Before too many other travelers catch on to Venezuela, see some of its most exceptional, and distinctive, national highlights. From castles, cathedrals and fortresses to Amazon rain forests, Caracas, the capital city, indigenous communities, remote beaches, and Salto Angel, or Angel Falls.

Founded by the Spaniard Diego de Losada, sacked by the English in 1595 and by the French in 1766 and freed from Spanish domination in 1821 by Simon Bolívar, Caracas has profound colonial heritage apparent in its streets and palpable in the villages that surround it.

You’ll begin your tour in Plaza Bolívar—full of history and known for its symmetry and traditional, Spanish layout. Then, after you’ve seen the plaza, the colonial house where Bolívar was born and some of Caracas’s most impressive architecture (the Capitolio, Palacio Legislativo, Palacio Federal and more), you’ll check out some barrios, or shantytowns, set on Caracas’s green hills. The homes in these barrios form an almost otherworldly, nativity-type landscape at night. You’ll continue on to El Hatillo, a small town just outside of Caracas, with a central square surrounded by colonial houses that are now restaurants, bars and artisan shops.

After that, you’ll set off for Canaima National Park (where you’ll explore the Canaima lagoon, Auyantepuy, a Spanish fort built between 1662 and 1684 and the world’s tallest, single waterfall: Salto Angel, or Angel Falls) followed by Ciudad Bolívar, a small town set on the banks of the narrowest part of the Orinoco River. Founded in 1595, Ciudad Bolívar’s is full of colonial charm, from its cobblestone streets to the houses and buildings lining them.

A labyrinth of channels and islands full of forests and mangroves, the delta of the Orinoco River is the second largest delta in South America. Generated by Venezuela’s largest river, it is made up of forty main canals and several secondary ones.

In the Orinoco region, you’ll explore Warao Indian communities and finding out more about their culture—firsthand.

The Moriche palm, a local plant, is the main staple food and raw material for the Warao Indians, whose current population is 24,000. The typical Warao dwelling is the “palafito,” a house perched on the trunks of Moriche palms buried in the mud. The Warao are adept fishermen and craftsmen; their masterpiece is the “curiara,” a dugout boat made from the trunk of the palm, a good, simple means of transportion between channels and islands. Aboard a curiara and knee-deep in the mud with a Warao Indian as a guide, you’ll hear about Warao traditions and see some local fauna for yourself, from parrots and alligators to herons, monkeys and piranhas.

From there, you’ll head to Paria Peninsula. Given the name Tierra de Gracia, or Land of Grace, by Colombus on account of its untellable beauty, Paria Peninsula is known for its historic cocoa plantations, remote beaches, tropical forests and high concentration of hummingbirds.

Then, to wrap up your tour you’ll go to Isla Margarita. Home to two national parks and three natural reserves (with local colonies of scarlet ibis, flamingoes and a parrot species—unique to the island—called “cotorra margariteña”), Margarita Island is known for its rich wildlife as well as its castles, fortresses, cathedrals and churches and wide range of distinctive beaches (from Playa El Agua, a quiet beach bordered by small restaurants, to Yaque, set apart by its world-class windsurfing and good nightlife; restaurants, bars, discos, nightclubs and casinos are not far off).

This trip can be customized to fit your individual travel dates and any specific requests that you may have. Your travel consultant will prepare a customized itinerary for you. Yampu offers a choice of 3-, 4-, 5-Star and deluxe hotels. In Caracas the Deluxe option is with Marriot or the Tamanaco Intercontinental; on Margarita Island the deluxe suite is at the Hilton (and looks out on the ocean), and at Los Roques National Park the deluxe option is Posada Caracol.

Additional information on this trip:

• Days of Week the Trip can Start:
  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
• Visited Cities:
  Caracas, Canaima (Angel Falls), Ciudad Bolivar, Orinoco Delta, Paria Peninsula, Margarita Island