Travel Guide Parque Nacional El Ávila

The Caribbean Indians gave the places the name of Waraira-Repano ("large mountain chain"). Declared National Park in 1958, El Ávila (name of under-Lieutenant Gabriel of Avila, one of the founders of Caracas) covers 85 192 ha. By a decree of May 2011, Chávez's government renamed Parque Nacional Waraira Repano.Only 140 million years ago, the sea covers 60% per cent of the territory. The Andes and the Cordillera of the coast did not yet exist. Much later, rock particles from the Guyanese massif formed a mass in the current north of the country. Two plates - the mainland of South America and the Caribbean - were in opposition. In a recent geological period (Eocene: 40 million years ago, the Caribbean plate sank under the continental plate. The latter forma the cordillera. The national park is located in the centre of the mountain region, on the Cordillera of Costa. Temperatures at the dawn of the third millenium range from 5 ° to 30 ° C depending on altitude (up to 0 ° C at the Naiguatá peak, 2 765 m). From conquistadors to pirates, to peasants and later to naturalists and geographers, everyone sought his treasure.A north face that watches Caracas and a south face that opens to the Caribbean, El Ávila is the lung of the capital. It offers escape from the Andes near Caracas. At the foot of the Pic peak, forest from cactus to tropical forest passes through valleys and embrumées forests. The copey trees, the national tree "araguaney", the bucare and its splendid orange flowers, Indio desnudo with soft red skin, etc. can also be found in an important fauna: the least wild are squirrels and oiseaux birds. Monkeys like "alouates" are many. There is also a. and a. While the park is not a real animal reserve, it is advisable not to go out of the beaten trails (venomous snakes, pumas, jaguars, etc.): flights have been registered. Still in the park, the ruins of haciendas and forts await the most courageous. Anyone wishing to enter the 85 000 ha of the park is requested to request permission from Inparques.