The Lake Maracaibo region is one of the less known areas of our continent by eco-tourists. The Lake Maracaibo was the inspiration for Christopher Columbus to name the country after discovering a portion of land where he saw Indian villages for the first time iconsisting of houses on stilts above the water, giving the origin of the name “Venezuela” meaning “Little Venice”.
The major attraction of the lake for most visitors is the mysterious natural wonder known as “Catatumbo Lighting”. This spectacular phenomenon that occurs literally every night is not well known by scientists and foreigner Spanish chroniclers reported it in the late 16th century as the “strange lighting that happens every night in the southern part of Lake Maracaibo”. This region is so dramatically different from the nearby Andes Mountains that it seems to give you the sense of being in two countries at the same time. From the Cloud forest of the Sierra Nevada de Mérida to the desert Canyon of Chama River and from the Coffee Farms and Sugar Cane Factories to the houses-on-stilts surrounded by dolphins, Lake Maracaibo will always be an excellent choice waiting for you.
This program of two days that could be adapted to four days is highly recommended for birdwatchers because it starts from the Andes Mountains to the lowlands, but it is also famous for the boat trips, the sunsets, the fishing activities and the great variety of other wildlife to see each day. The star bird of this tour is the Northern Screamer and the lake is the only place in the World to see it besides Colombia. Also spectacular butterflies, Brown Tree Boas, Turtles, Spectacled caimans, Red-Howler Monkeys, Green Iguanas and Dolphins are literally guaranteed and can give you in a short period of time one of the best two-days tour in our continent.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1:
Mérida - Puerto Concha: Breakfast and 7:30 a.m. departure from Mérida City in the Andes Mountains to Puerto Concha in the southern portion of the Lake Maracaibo/On the way we will stop at the magnificent cloud forest of Sierra de la Culata National Park to visit the “Chorreras Las Gonzales Waterfalls” and walk around the area/Beautiful mountain scenery/Possible birds: Emerald Toucanet, White-capped Dipper, Blue and white Swallow, Inca Jay, Saffron-headed Tanager, Rose-crowned Parakeet (endemic), just to mention few/Lunch in the Andean village of La Azulita/4:00 p.m. approx.
Arriving at Puerto Concha, we leave our vehicle and transfer our baggage, shopping and cool-box to the boat ready to spend the rest of the day enjoying a wonderful boat trip/Accommodation in hammocks in a house on stilts above the water/Barbecue dinner and night safari/Possible wildlife (besides the great scenery): Red-howler Monkey, Capuchin Monkey, Spectacled Caiman, Sotalia Dolphin, Iguana, Brown-tree Boa, and others/Birds: Collared Aracari, Crimson-backed Tanager, Yellow-tailed Oriole, Northern Screamer, Greater Ani, Great, Common and Long tailed Potoos, Osprey, Black-collared Hawk, Snail Kite, Capped Heron, Sungreebe, Woodstork, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Mealy Parrot, Orange-wing Parrot and Red-lored Parrot, Wattled Jacana, Pied-water Tyrant, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Black Caracara, Long-wing Harrier and so many others.
Day 2:
Puerto Concha – Mérida: 7:30 a.m. breakfast at the guesthouse/Rest of the morning boat trip to visit the magnificent flooded rainforest of the region in search of some amazing butterflies, intriguing vegetation, unique birds and of course the small and graceful Sotalia Dolphins/Return before midday to our guesthouse for packing/Lunch on the way and back to Mérida City following a different road/On the way we will visit to the Chama Canyon Desert making some stops to appreciate the magnificent valley and the spectacular scenery covered with cactus plants and dramatically eroded hills.
Some of the possible bird species for today are: Pearl Kite, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Troupial (national bird), Blue-gray Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Yellow Oriole, American Kestrel, Savanna Hawk, Great-black Hawk, Crested Caracara, Cocoi Heron, Rufous-breasted Hermit, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Crested Oropendola, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Mockingbird, Striped-backed Wren, Green-rumped Parrotlet, Scaled Dove, Ruddy-ground Dove, White-tipped Dove, Shinning-green Hummingbird, White-chinned Sapphire, Striped Cuckoo, Russet-throated Puffbird, Bananaquit, Brown-throated Parakeet, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, including several others / Mérida City / Dinner.
Recommend bringing:
- Mosquito repellent
- Bathing suit
- Sunblock, cap or hat
- Raincoat
- Sandals and sneakers
Note: This tour could be extended for couple more days, including one night in the enchanted village of El Congo Mirador entirely on stilts above the water. The closest sign of civilization to this remote and unique village is about 2 ½ hours by boat from Puerto Concha. If you have the time to go there you should not miss it. Another extra night before you return to Mérida City could be in the colonial town of La Azulita, located in a beautiful corner of the Andes Mountains, surrounded by coffee farms, waterfalls and pristine cloud forest. Highly recommended as one of the best places in Venezuela to see parrots and toucans.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Includes:
- Bilingual tour guide
- Accomodation in hammocks
- Transportation from Merida
- Meals and drinks as indicated
Does not include:
- Personal expenses
- Domestic flights
- Alcoholic drinks
Also see tour packages in:
South America
Venezuela
Ecotourism
Wildlife Viewing
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