Explore remote cays covered in mangroves. Try out snorkeling, diving and waterskiing. Discover Morrocoy, a national park not far from Caracas (just 187 miles) set apart by its cays; mangroves; intricate coral; and myriad species of birds, from scarlet ibis to pink flamingoes and crested herons.

Check out tropical coves, lie out on secluded, palm-fringed beaches, and find out more about colonial history in Choroní, the must-see colonial town in Henri Pittier National Park (the country’s oldest nature reserve). Once the heart of a rich cocoa-growing region, Choroní is known for its cocoa haciendas and African heritage.

Part of the Paraguaná Peninsula, in the western region of the country, Coro is full of century-old towns and seaside “pueblitos” surrounded by natural monuments and national parks. The only trouble with it is that it’s the sort of city that you won’t want to leave.

Looking to explore and lie out on the beach? Home to two national parks and three natural reserves, Isla Margarita, or Margarita Island, is known for its distinctive beaches as well as its cliffs, lagoons, rich wildlife, castles, fortresses, cathedrals and blue-green sea. It's all that you're looking for—and more.

Travel to Los Roques National Park, and discover a lagoon filled with mangroves and intricate coral reef and long, white beaches. You'll have the chance to snorkel, dive, bonefish, windsurf, deepwater fish, take flight over the archipelago and explore remote cays....

Lace up your hiking shoes, and get ready to explore. Mochima National Park, set in northwestern Venezuela, covers 94.935 hectares of sea, coast and mountains. It consists of over fifty islands and islets (some still virgin); long beaches lined with coconut trees; and a mountainous region filled with flora that all-but plunges into the inlets, bays and small, fishing villages.

Christopher Colombus reached the Paria Peninsula in 1498. Blown away by its terrain, he and his crew named what's now Venezuela: Tierra de Gracia, or Land of Grace. To this day, the Paria Peninsula is known for its remote beaches, tropical forests, high concentration of hummingbirds and its undeniable resemblance to paradise....