From the Andes to the Plains

Arrive Caracas

You will be met on arrival at Caracas airport and transferred to a mid-range hotel on the nearby coast for a postioning night.

Fly to the Andes

Early a.m. fly to the Andes region You will be met on arrival and transferred to a characterful small hotel in downtown University city of Merida. City tour seeing its main sights including the Plaza Bolívar and the Cathedral and making a visit to the covered market where you can help to choose snacks for your trek.

start of 5-day, 4-night strenuous downhill village to village trek: Mucuchies to Los Morritos

This morning you are transferred by vehicle to the Andean village of Mucuchies (2.980m). From here you leave the main road and are driven off-road by 4x4 to Gavidia village.. On arrival at the village you start the ascent to Micarache, at an altitude of 3,640m. The surrounding countryside you walk through is made up of tiny fields, lined with stone and grass in the hills and shaded by small copses of tall trees. Another couple of hours of walking and you will reach the first campsite at Los Morritos at 3,300m. Camp here this evening by the stream. (7km from Micarache to Los Morritos). Today you will be walking for around 4 hours.

Los Morritos (3,300m) to El Carrizal (1,400m)

After breakfast you set out walking towards El Carrizal. Today you will be walking for around 6-7 hours covering 9km. Leaving behind the high plateau, passing through the paramos vegetation to emerge into a dense and rarely visited cloud forest rich with bamboo and ferns, walking through narrow valleys to get there. Occasionally a suspension bridge is used to cross the river that feed into the mighty Orinoco River. In the afternoon you arrive at the tiny Andean hamlet of El Carrizal (1.400m) whose population of 20 is completely isolated from civilisation, without roads or electricity. The hamlet specialises in the production of coffee, avocados and oranges. Temperatures increase as you descend. Tonight you sleep in one of the local village houses.

El Carrizal to San Jose

Today is a day of undulating trekking to reach the small village of San Jose (1.000m) where you will spend the night. From San Jose you can enjoy lovely views of the plains and the lights of the town of Barinas in the distance. You spend the night in one of the local houses. Total walking time for the day 6-7 hours. 9km.

San Jose (1,300m) to Santa Maria de Canagua (400m)

Today you continue the journey, walking down the slopes of the Sierra Nevada passing through sugar cane and coffee growing areas of Alto La Aguada until the mountain path comes to an end in the small village of Santa Maria de Canagua, 400m above sea level, in the state of Barinas. Here you spend your final night in a village lodge and can enjoy bathing in the Curbati River. Walking time today approx.6-7 hrs. 9km

to Wildlife Hato in Los Llanos

After breakfast, you descend to Las Palmas (about 40mins walking) where your vehicle will be waiting to take you one hour by dirt road to Curbati then onwards on a black-top road via Barinas to Hato El Cedral for the first of two nights. You should arrive at the ranch in time for lunch. Around the ranch and on safari by vehicle and boat over today and tomorrow you will experience one of the most impressive arrays of easily-viewable wildlife in the South America continent from a species list of 349 birds, 86 mammals, 24 reptiles, and 21 amphibians. You have a good chance to see countless capybara and caiman, and a good assortment of fresh-water dolphin, giant otter, capuchin and howler monkeys, iguanas, armadillo, giant anteater, anaconda, river turtles, orinoco crocodile, and more. The birdlife is superb, with huge numbers of waterbirds in particular, from the enormous jabiru stork and the unmissable scarlet ibis, to beautiful but more reclusive birds such as zigzag and agami herons, and the ungainly but extraordinary hoatzin. There are macaws and parrots among a host of others. It may be possible to take a night drive to see some of the nocturnal mammals and birds.

A full day of morning and afternoon safaris at Hato El Cedral, by vehicle or boat.

return to Caracas for a positioning night.

a.m. final safari p.m. transfer to Barinas airport (3hrs) for a late afternoon flight back to Caracas. Fly Barinas / Caracas 9V1055 18.30/19.30 You will be met on arrival and transferred back to your first hotel for a final positioning night.

depart

transfer back to Caracas airport for an onwards flight (either home, or to your next destination in Venezuela)