Paria Peninsula

The Paria peninsula runs east from Carúpano towards Trinidad, a narrow spine of mountains rising to around twelve hundred metres with cloud forest on the tops and a hot cacao-growing coast below. Columbus made his first landing on the South American mainland here in 1498. Much of it is national park, the roads are poor and the villages on the northern side are reached by rough track or by boat, which is why it stays as quiet as it does.

What you actually see

• The cloud forest - wet forest on the ridge tops with orchids and bromeliads.
• The cacao coast - plantations along the shore producing fine-flavour cacao.
• The north coast villages - settlements reached by rough track or by boat.
• The 1498 landfall - the coast where Columbus first reached the mainland.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the best for the tracks. The wet season makes the northern coast roads difficult. It is hot on the coast and cool on the ridges.

Honest expectations

Roads are poor and journeys take much longer than distances suggest. Accommodation is limited to small posadas. Access to the north coast often needs a boat.

Nearby

Playa Medina is west, and Rio Caribe is beyond it.