Galipan

Galipán sits high on the seaward side of the Ávila ridge above Caracas, a scattered village settled in the eighteenth century by Canary Islanders and given over largely to growing flowers and strawberries in the cool damp air. It is reached by taking the cable car up from the city and then a jeep along the ridge, or by a rough road up from the coast. Restaurants along the lane serve strawberries and cream, and the view runs down to the Caribbean.

What you actually see

• The flower nurseries - the village's main trade, worked in the cool ridge air.
• The strawberry stalls - strawberries and cream sold along the lane.
• The Canary Islander settlement - a village founded by eighteenth-century settlers.
• The sea view - the drop from the ridge to the Caribbean coast.

When to go

December to April is driest and clearest. Mornings are best before the cloud comes up the slope. Weekends are busy with visitors from the city.

Honest expectations

Cloud sits on the ridge for much of many days and closes the view. Jeep transport along the ridge is negotiated and prices vary. The road up from the coast is rough.

Nearby

El Avila surrounds it, and Caracas is on the other side of the ridge.