Venezuela

Venezuela covers the northeastern part of South America. It is a beautiful country, large enough to offer all kinds of landscapes and climates. A country of rainforests, deserts, idyllic islands, and Andean mountains so tall they are capped in snow. There are immense areas of mangroves and savannas with table mountains. Here you find the world’s tallest waterfall, Angel Falls.

Venezuelan society has been influenced by Indian civilizations, Spanish conquest, and a long hard struggle for independence. Today it is an independent country with a Spanish tradition. Oil is a major resource and Venezuelans are technologically advanced. There have been both economic and political problems in the last few years, but the country has vast resources, both human and material, and there is hope that things will turn around at some point.

Many yachtspeople used to visit Venezuela to haul out and refit their vessels. One of the big advantages of hauling here being that the coastal area around Puerto la Cruz and Cumaná is extremely dry, excellent for both drying out hulls and getting work done. However, the political climate, lack of civil society, and breakdown of the basic ecomony means for many of us it is off limits for now.

Which is  shame. Venezuela offers superb cruising.  The offshore islands from Testigos through to Las Aves offer spectacular away from it all cruising with idyllic beaches and turquoise water colors. 

The mainland has several magnificent national parks with mangrove islands where bird watching includes parrots and scarlet ibis. Many towns have marinas or anchorages, where you can stay and enjoy the local culture and food.

It should be noted that currently security is a promlem almost everywhere.

Keep in touch with the current situation on our advisories page. and updates