Adventure Travel in the Venezuelan Andes

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Venezuela

Viva Venezuela!

Mountain Biking, Hiking, Rafting and Horseback Riding

(9 Days)

If you’re craving the undiscovered, look no further than The Venezuelan Andes. Without question, this area is a hidden treasure, abundant with adventure opportunities. The landscapes are dramatic with snowy, jagged peaks, misty cloud forests and the golden rolling Andes. Colorful wildflowers punch through the earth and screeching parrots soar overhead. Our playground is rugged and in a culture where time seems to stands still. This self-propelled Andean Adventure is jam-packed with activity, culture and fun. We pedal, we horseback ride and we hike along a network of back country roads and twisting trails. We spend a day blasting down class III whitewater rapids on the Acequia River in rafts. We explore Los Llanos, a vast and tropical grassland plain, inhabited with Scarlett Ibis, giant capybaras, crocodiles, etc. Our overnights are in cozy family-run haciendas rich with traditional flavor. On this 9-day adventure you will challenge yourself physically, experience the authentic lifestyles and stay far away from the beaten path.

Trip Highlights

Mountain biking across the Andean Mountains
Wildlife viewing at Los Llanos Wildlife Reserve
Hiking to The San Jose de Mucuños Ruins

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Caracas - Fly Merida

Upon arrival you'll be met by one of our representatives and transferred to a comfortable hotel in La Guaira. The remainder of the day is at leisure to wander along the coastline or sample the Venezuelan nightlife. For those who arrive before 2 pm, you can connect directly to the Andes today.

Day 2: Carbonera Circuit - Mesa de los Indios (Mountain Biking)

For those who stayed in La Guaira last night, we'll transfer you to the airport to connect with a morning flight to Merida. Once the group is all together we'll take a short drive to the Las Cruces hamlet, where we start our 45 km/28 mile ride on the Carbonera circuit. The terrain is 30% off-road through rolling hills and pastures with about 75% being flat or downhill. We will also pass through a trout farm and a bull-fighting ranch. We then traverse along a paved road, past thundering waterfalls and fertile fields filled with grazing Brahman cows. Local Venezuelans happily cheer us on as we ride by their gatherings of families and friends. We overnight at Posada Papa Miguel in Mesa de Los Indios colonial Town. (Total distance: 45 km/30 miles. Altitude: 6,000 ft/ 1800 meters). (L,D)

Day 3: Merida (Mountain Biking)

After a traditional Venezuelan breakfast of robust coffee, eggs, cheese, fruit, and arepas, we start to ride from the Posada to the colonial village of Jaji. The ride is along a network of dirt and paved paths that lead to the coffee plantation Hacienda El Carmen. We climb and descend along winding switchback roads in the Andean highlands with spectacular views of the snowy peaks, cascading waterfalls dripping from the Andes and misty cloud forests surrounding us. We pedal past the colonial town of Lagunillas and then cap riding to our cozy lodge in San Jose, a very remote Andean village. (Biking: 19km/12 miles. Altitude: 5900 - 7200 ft, 1800-2200 metres). (B, L,D)

Day 4: Acequias (Hiking and Horseback Riding)

After a delicious breakfast we set off on foot for a hike that climbs high into the Andes. We follow the gurgling Tos River, draped with ash trees and clusters of red-tile roofed Andean homesteads. Our route is along a network of trails that ascends to 11,000 feet/3,350 meters. Once the trail becomes steep, we switch to horseback and climb to the top of a mountain that offers spectacular views of the surrounding Andean highlands. We break for a picnic in the wilderness, then continue on horses, descending to our lodge in Acequias. (Total distance: 19 km/12 miles. Altitude: 8,200 -10,500 ft/ 2,500 -3,200 meters) (B,L,D)

Day 5: Acequias Village - Mérida (Hiking and Swimming)

Today is one of the most scenic days of the entire trip. We start on foot, hiking along a mountainous dirt road to the ruins of San Jose de Mucuños. This ruin is an old Spanish colonial site, built in the 1600’s and is one of the few untouched archaeological sites left in Venezuela. We then head down to the Nuestra Senora River and whisk along a dirt track by jeep up a grueling climb to El Morro village. We’ll break here for lunch. Afterwards we can travel by jeep back to Merida city after completing our first circuit in the mountains. Transfer to the lodge and upon arrival we change into swimsuits and hike to a natural hotspring in the area. We'll soak in the steamy waters below a brilliant sky of stars. Dinner is back at the comfortable installations of Balcones de La Musuy and the evening is at leisure to enjoy the games room at the lodge. (Total distance, 15 km/9 miles hike and 50 km jeep drive, Altitude: 8,800 ft/2700 metres. (B,L,D)

Day 6: La Culata National Park (Mountain Biking)

Downhill fat tire thrills is the order of the day in La Culata National Park. The area is famous for spotting Andean condors soaring high in the sky. We begin up in the golden grassy highlands at 13,860 ft/4,200 meters and hurl downhill towards the San Isidro cloud forest and as we reach the lower altitudes, the vegetation becomes more abundant and tropical. We overnight in Colonial Posada near the “Siniguis” River. (Total Biking distance: 70 km/44 miles. Altitude: 13,200 –2,600 ft/ 4,000 - 800 meters). (B,L,D)

Day 7: Siniguis River - Los Llanos (Whitewater Rafting)

This morning have an exhilarating ride blasting down class 3-4 rapids on the Siniguis River. We start with a safety briefing, and then put our 6 person self-bailing rafts into the river. Our first rapid, called Alarm Clock is an immediate adrenaline rush, and is sure to wake you up if you're still asleep. We'll spend approximately 3-4 hours bouncing down the frothy river that cuts through a lush tropical forest. Afterwards, we'll break for lunch and then make our way towards the Llanos, one of Venezuela’s most prized destinations. This is the nesting and reproducing area of thousands of herons, ibises, and cormorants. These expansive plains cover nearly one third of the country and are a transitional life zone north of the Amazon Basin. The region’s annual cycle of flood and drought has resulted in an unmatched concentration of flora and fauna, producing some of the finest wildlife viewing in South America. Overnight at Hato Dona Barbara. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Barinas - Caracas (Horseback Safari)

After a typical cowboy breakfast we begin a wildlife viewing expedition on horseback. Some of the most common animals we’ll encounter are deer, anteaters, iguanas, capybaras, howler monkeys, fox, caiman and ocelot. If we’re lucky, we may even see the elusive jaguar. There are also over 300 species of birds in this area including Hoatzins, Pied Lapwings, King Vultures, Storks, and Red Ibis. In the early evening, we fly to Caracas and transfer to Hotel Bella Vista near the airport. (B,L)

Day 9: Caracas- Departure

A BikeHike Adventures representative will transfer you to the international airport approximately 2-3 hours before your flight home.

Feb 11, 2012	-	Feb 19, 2012
Mar 9, 2012	-	Mar 17, 2012
Apr 13, 2012	-	Apr 21, 2012
May 11, 2012	-	May 19, 2012
Jun 15, 2012	-	Jun 23, 2012
Jul 13, 2012	-	Jul 21, 2012
Aug 24, 2012	-	Sep 1, 2012
Sept 21, 2012	-	Sept 29, 2012
Nov 9, 2012	-	Nov 17, 2012
Dec 21, 2012	-	Dec 29, 2012
Jan 18, 2013	-	Jan 26, 2013


Hotel
8 Nights