El Ávila National Park Half-Day Jeep Tour

El Ávila National Park, in north-central Venezuela, occupies a 200,000-acre mountain region that ranges in height from 120 meters to just over 2 meters. After 9am pickup from your Caracas hotel, you'll be driven to the highest point in the park, where you'll be able to walk and take in gorgeous views that contrast with the hustle and bustle of the capital. From atop El Ávila, you'll be able to see Caracas on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other.

At Ávila Peak, you'll also visit a village known as Galipan, with a community of some 2,500 inhabitants known as Galipaneros. The town's name comes from the former native peoples who once lived here, called the Galipa. Founded more than 200 years ago by the first settlers from the Canary Islands, Galipan has a church, school and plaza all built into the side of a mountain. To reach the village, you'll take a 4x4 ride up a completely paved path, and will find kiosks en route that are attended by local people selling regional products such as fruit (strawberries, peaches, etc), marmalade, butter cookies and flowers.

In addition, you'll see the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Galipan. You can also take a fork in the road that will lead you to San José de Galipán and San Isidro de Galipán. Finally, you'll visit the Humboldt Hotel, which opened in 1956 and remains one of the architectural jewels of the city, built by the Venezuelan architect Tomás Sanabria.