Venezuela Handbook

by Alan Murphy; Mick Day

• ISBN13: 9780658006593
• ISBN10: 0658006592
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-12-01
• Publisher: NTC Publishing Group

Summary

This award-winning guidebook is packed with hundreds of pages of tips, advice, information, and evocative details about this intriguing South American nation. Photos. 80 maps.

Table of Contents

1
A foot in the door	7	(10)
2
Essentials	17	(2)
Planning your trip	19	(2)
Where to go	19	(1)
When to go	20	(1)
Finding out more	20	(1)
Special interest travel	21	(10)
Mountaineering and trekking	21	(6)
Paragliding and hangliding	27	(1)
Rafting and Kayaking	27	(1)
Mountain biking	28	(1)
Scuba diving	29	(2)
Before you travel	31	(3)
Money	34	(3)
Getting there	37	(5)
Air	37	(4)
Road	41	(1)
Boat	41	(1)
Touching down	42	(8)
Airport information	42	(2)
Tourist information	44	(1)
Special interest groups	44	(1)
Rules, customs and etiquette	45	(1)
Responsible travel	46	(2)
Safety	48	(2)
Where to stay	50	(2)
Getting around	52	(7)
Keeping in touch	59	(2)
Food and drink	61	(2)
Shopping	63	(1)
Holidays and festivals	64	(1)
Health	65	(10)
Further reading	75	(5)
3
Caracas
Ins and outs	80	(3)
History	83	(1)
Sights	83	(6)
Excursions	89	(1)
Sleeping	90	(3)
Eating	93	(1)
Bars & nightclubs	94	(1)
Entertainment	94	(1)
Festivals	95	(1)
Shopping	95	(1)
Sports	96	(1)
Tour operators	96	(2)
Transport	98	(2)
Directory	100	(3)
El Avila National Park	103	(2)
Southeast of Caracas	105	(1)
The Central Litoral	106	(1)
4
The West Coast	107	(68)
West from Caracas	110	(2)
Colonia Tovar	112	(3)
Maracay	115	(4)
Henri Pittier National Park	119	(1)
The Aragua Coast	120	(1)
Choroni	121	(1)
Puerto Colombia	122	(3)
Valencia	125	(3)
Puerto Cabello	128	(2)
Parque Nacional Morrocoy	130	(3)
Tucaacas	133	(1)
Chichiriviche	134	(2)
Coro	136	(4)
Paraguana Peninsula	140	(1)
Punta Fijo	140	(2)
Adicora	142	(3)
Sierra de San Luis	145	(3)
Barquisimeto	148	(3)
Around Barquisimeto	151	(3)
Quibor Valley	154	(5)
5
Maracaibo	159	(4)
Maracaibo	163	(7)
North of Maracaibo	170	(1)
The Guajira Peninsula	171	(1)
The Colombian border	171	(1)
The Northeast Coast	172	(1)
Southeast from Maracaibo	172	(1)
Southwest from Maracaibo	173	(2)
6
The Andes	175	(42)
Merida	178	(10)
Sierra Nevada National Park	188	(1)
Merida to Los Nevados	189	(2)
The Mucujun Valley	191	(1)
Northeast of Merida	192	(3)
Sierra Nevada National Park (North)	195	(2)
Apartaderos to Valera	197	(2)
Valera	199	(2)
Trujillo	201	(3)
Bocono	204	(2)
Southwest of Merida	206	(1)
Merida to Bailadores	206	(3)
Bailadores to San Cristobal	209	(1)
San Cristobal	210	(2)
Excursions from San Cristobal	212	(2)
San Antonio del Tachira	214	(1)
The Colombian border	215	(2)
7
The Lianos	217	(20)
Climate and Vegetation	220	(1)
History	221	(1)
Wildlife	221	(2)
Tours of the Llanos	223	(2)
Routes to Barinas	225	(1)
Valencia to Barinas	225	(1)
Merida to Barinas	226	(1)
Barinas	227	(3)
South to Apure	230	(1)
Caracas to San Fernando de Apure	230	(3)
San Fernando de Apure	233	(2)
San Fernando to Barinas	235	(1)
San Fernando to Puerto Ayacucho	236	(1)
8
The East Coast	237	(46)
The Barlovento Coast	240	(4)
Barcelona	244	(3)
Puerto La Cruz	247	(5)
Puerto La Cruz to Ciudad Bolivar	252	(1)
Mochima National Park	253	(4)
Santa Fe	257	(1)
Mochima	258	(2)
Cumana	260	(5)
Araya Peninsula	265	(2)
Carupano	267	(3)
Paria Peninsula	270	(1)
Rio Caribe	271	(3)
Guiria	274	(3)
Maturin	277	(3)
Caripe	280	(1)
Cueva del Guacharo	281	(2)
9
Margarita & the Caribbean Islands	283	(18)
Isla de Margarita	286	(3)
Porlamar	289	(3)
Around Margarita	292	(1)
Beaches on Margarita	293	(4)
Other Islands	297	(1)
Islas Los Roques	298	(3)
10
South of the Orinoco	301	(52)
Caicara del Orinoco to Ciudad Bolivar	304	(1)
Ciudad Bolivar	305	(7)
South from Ciudad Bolivar	312	(1)
By road to Canaima	312	(2)
Canaima National Park	314	(2)
Angel Falls	316	(1)
Excursions from Canaima	317	(3)
Ciudad Guayana	320	(5)
Orinoco Delta	325	(1)
Tucupita	326	(1)
Delta Trips	327	(3)
South from Ciudad Guayana	330	(3)
South from El Dorado	333	(2)
The Gran Sabana	335	(1)
South from Km 88	336	(2)
Santa Elena de Uairen	338	(3)
Frontier with Brazil	341	(1)
Santa Elena to El Pauji	342	(1)
Mount Roraima	343	(3)
Amazonas	346	(1)
Puerto Ayacucho	346	(3)
Frontier with Colombia	349	(1)
Tours in Amazonas	350	(3)
11
Background	353	(13)
History	355	(11)
Land and environment	366	(9)
Geography	366	(3)
Climate	369	(1)
Flora and fauna	369	(5)
National Parks	374	(1)
Art and architecture	375	(6)
Fine art and sculpture	375	(3)
Literature	378	(3)
Culture	381	(7)
People	381	(1)
Religion	381	(1)
Arts and crafts	382	(1)
Music and dance	382	(2)
Festivals	384	(1)
Popular culture	385	(3)
Politics and the modern country	388	(5)
Government	388	(1)
Economy	389	(2)
Society	391	(2)
12
Footnotes	393	(6)
Useful words and phrases	395	(4)
Index	399	(5)
Map index	404	(1)
Advertisers	405	(2)
Colour maps	407