Special information
- This is a custom departure, meaning this trip is offered on dates that you arrange privately with the provider. Additionally, you need to form your own private group for this trip. The itinerary and price here is just a sample. Contact the provider for detailed pricing, minimum group size, and scheduling information. For most providers, the larger the group you are traveling with, the lower the per-person cost will be.
Itinerary
Day 1: Caracas Airport - Catia La Mar
Meet a Turpial Travel assistant at the Maiquetía airport in Caracas. Our assistant will welcome you to Venezuela, answer all your questions, and transfer you to your hotel. Overnight at a hotel.
Day 2: Catia La Mar - Caracas Airport - Barinas
Early transfer to the Caracas Airport. Fly to Barinas. Upon arrival you will be transfered to Acequias. At around 3:30 pm, head to the Acequias river – a renown world class river to do whitewater rafting in Venezuela. The river is born in the Andes and this free flowing river is as diverse as it is spectacular!
After receiving the safety instructions and training, raft down a grade II-IV river with beautiful rainforest on both sides of it. Experience “la Chupadora, El Escorpión, El Quiebra Costillas, and El encanto” rapids along the way. The ride is about 1 hour (9 km). Depending on the water level we will find some rocks to jump off from, and if you are up to it, try floating down the river! With a little luck, you might see some wildlife, such as iguanas or river otters, and some exotic birds, such as toucans, parrots or macaws.
After the adventure, return to the hotel. In the evening, after dinner, take some time to enjoy the pictures and videos taken while rafting down the river. Overnight at a hotel.
Day 3: Barinas
After breakfast (8:00 am) transfer to the Sinigui River to do a bit more whitewater rafting! Raft down a grade IV-V river and go through the washing machine, the mixer, and the blender rapids.
After lunch, visit the petroglyphs of Barinas in the town of Bumbum. The petroglyphs belong to pre-Columbian ancestral times and they form a triangle full of myths and legends. Hundreds of aboriginal rock carvings make up this unique cultural heritage worthwhile visiting.
Tonight, stay at a camp located in a beautiful forest close to the Santo Domingo River. The camp has a spectacular climbing wall where our trained staff will help all participants with the safety gear and will assist your climb with words of encouragement! After dinner, enjoy the photos/videos taken throughout the day. Overnight at a camp.
Day 4: Barinas
After breakfast, get ready for your canyoning expedition! Today we leave the camp at 8:30 am and head to El Choreron in San Rafael. Some training is given and right after that, it is time for the adventure of your life! There are several small "chutes" to slide down, heart pounding meters of natural hydro slides, and three powerful waterfalls to abseil (rappel) down. Return to the camp after lunch (3:00 p.m.).
In the afternoon, visit the small town of Altamira de Cáceres. Altamira de Caceres was the first city founded in the Barinas state. It was founded by Captain Juan Andrés Varela on June 30,1577. What is so unique about this picturesque town is that it keeps the features of a traditional Andean town. Altamira de Caceres has a simple but nice little church worth seeing. It has also an interesting museum called "Don Jose Angel Angarita" which conserves the treasures of an important past.
After visiting the museum, trek (2 km) back to the camp. The trekking expedition will give you the chance to see a coffee forest vegetation and beautiful Andes landscapes. After dinner, continue to enjoy the camp facilities. Overnight at the camp.
Day 5: Barinas - Mérida
Today get ready to go “around the world” in your mountain bikes (approximately 36 km)! The journey starts in Altamira de Cáceres and ends in Barinitas. Enjoy fresh air, see spectacular landscapes and hanging bridges along the way. At 2:00 pm we will stop at a restaurant to enjoy some typical food of the region. At 3:00 pm you will be transferred to the Gavidia paramo (3200 meters) where you will get a chance to rest after a day full activities. Overnight at a cabin.
Day 6: Mérida
After breakfast, head to the Santo Cristo lagoon (30 km), the largest lagoon in the Sierra Nevada National Park. At the lagoon you will be able to fish, cook and eat the typical fish of the Andes - the Trout. The journey can be done either trekking (4 hrs) or on a mule (3 hrs). Overnight in tents (close to the lagoon banks).
Day 7: Mérida
Early in the morning, return to Gavidia. After lunch, travel through the Andean páramo, a high-altitude region with an neotropical ecosystem. Visit San Rafael de Mucuchies (the highest town in Venezuela) and the Condor Station where the Condor can be seen. Overnight at a hotel in Merida.
NOTE: The taxi to the airport the next morning is not included. Make sure to reserve this when you arrive at the hotel.
Day 8: El Vigía - Mérida - Caracas Airport - Catia La Mar
Take a morning flight from El Vigia airport to Caracas. Upon arrival, our travel assistant will be waiting for you to transfer to your hotel. Overnight at a hotel.
Day 9: Catia La Mar - Caracas Airport
Our travel assistant will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport to take your flight home. END OF SERVICES.
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