How to get to Choroni

Get in

From Maracay: buses leave the terminal every couple of hours for Choroní (more at weekends), wending through the dense mountainous cloudforest of the Henri Pittier National Park. The 45-km road is very narrow and full of hairpin bends - at some points the bus has to stop and reverse a few yards in order to negotiate the bend in two manouvers. It is not a journey for the faint-hearted.

The alternative - taxis - is little better as drivers race into blind bends with little concern for oncoming traffic.

Driving your own vehicle may be preferred but extreme caution is needed on the roads. The journey is about 2 hours by bus from Maracay or 1.5 hours by car.

Get around

The size and small streets of Puerto Colombia mean cars are best left at the posada. Everywhere can be reached on foot. Small boats, or lanchas go to the nearby beaches of Cepe (30 minutes) or Chuao (20 minutes).

Get out

Small boats leave from the malecón taking tourists out to the nearby beach at Cepe, about 30 mins from Puerto Colombia. The ride costs about Bs.10-15,000 pp, with each boat taking about 10 people.

Chuao is also accessible by boat from Pto Colombia. The colonial village itself is 5km inland from the beach area but worth a visit to see where some of Venezuela's best cacao comes from.