The Ávila National Park, officially known as Waraira Repano National Park for its indigenous Cariban name, protects part of the Cordillera de la Costa Central mountain range, in the coastal region of central-northern

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

. The area's highest elevation is

Pico Naiguatá Pico Naiguatá is the summit of a mountain in South America near Caracas, Venezuela, part of the Venezuelan Coastal Range, of which it is the highest peak. It is situated on the border of the Venezuelan states Miranda (state), Miranda and Vargas ( ...

, at above sea level.

Culture & traditions

El Ávila is known as "el pulmón de la ciudad", the lungs of the city, since it serves many different functions for residents of Caracas, the most basic of these being navigation: the peak of El Ávila marks the north of the city. It is home to the longest cable car ride in the world, as well as activities like running, biking, rock climbing, camping, and zip-lining. El Hotel Humboldt as well as many restaurants, including La Chivera, Casa Pakea, El Jardín de Luna, Le Galipanier, Granja Natalia and Tarahumara, are all nestled in the mountain's hills. Every December, the "Cruz de Navidad" is illuminated, a large crucifix high up in the mountain that faces the city and can be seen from very far distances. A common expression amongst Caracas city-dwellers to describe the change in seasons is "Pacheco has arrived," which is a reference to the legend of Pacheco the flower-picker. He was known to be a resident of el Galipán, a region in el Ávila close to the coast that tended to mark the border between the coast's chilly weather and that of the hot, dry weather of the rest of the country. El Galipán was home to some of the most beautiful, unique flowers in the country, and every December Pacheco would make the long trip down the mountain into the city to sell his harvest in the Plaza Bolivar in Caracas. His arrival was often accompanied by the cold December weather, and over time, the expression "Pacheco has arrived" came to mean that the weather is about to get colder.

History

El Ávila was declared a park in 1958, fulfilling an interest in its protection that had been prevalent since the 19th century. With its creation came the protection of the forested mountains that surround Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. These mountains now serve as both a recreational area and as a buffer to pollution and urban expansion. El Ávila has always been an important resource for the inhabitants of Caracas, who have used the area for a variety of activities, some of which have threatened its conservation. A hotel and a cable car, which climbs to the highest point at above sea level and drops down the other side to the city of Macuto, were opened in 1956. After being out of service for 20 years, this cable car was reopened in February 2002.

Biodiversity

This park has a high diversity of fauna and flora. More than 100 butterfly species, approximately 120 mammal species, 20 amphibians, 30 reptiles and 500 bird species (36% of Venezuela avifauna) have been documented. Nine bird species are endemic to Venezuela and three threatened bird species live in this park; one of the most coloured bird specimen in this park is the querrequerre ( Cyanocorax yncas). In addition, more than 1,800 plant species from diverse taxonomic groups can be observed. Several of these plants are endemic to the Cordillera de la Costa mountain range with some endemic to the park itself.

Vegetation

The vegetation is of mountain forest, with variations that is distributed according to the height. Between sea level and 200 or 300 meters (and even higher up in the orientation of relief) is the xeric forest, where prevail species like cují ('' Prosopis juliflora''). Between 800–1500 m ombrophile sub-evergreen forest is characterized by 2-3 arboreal strata and relatively dense undergrowth is located. Among the 1,200 - 3 tree storeys and undergrowth well developed - 2,200 masl ombrophile evergreen forest with 2 stands. In these forests species of the

orchids Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Earth ...

fern The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

bromeliad The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a Family (biology), family of monocot flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the Tropics, tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and on ...

s, aroids families abound, and endemic species of the

Sapindaceae The Sapindaceae are a family (biology), family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales known as the soapberry family. It contains 138 genera and 1,858 accepted species. Examples include Aesculus, horse chestnut, maples, ackee and lychee. The ...

Melastomataceae Melastomataceae () is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants found mostly in the tropics (two-thirds of the genera are from the New World tropics) comprising c. 175 genera and c. 5115 known species. Melastomes are annual or perennial herbs ...

Rubiaceae Rubiaceae () is a family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with Petiole ( ...

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae (), the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All ...

families and arborescent ferns and palms ('' Ceroxylon ceriferum'') have been reported. These forests boast the only extant natural population of the critically endangered Venezuelan walnut tree ('' Juglans venezuelensis''). Presents anthropogenic savannas where predominate species like melao capim ('' Melinis minutiflora''), the bambusillo ('' Arthrostylidium venezuelae''), yellow tara ('' Oyedaea verbesinoides'') and incense ('' Espeletia neriifolia''). In the upper regions of the Silla of Caracas and the Pico Naiguatá is a characteristic vegetation of coastal bush subpáramo, consisting of open shrub of 1–3 m tall with a herbaceous relatively well developed, being the most characteristic species incense or frailejón tree ('' Libanothamnus nerufolius''), Spanish flag ('' Castilleja fissifolia'') and false frailejón ('' Liabum megacephalum'').

Threats

El Ávila can be classified as vulnerable because there is a risk that the diverse threats it faces will increasingly erode its biodiversity unless in the near future constant monitoring occurs. The most immediate threats to the park, forest fires and illegal settlements, are located primarily near Caracas. However, the concentration of resources and vigilance in those areas closest to the city has resulted in more problems in the more isolated northern slope and eastern sector of El Ávila. These areas suffer from a lack of signs, infrastructure and vigilance. Other threats include the presence of exotic plants, the Caracas Aerial Tramway, the Hotel Humboldt and poaching.

Geography

El Ávila National Park is located along the central stretch of the Cordillera de la Costa, at 10° 32' latitude north and between 66° 12' and 67° 01' longitude west (see map). It covers the mountainous regions between the Caribbean Sea and the valleys of Caracas, Guatire, Guarenas and Barlovento. The park contains part of the following states: Vargas (northern slope), Capital District (southern and western slope) and Miranda (eastern slope). Humboldt Hotel

The National Park is named for the Cerro El Ávila (''Mountain El Ávila''), usually just referred to as "El Ávila", which reaches above sea level. This mountain rises north of the capital

Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...

located in a narrow valley above sea level and separates the city from the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...

. The mountain is accessible by cable car (''teleferico''), by off-road vehicle, and on foot. In addition to the scenery, one may visit the hacienda, laboratory and

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

of Gottfried Knoche; a German-born doctor who was notorious for his experiments in

mummification A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay furt ...

. They are accessible only by footpath. The park follows a mountain range long and approximately 16 km wide. It contains over , encompassing a wide variety of ecosystems that vary along the altitude gradient from above sea level at Naiguatá peak. In the lower areas of the northern side, the vegetation is mainly xerophytes, represented by a variety of cacti, shrubs and spiny species. From , semi-deciduous forests dominate, whereas from the seasonal semi-deciduous forests are common. From above sea level on the northern slope and from on the southern slope, the forests are mainly sub-mountainous evergreen forests. Due to the constant condensation by the cooling of the air masses and the decrease of atmospheric pressure, cloud forest dominates between above sea level. Finally, the lack of water at and higher permits only sub-páramo vegetation. Beautiful forests grow along the numerous watercourses that flow on either side of the mountain. The temperatures vary widely on El Ávila, with an average temperature of in the lower sections of Caracas valley and on Naiguatá peak, where the lowest temperature ever recorded was . The annual average rainfall fluctuates between and is influenced by orography, which explains why rain is more abundant on the northern slope where the mountain faces the trade winds.

Trails

There are plenty of trails in El Ávila National Park for outdoor enthusiasts. From low-level routes to high technical complexity, there is a trail for everyone. The most famous trails are: Los Venados, Sabas Nieves, El Vivero, Los Pinos, Papelón, Rancho Grande, Cachimbo, Miguel Delgado, Lomas del Cuño, El Paraíso, La Julia, Picacho, Piedra del Indio, Lagunazo, Pico Oriental, Pico Occidental, Cabeza de Elefante and Pico Naiguatá.

Gallery

File:Altamira, La Castellana en Caracas, Venezuela.jpg, View of Caracas and Waraira Repano National Park File:TelefericoCCS1.jpg, View of the El Ávila Cable Car starting from Caracas to Hotel Humboldt station File:Camino a Zamurera.jpg, Way to Zamurera File:La Cruz de Naiguata.jpg, Naiguata Cross File:Pico Naiguata 1.jpg, Naiguata Peak File:Cascada Paraíso, por la Churca, Guatire.jpg, Paraiso Waterfall File:Pueblo de Galipan.JPG, Galipan Village File:Bosque Nublado, fila Infiernito.jpg, Cloudy forest File:Cruz del Avila 1.jpg, Cruz del Ávila File:Fortín San Joaquín De La Cumbre.jpg, San Joaquín Fort File:Hoyo de la Cumbre, Venezuela (13075989724).jpg, Hoyo de la Cumbre File:Imágenes de Dios.JPG, Sunset

References

External links

Parkswatch.org: Information about El Ávila National Park

Soundsandcolours.com: "El Ávila National Park: The Protective Lungs of Caracas"

facebook.com: "Cerro El Avila"
{{DEFAULTSORT:El Avila National Park National parks of Venezuela Geography of Caracas Venezuelan Coastal Range Geography of Capital District (Venezuela) Geography of Miranda (state) Geography of Vargas (state) 1958 establishments in Venezuela Protected areas established in 1958 Tourist attractions in Caracas