Sharing borders with Guyana, Brazil and Colombia the oil-rich South American country of Venezuela was discovered in 1499 by the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci who named it “Little Italy” because the indigenous peoples’ huts reminded him of Venetian homes. Today travellers coming off flights to Venezuela will land in a country far from the one Vespucci discovered and where those stilted huts once stood are now luxurious seaside resorts set against lush jungles and a sprawling capital dotted with towering high-rises.
Venezuela’s natural beauty is unparalleled. Boasting the highest waterfall in the world, the longest cable car, the largest lake in South America, not to mention the stunning Andean peaks and white-sand Caribbean beaches it seems to have it all. Despite all of this, it still remains one of the least-visited countries in South America. One might ask why? And the answer will vary depending on who you ask. But one thing is for certain, visitors who book flights to Venezuela won’t be disappointed.
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Venezuela has almost 3,000km of coastline and the regions along the Caribbean Sea enjoy tropical conditions – high temperatures, an average of 25 degrees Celsius year-round and plenty of rain, particularly between June and November.The central and southern parts of the country are very hot and humid – expect lots of rain. As far as the Andes are concerned, the higher you go, the colder it gets.
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Peak Season:
The best time to book flights to Venezuela is between January and April. For Angel Falls at its most spectacular, visit during the rainy season (from May to November).
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Several commuter airlines link Venezuela including Aeropostal (Alas de Venezuela), Aero Ejecutivos and Sol America.
Bus lines such as Aeroexpresos Ejecutivos, Expresos Los Llanos and Rodovías offer decent services throughout the country.
Unsurprisingly for an oil-producing nation, petrol is cheap in Venezuela, making car rental a good option for travellers. All the major international car-rental companies are represented at airports.
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- There are more than 40 national parks in Venezuela including Parque Nacional El Avila, in Caracas. Avila Mountain can be reached by cable car or Teleferico, from which there are sweeping views of the city on one side, and the Caribbean Sea on the other. For mountaineering, hiking and rock-climbing, visit the Sierra Nevada de Merida in Sierra Nevada de Merida National Park.
- Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfalls, is in Canaima National Park, southeastern Venezuela. The national park takes in three million hectares and about two-thirds of the park is covered by table mountain or tepui formations. Angel Falls, 978 metres (3,212 feet) high with an uninterrupted drop of 807 metres (2,647 feet) are named for Jimmy Angel, an American bush pilot who first caught sight of the falls in the 1930s. His stories about the falls were only believed when his plane crashed and he had to trek for 11 days to reach civilisation. His airplane was restored and now stands outside Ciudad Bolivar.
- Venezuela has amassed more Miss World and Miss Universe titles than any other country and has a very strong – some would say obsessional – beauty culture. Venezuelans are Latin America’s largest consumers of cosmetics on a per-capita basis. There is also a pageant for men – the Mister Handsome beauty pageant.
- Los Roques is a collection of almost 300 islands, north of La Guaira, Caracas' port. It has been a national park since 1972. El Gran Roque is the only populated island, but other important islands are Francisqui, Nordisqui, Madrisqui and Crasqui.
- La Gran Sabana is a region in the southeast of Bolivar state, south of the Orinoco River. Travelers described it as so wild and beautiful that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was inspired to write The Lost World about it.
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The main airport for travellers taking flights to Venezuela is:
Caracas (CCS) (Simon Bolivar) located 12 miles from the city (travel time – 30 to 45 minutes).
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Those entering Venezuela on a visa require a passport valid for at least six months. If travel is for touristic purposes, Immigration will accept passports valid for two months as long as the passport expires after the departure date. Tourist Entry Cards are issued free of charge by air carriers allowing for a stay of up to 90 days. Visitors must have return tickets or tickets for onward travel as well as all documents required for the next destination and sufficient funds. From January 23, 2007, all US citizens travelling to and from Venezuela by air require a valid passport; by January 1, 2008, the requirement will be extended to include all land and sea border crossings as well.
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British citizens require a passport, but a visa is not necessary if entering on a completed Tourist Entry Card, which is valid for a touristic stay of up to 90 days (no extension possible).
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