Attractions

Venezuela has epic proportions: it has South America's largest lake and third-longest river, the highest waterfall in the world, and the longest of all snakes. It also has jaguars, armadillos and some of the most spectacular landscapes you'll ever see.

The great architect of the Venezuelan Modern era was Carlos Raúl Villanueva, who designed and built the Universidad Central de Venezuela, (World Heritage Site) and its Aula Magna. Venezuelan architectural examples are the Capitol, the Baralt Theatre, the Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex, and the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge.

The southern Amazonas region is thick with tropical rain forest, crisscrossed by rivers, and home to a number of isolated Indian tribes. The charming, balmy town of Puerto Ayacucho is rife with tour operators ready to whisk you deep into the Venezuelan Amazon on the Orinoco, Sipapo or Autana rivers.

Los Roques is a group of nearly 300 shimmering, sandy islands and islets that l aquamarine waters. Unlike other Caribbean islands, there are no high-rise hotels, no massie in tourism and no cruise ships. However, for those who appreciate beaches, snorkeling and diving, the trip is worth every bolivar.

The whole archipelago, complete with the surrounding waters (2211 sq km), was made a national park in 1972. The great majority of the islands is uninhabited except by pelicans and can be visited by boats from Gran Roque. The surrounding waters are known for their sealife, particularly lobsters (which can be trapped from November through April and account for 90% of national production).

Salto Ángel is the world's highest waterfall and Venezuela's number-one tourist attraction. Its total height is 979m (3211ft), of which the uninterrupted drop is 807m (2646ft), about 16 times the height of Niagara Falls. The

cascade spills off the heart-shaped Auyantepui, one of the largest of the tepuis (sandstone-capped mesa), into Devil's Canyon.

With 10.2km (6.3mi) of caverns, the Guácharo Cave is Venezuela's longest and most

magnificent cave. It is inhabited by the guácharo (oilbird), which lives in total darkness and

leaves the cave only at night in search of food. From August to December, there are around 10,000 of them in the cave, along with a maze of stalactites and stalagmites.