Riverbanks,
forest edges and lagoons come to life with active birds
and animals in the morning and evening hours. The dry
season, from December to April, offers the best time to
see the most animals as they congregate around small watering
holes left as the flood plains dry up. Anteaters, capybaras
(world's largest rodent), fox, howler monkeys, wild horses
and caimans are among the animals you may see during your
jeep safaris. The rivers teem with anacondas up to 40
feet long, piranha, peacock bass, countless colorful tropical
fish and even freshwater dolphins. During the rainy season
is very probable that a journey in a dugout canoe will
be a portion of your transfer to or from your selected
lodge in the Llanos. Large cattle ranches are home to
hearty and very hospitable cowboys called Llaneros whose
hard-working lifestyle and unforgettable folk music has
become a unique facet of Venezuela's diverse culture.
We
offer the best selection of ecotourism hatos (cattle ranches)
in this delightful and vast area of Venezuela and will
be pleased to help you choose the best one to suit your
particular needs and purposes. Hato
El Cedral, Hato
El Frio and Hato
Piñero are our preferred lodges. The first
two are located in the meridional grasslands and
accessible by road or air from Barinas and combine perfectly
with a pre or post visit to the Andes.
Hato Piñero is located in the central grasslands
and is a four-hour drive from Caracas
(or a 1-hour flight) and known as a good site to spot
the "big cats." Proper chores of the Llanos
life, like milking, cheese manufacturing, cattle handling
and horseback riding (for experts) can be experienced
in these properties and complement perfectly with the
piranha fishing, the great birding and the incredible
sunsets.
For further background on this unique region of the world, you may enjoy reading this article from National Geographic March 13, 2003.
Contact
us to include the Llanos
in a customized itinerary of travel to Venezuela.
