Forest trails
Up to the views.
Ricardo Muñoz — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Patriciacvegas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Warairarepano&Guaicaipuro — CC0 · Wilfredor — CC0 · Warairarepano&Guaicaipuro — CC0 · Nestor Velez — CC BY-SA 3.0
El Ávila is a green mountain that rises like a wall above Caracas, separating the city from the Caribbean Sea. Forested slopes climb to cloud-wrapped peaks, and from the top you see the city in its valley on one side and the sea on the other. Its official name is Waraira Repano National Park, from the mountain's original name, and it was declared a park in 1958. Its highest peak, Pico Naiguatá, reaches 2,765 m. People in Caracas call it «the lungs of the city», and it marks north for the whole city. On its far slope is the village of Galipán, known for growing flowers. You walk forest trails up to viewpoints, seeing birds and trees with cloud drifting close by. A cable car climbs from Maripérez station to the summit near the Hotel Humboldt, so check it is running before you go. The park is about 6 km in a straight line northeast of central Caracas. Start walks early, before the heat and cloud, keep to well-used trails with others, and bring water and warm clothes for the top. The UK advises against all but essential travel to Venezuela, so check current advice before you go.
Up to the views.
To the summit.
Flower village.
Coastal mountain range, north of Caracas
Early morning, before heat and cloud.
Check before you go; it sometimes stops.