8 EPIC Reasons to Visit Venezuela

Is Venezuela Worth Visiting?

Whilst I won’t pretend Venezuela is a budget-friendly destination (it’s not), you won’t break the bank by visiting Caracas, a few of the coastal beach spots, and even stretching a little for an amazing Los Llanos safari experience. Even by sticking to these cheaper places, Venezuela will end up sneaking towards the top of your list of favourite countries. That’s before we throw in the bucket list stuff here.

You can interact with indigenous tribes in the Orinoco Delta, enjoy the dreamy beaches of Venezuela’s northern coast, hike up awesome tepuis such as Mount Roraima, adventure through the jungles of Canaima towards Angel Falls, and have pretty much every awesome spot almost to yourself.

Most tourists stay away from the country based on its dangerous (outdated) reputation. But if you’re willing to sacrifice a little comfort, then the rewards are unbelievable when it comes to travelling in Venezuela.

There are some really unique places here that we’ll cover below. This is one country you won’t regret visiting any time soon.

8 Reasons to Visit Venezuela

Alright then, let’s get to it, because, as you might be able to tell, I’m pretty passionate about Venezuela, and I’m on a mission to tell the world about how amazing it really is. Here are 8 reasons why you should definitely consider dashing to search for flights to Caracas.

1. It Has Some of The Most Incredible Natural Sites in the world.

I love travelling in South America. It’s by far my favourite continent in the world. And one key reason why is that most countries have some really cool and unique natural spots. Venezuela is no exception.

If you’ve heard about one place in Venezuela, it’s probably Angel Falls. It’s the world’s highest waterfall, with a drop of almost 1,000 metres. That’s a long way down! It costs around $1,000 to visit from Caracas with flights, 3-4 nights’ accommodation and all meals included, plus a tour guide.

Unfortunately, that’s the only way to visit, so you can’t get here independently. I should probably mention that Angel Falls is just one stop during those 3-4 days. The rest will be used to see other cool places in Canaima National Park.

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If that’s not enough, you have Mount Roraima. It takes around a week to hike up here, but it’s absolutely worth it. Roraima is a tepui, or tabletop mountain, so-called due to its flat summits and sheer drops if you get too close to the edge… try not to do that, guys!

Then you have Lake Maracaibo, home of the Catatumbo Lightning. This natural phenomenon is where you can see the highest concentration of lightning in the world, with over 250 bolts per square kilometre. This occurs on approximately half the nights in any given year.

Needless to say, you probably shouldn’t go swimming in the lake here… Stick to the beach spots like Choroni or Morrocoy if you fancy a dip. Anyway, Venezuela is full of serious bucket list places to visit. They won’t come cheap, but they’re worth it.

2. The Wildlife

I’m from the UK. I see bunnies, cows, sheep, cats, dogs… Some nice creatures in that list, but they aren’t particularly exciting at the end of the day. I guess you may feel the same way about animals in your own country. They’re just “normal” to you and probably don’t amaze you in the way that exotic creatures might.

That’s where Venezuela comes in. The wildlife down here is the sort you may only be familiar with from binge-watching David Attenborough documentaries.

You can swim with turtles in Los Roques, spot monkeys swinging through the trees of the Orinoco Delta, or encounter crocodiles running in front of you as you ride a horse through the plains of Los Llanos (and if that sounds oddly specific, that’s because it’s exactly what happened to me during my recent Venezuela adventures).

If that’s not enough, you have pink dolphins, giant anteaters, and even jaguars if you’re super lucky (or unlucky… depends on how close you are to them, I guess).

Now, don’t get your hopes up over seeing jaguars. They’re super rare. Even most locals I’ve met in South America, who have spent their entire lives in jaguar habitats, have seen one or two at most. But jaguar or not, the Venezuelan wildlife is well worth seeing.

3. Budget Safari Experiences

Now, where can you see lots of cool wildlife in Venezuela? Not only that, but you participate in several cool experiences, go on a bucket list safari, have pretty much the entire place to yourself, and only spend $100 a day? The answer is Los Llanos, Venezuela’s plains.

Across the plains, you have several hatos. These are basically giant ranches full of wildlife. Some are better than others for spotting creatures in their natural habitat. Hato El Cedral is the best of all of these.

Here we went on safari drives to spot anacondas in the marshes and anteaters in the bushes. We fished for piranhas in the rivers and fed caimans whilst on a boat. We saw pink dolphins as the sun set over the plains. We milked cows and rode horses and so much more.

For $100 a day (they said $120, but charged us $100, so be prepared for slight variations in the price), you get accommodation, 2+ activities and 3 daily meals. But the whole experience sounds pretty cool, right??

To me, it’s right up there with seeing the mystical Moai of Easter Island, exploring the mountains, glaciers and wildlife of Patagonia, and biking through Bagan’s magical Buddhist temples in Myanmar as a top-class travel experience.

4. Beaches

Venezuela is famous for its beaches. They’re exactly what you’d expect to find on a postcard. Clear yellow sands, blue waters, and none of the overcrowding you’d expect to find in Cancun or Costa Rica.

There are several incredible ones to choose from. The most famous, perhaps (it’s tough to choose one standout option because so many are good), are those found in the Los Roques Archipelago.

Cayo de Agua is the pick of the bunch there. It’s a remote beach with no signs of civilisation nearby. No shops, no bars, no restaurants, just pure nature. Head out there, and you can swim, dive and snorkel with a few others around. It’s what travelling to off the beaten track places is all about.

Elsewhere, Isla Margarita also has some pretty popular beaches. Playa Puerto Cruz and Playa La Arenas have a lot of fans. On the mainland, you can visit Choroni and Morrocoy on the Caribbean coast.

Whilst some spots (Isla Margarita in particular) are popular with Venezuelans, the beaches here in general are much quieter than those you’ll find in Greece or Spain. You can wake up, go for a swim, and spend the rest of the day soaking up some rays before retreating to your accommodation for the evening. Not a bad life, right?

5. The People

One of the reasons I love Latin America is that it’s home to some of the friendliest people in the world. They’re warm, open and welcoming, and express levels of friendliness that come as a surprise if, like me, you’re from Western Europe.

Brazilians, Colombians, and, of course, Venezuelans are amongst the friendliest around. Oddly enough, it seems like the dodgier a country is, the nicer the locals can be! Fortunately, Venezuela is in the “used to be super dodgy but is now kinda alright” category now. In fact, I would call it the safest of the three countries I mentioned above.

Most Venezuelans will be surprised to see foreign tourists. Given the events of the last decade, many people are dissuaded from coming here, which is a real shame, because it’s one of the coolest countries in the world.

When they do see you, they’ll often be happy to do so. Despite several years of hardships, the locals here remain upbeat and will leave a lasting impression. I’ve been to a few countries where locals were often pretty rude, and others where they’re kinda, meh, when it comes to your presence. Venezuela isn’t like that at all.

I only have good things to say about the people here. Not a single bad encounter, and I’d say it’s highly likely that you’ll experience the same.

6. Indigenous Tribes

Have you ever seen indigenous tribes on TV and thought it would be cool to interact with people like that in real life? Well, in Venezuela, you can. Because the Orinoco Delta is home to the Warao people, it’s possible to take tours through this vast forested wetland and interact with them!

The Warao are best known for their skills in canoe building and fishing. If you take an Orinoco Delta tour, then you may even have the chance to learn these skills from them.

This is a truly authentic experience in a place where few tourists go. The delta is a raw natural environment with virtually no western amenities. Sorry, guys, but if you want to stay at the Hilton, you won’t find it here. But if you fancy staying in an uncomfortable lodge surrounded by insects, then you’re more the sort of person who’d love this place!

In all fairness, you don’t come here for the insects.

Anyway, meeting the Warao is a pretty cool experience like no other. And that’s the beauty of Venezuela. There aren’t many countries on earth where one can gain access to remote tribes and observe their way of life like this. This will be a much more memorable experience than that seventh visit to the Eiffel Tower or another Benidorm beach holiday.

7. There Are Virtually no Other Tourists Around

It takes a long time to shake off a reputation, even if things change. Venezuela is criminally misjudged by most of those travelling in South America, and is often missed. It’s understandable in many ways, the changes here have been pretty recent and not exactly broadcast around the world.

As recently as 2022, this was one of the most violent and dangerous countries on earth. Now, funnily enough, it became so bad that the criminals ran out of money to rob because most people had either lost everything or fled the country. As a result, they started leaving too in order to explore other “opportunities” across Latin America, all the way up to the USA.

This is great news for Venezuela, because now it’s the safest it’s been in decades. You even have kids playing football in the streets at night, and people walking around Caracas with their phones out at all times of day. This was unthinkable just a few years ago, and still is in many parts of the region.

I will add a little disclaimer. The “safest Venezuela in decades” is still Venezuela, so you should still take added precautions here, and check government advice whilst planning a trip.

Visiting Venezuela for the first time really opened my eyes to just how different some countries can be compared to the media portrayal. Because, let’s be honest, they only like to sell negativity and a lot of it is pure made-up lies!

The reputation sticks. Open up the BBC or whatever your preferred news brand is, and all you will hear is about how Venezuela is super dangerous, and you’re basically asking to be mugged, kidnapped or worse if you come here. Wrong! Those days are over, amigos.

Unfortunately, this still means a lot of people are put off from coming here, which is a real shame as they’re missing out on a truly awesome place. But that’s good news for you. It means you won’t be competing with hordes of fellow tourists to reach the best spots, take the best pictures and so on.

You’ll probably be the only tourist(s) around, and it’s a really wonderful feeling to have magical places such as Los Llanos and the Orinoco Delta to yourself. When I did a Los Llanos safari, we were completely alone for the first day and shared the entire complex with only one other group throughout our three days there.

8. The Adventures

Many people go on holiday for a relaxing break full of comforts, nice foods and the ability to wind down for a week or two before heading back to the dreaded office. You’ll see them hitting up the same tourist hotspots from Paris to Benidorm, to Santorini, to the Amalfi Coast.

And that’s fine if you’re into that. But Venezuela offers something a little different. In fact, it’s a lot different here. You come to Venezuela for an adventure… oh, and it’s also got some bangin’ food in Venezuela too!

Goodbye comfort and luxury. Hello, buses with smashed windscreens and doors hanging off, air con that doesn’t work on the Caracas metro, and multiple power cuts a day. There’s always stuff that goes wrong in Venezuela. Most things don’t work as they should. But for a real adventurer, embracing these challenges is part of the fun!

Oh, and it’s not unheard of for tourists to be stopped by police here and interrogated for a long time in an attempt to extort bribes. But if we’re honest, it’s the many challenges you face here that make the many rewards feel even more special. Venezuela isn’t for everyone, but those who can endure a few hardships are in for a memorable time here.

Get Insurance Before Travelling in Venezuela

Venezuela is one country where things can definitely go wrong. I was inches away from being slashed open by a sharp blade during my first trip there. Yikes!

Oh, and I’m not referring to a knife attack by the way. Violent crime is much rarer now. My near miss came on a poorly maintained bus where the metal lining below the window had somehow ripped in two, creating a razor-sharp hazard which I was gonna sleep on had we not decided to get off that bus and splash out on the more expensive one.

Now, Venezuela is on many Western countries’ “do not travel” lists, which means it’s hard to get insurance that’s valid out here. Fortunately, SafetyWing is here to save the day!

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing.

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

FAQs on Visiting Venezuela

Planning a Venezuela adventure? Here are some of the main questions we get from people looking to visit this awesome country:

Is Venezuela Safe?

Venezuela is much safer than before, and you can travel around in the cities here without worrying that you’ll fall victim to crime at any moment. It’s no worse than other South American countries, such as Colombia or Brazil, these days. But you should be aware that tourists were detained within reason under Maduro’s regime, and this can’t be ruled out even now.

Is Venezuela Affordable?

Yes and no. Despite being one of South America’s most expensive countries, visiting the likes of Caracas, Merida, and some of the mainland beach spots won’t hammer your budget. The likes of Angel Falls, Mount Roraima and the Orinoco Delta, however, will cost you hundreds of dollars to visit, often over $1,000 in the case of Angel Falls.

Can I Enjoy These Experiences in Other Countries?

No. Venezuela is great because it’s so unique. Nothing on earth compares to the likes of Angel Falls, Mount Roraima or the Catatumbo Lightning. You can find nice beach spots in other countries, but when you combine the nature, the wildlife and the culture, Venezuela is a special place in its own right.

Final Thoughts on Why You Should Visit Venezuela

Venezuela is unique. It offers destinations, experiences and adventures different to any other nation on earth.

The nature is second to none, with the likes of Angel Falls and Mount Roraima amongst the coolest places in the world. The diverse range of wildlife, ranging from anacondas to anteaters, to capybaras, to so much more…

Africa is best-known as the place to go for safaris, yet Venezuela has awesome offerings with many cool creatures for a fraction of the price. Then you have the dreamy beaches, the welcoming locals, and the unique tribes who can share their ancient crafts with you.

In the future, a day will surely come when Venezuela becomes mainstream once again. The dark days become a distant memory, and this will join neighbouring Colombia as just another stop on the Gringo Trail where floods of tourists dominate every cool spot. And you really can’t blame them when you see what this country has to offer.

Get in now. Go there whilst it’s still an adventure destination that remains firmly off the beaten path. Sure, it’s rugged, and the infrastructure isn’t often there. But the rewards are incredible, and you definitely won’t regret it.