The Venezuelan Amazon

Maipures rapids / Photo: Colombiaamazinglandscapes-[CC-BY-SA-4.] Wikimedia Commons
Maipures rapids / Photo: Colombiaamazinglandscapes-[CC-BY-SA-4.] Wikimedia Commons

The state of Amazonas is situated in the south of Venezuela and is a very sparsely populated area, the vast majority of its inhabitants belong to some of the 14 indigenous tribes. The ecological value of the area is very important, its equilibrium is always in danger and must be constantly looked after.

The state borders Brazil and Colombia and covers an area of 18,4500 km2.

Tourism in the Amazon

Its great ecological heritage makes the area an important magnet for tourists and nature lovers as the Amazon is home to about 8000 species of plants and of these 7000 are unique to the area, this data gives us an approximate view of the peculiar and unique place that represents the Venezuelan Amazon.
Its fauna is abundant with jaguars, anteaters, monkeys and endless exotic wildlife waiting in the impenetrable jungle. There are 680 species of birds, the hundreds of rivers that we find in the area are full of life and no less exotic animals, piranhas, electric eels, caimans... It is a magical place full of life for nature lovers and extraordinary places is a must visit if we pass through Venezuela.

Sightseeing in the Amazon

We can find a multitude of excursions and organised trips to this part of Venezuela, from short visits to Puerto Ayacucho, to long excursions to the interior of the jungle where you can enjoy the Venezuelan Amazon in detail.

It is common to find people who organise trips and excursions at very cheap prices and in an unauthorised manner. These types of illegal excursions tend to be cheap but do not offer sufficient guarantees of safety and quality as officially registered agencies could.

It is possible to enter on your own, but you will have to go through a lot of bureaucratic controls depending on various departments, and an endless number of legal procedures. This type of procedure is usually demanded by scientists or missionaries who wish to go to the Venezuelan Amazon, we recommend that if you want to go and have a good stay you go to the legally registered and official places, which can provide you with an experienced and quality service so that you can spend a good holiday in the Venezuelan Amazon jungle.

There are many beautiful places to visit in the area, such as Pozo Azul, a beautiful and deep lagoon where you can swim. El Tobogán de la Selva: located near the road to Samariapo we find a rock in the form of a slide surrounded by a lush jungle environment, there are several hotel services.
At Cerro Pintado: A beautiful place to visit where you can see exotic fauna including a 50 metre long snake.

The Maipures rapids are a place close to Samariapo where we will also enjoy the jungle and the Autana mountain which represents the sacred mountain of the Piaroa Indians. In the mountain there are some spectacular caves, where we will find a vaulted room 40 metres high.