The best beaches in the eastern Caribbean coast are considered to be the beaches of the Mochima National Park. It is located between the cities of Puerto La Cruz (Puerto La Cruz) and Cumana (Cumana) on an area of 95 thousand hectares. The park covers the coastal mountains covered with forests, part of the northeast coast of Venezuela with mangroves and adjacent coral reefs and about 30 islands. Mostly tourists go to the Mochima National Park to sunbathe on the snow-white beaches and swim in the calm waters of the Caribbean Sea. In addition, Mochima National Park is a great place for diving.
To the east on the Gulf of Cariaco lies the city of Cumana. (Cumana) – the capital of the state of Sucre (Sucre state). It was founded by the Spaniards in 1521. According to Top-mba-universities, Kumana is considered one of the oldest settlements founded by Europeans in the New World. The city was destroyed more than once by the Indians and rebuilt, so only buildings that were erected starting from the 17th century have survived in the Old City. These include: the fortress of Castillo de San Antonio (built in 1678 in the form of a 4-pointed star to protect the city from pirate attacks), the church of Santa Ines and the city’s cathedral in Bolivar Square. About 150 km southeast of Cumana, near the town of Caripe, is the Cueva del
Guajaro National Park.(Cueva del Guacharo National Park), guarding the eponymous 10-kilometer limestone cave, home to about 15 thousand guajaro birds, and mountains covered with wet forests. Northeast of Cumana is the Araya Peninsula – the main salt mining site in Venezuela: here you can see salt fields – small lakes filled with sea water, which evaporates, leaving a layer of salt on the surface. Also on the western tip of the peninsula near the city of Araya is the royal fort of Santiago de Araya, which was built in the early 17th century by the Spaniards to protect the salt fields from pirate attacks. Further east, the Araya peninsula merges into the Paria Peninsula. Here is one of the most beautiful beaches in Venezuela – Playa Medina. Also worth a visit on the peninsula is the fishing village of Caribe River. It is known as the “city of cocoa masters”, because nearby Hacienda Agua Santa produces cocoa, which is considered one of the best not only in the country, but throughout the world. Tours are organized at the hacienda, during which you can look at cocoa plantations and observe the production process of cocoa powder and even chocolate. Another Hacienda of the Paria Peninsula – Hacienda Aguasana (Hacienda Aguasana) – opened on the basis of local thermal springs. Visitors are invited to take a dip in natural lakes filled with thermal water or mud, as well as in artificial pools, and undergo a relaxing massage session, which is performed using a mixture of mud and coconut oil.
Margarita
Island Margarita Island (Isla de Margarita) is the largest island in Venezuela. Its area is about 1000 sq. km and it is located 38 km from the northwestern coast of the country. Margarita Island, together with the islands of Coche (Coche) and Cubagua (Cubagua) and reefs (there are about 70 of them) located just south, are combined into a separate state of Nueva Esparta (Nueva Esparta state). Margarita Island is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Venezuela. It can “boast” 300 km of beaches. Margarita Island consists of two mountainous peninsulas – Macanao (in the west) and Paraguachoa (Paraguachoa) (in the east), connected by the isthmus of La Restinga. Most of the cities, beaches and infrastructure are located in the eastern part of the island. The capital of Margarita Island and the state of Nueva Esparta is the city of La Asuncion, but the largest and most developed settlement of the island is the city of Porlamar . In addition to the beaches surrounding Porlamar and the hotels located here, restaurants and nightclubs, the city is famous for its shops and large shopping centers. Since 1973, Margarita Island has had the status of a free trade zone, so in local shops you can buy clothes of famous brands, alcohol and other products at relatively low prices. From Porlamar you can go on excursions to the main attractions of the island: the capital of the state of Nueva Esparta – the city of La Asuncion; Cerro El Copey National Park, located on the slopes of the highest mountain range of the island; La Restinga Bay National Park; the city of Pampatar, which is considered one of the oldest European settlements in Venezuela (founded in 1530); the western part of the island – the deserted Macanao peninsula; and the islands of Coche and Cubagua located south of Margarita.
Orinoco Delta
In the northeastern part of Venezuela, near the Gulf of Paria, is the Orinoco Delta. This is one of the most exciting places in the country where ecotourism lovers come to. You can get here from the city of Maturin and located southeast of the city of Tukupit (Tucupita) in which the airports are located. Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America, its length is about 2140 km. Approaching the Gulf of Paria, the riverbed is divided into hundreds of branches and forms one of the largest deltas in the world with an area of about 30 thousand square meters. km. Here you can see swamps, lagoons, canals, marches and mangroves. Within the Orinoco Delta, 1,300 species of plants grow and more than 350 species of birds (hoatzins, parrots, toucans, ibis, cassiques, cormorants, herons, falcons, eagles), about 120 species of mammals (cougars, jaguars, ocelots, monkeys, capybaras, giant otters, freshwater dolphins and manatees), many reptiles – anacondas, boas, iguanas, caimans, turtles; and 420 species of fish, among which are predatory piranhas. Excursions are mainly held on motor boats.
