The Llanos are the vast, blistering plains at the centre of the country, and they hold a place in Venezuela’s mythology close to that of the Great Plains in the United States or the Pampas in Argentina. Colonisation began in the sixteenth century, and the region has been cattle country ever since. Many rivers run through it and in the rainy season the plains flood completely.
Why it works for your clients
It takes up a third of the country’s landmass and is home to a minute fraction of its population; the llaneros still chase herds on horseback across it. For wildlife it is one of the most interesting regions in South America and a paradise for birdwatchers — the answer for clients who have done Africa and want game somewhere unexpected. The hatos, working farms converted into charming lodges, are the way to see it, and their rhythm of dawn and dusk excursions suits families and older travellers.
How we operate it
We work with a short list of hatos whose guiding and accommodation we know personally — El Cedral, El Frío, Piñero among them — and build stays of two to four nights with private naturalist guides. Access is by scheduled flight and our vehicles, or by a scenic road descent from the Andes for clients combining the two regions.
