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El
Ávila is a majestic mountain. "Guaraira-Repano" and
Sierra Grande were also the name given to the
mountain that separate the city from the sea.
For many years El Ávila National Park was a way of
communication, a source of raw materials for the
first inhabitants of Caracas. Equally it was, it is
and it will be inspiration source for many people.
Famous naturalists, scientists, poets and painters
as Alejandro de Humboldt, Amado Bonpland, Manuel
Cabré and others have traveled through these and
other trails. From its haunting magnificence, El
Ávila watches over everyone and continues to inspire
all of them.
Today, the importance of this mountain is that it
serves as natural source for a cosmopolitan city
like Caracas. El Ávila National Park was created by
presidential decree in 1958. The aim was to preserve
the extraordinary landscape, the great biological
diversity and the historical and cultural patrimony
it shelters. Here the caraqueños find the perfect
place where being rediscovered with the nature can
relax and to liberate their tensions.
El Avila provides the best infrastructure for
walkers of any of Venezuela's parks. There are about
200Km of walking trails, most of them well
signposted and specially conditioned for picnic, as
well as 40 Km of roads for four-wheel drive vehicles.
Half a dozen camping grounds distributed around the
park are equipped with sanitary facilities and there
are many more places designated for camping, though
without facilities.
There are a dozen entrances which lead into the park
from Caracas; all originate from Avenida Boyacá,
commonly known as Cota Mil, as it runs at an
altitude of 1000m. By the northern slope, access to
the hiking trails is possible from different shore
towns: Maiquetía, La Guaira, Macuto, Caraballeda,
Naiguatá and La Sabana.
Among the most interesting sites are the following:
The
cable car and the Humboldt Hotel: from
the valley of Caracas it is easy to identify El
Ávila Peak, crowned by the cylindrical tower of the
Humboldt Hotel. The 12-minute ride in the cable car,
which starts at Maripérez, allows the visitor to
discover changes in the vegetation.
Galipán: coming
down from the main ridge from Boca de Tigre to the
shore, there is an extensive region of flower and
fruit farms with a temperate climate. Galipán is one
of the main flower suppliers to Caracas.
Los Venados Recreational
Center: since 1925, the coffee plantation
La Trinidad has been a State property. Today it is a
recreational center and operations headquarters for
El Ávila National Park. Here the visitor can enjoy
several facilities such as a sports camp, a museum,
an auditorium, a library, a chapel, collective
bedrooms, besides the extensive grass areas with
kiosks for comfort and relaxation.
The visitor will also meet with the Pico Naiguatá,
the Camino de los Españoles, some Castles, as well
as many other interesting sites. To learn the secret
of nature in Venezuela, many times it is not
necessary to leave Caracas. Because Caracas is also
El Ávila, green shelter, legendary accomplice and
bodyguard, with the enigma of its paths and an ideal
retreat for nature lover.
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