Cloud forest
Mist and trees.
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Henri Pittier National Park is a range of cloud-forested mountains that drops to the Caribbean coast in northern Venezuela. A winding road climbs through dense trees and mist, then descends to blue bays, wave-washed rocks and small fishing villages. It is Venezuela's oldest national park, created in 1937 as Rancho Grande and renamed in 1953 after the Swiss botanist Henri Pittier, who classified more than 30,000 plants in the country. It covers 107,800 ha and has more than 500 bird species, 22 of them found only in the area. In the village of Chuao, inside the park, some of the world's most highly regarded cacao is grown. You cross the mountain road from Maracay to the village of Choroní and Puerto Colombia on the coast, watching the forest and birds, then walk the painted streets and take a boat to nearby beaches. The park is about 15 km in a straight line north of Maracay, and the road to the coast is narrow and full of bends. Start early and bring a light rain layer for the mountains. The UK advises against all but essential travel to Venezuela, so check current advice before you go.
Mist and trees.
Painted streets.
Boats and beaches.
Northern Aragua State, between Maracay and the Choroní coast
By the mountain road from Maracay to Choroní.
Yes, it is an Important Bird Area.