"Los Llanos" a Mantecal Travel Page by MalenaN

Los Llanos is a part of Venezuela which consists of vast grass plains. In Venezuela Los Llanos covers 300 000 sq km, almost a third of the country. But not much of the population is living here. The soil is low in nutrients and the farms are mostly cattle ranches. You will most certainly see a Llanero in a cowboy hat sitting on a horse during your visit. Around in the landscape there are islands of woodland and many rivers and streams. Along the roads there are water filled dikes.

The climate can be extreme in Los Llanos. There is a wet season between May - November when it rains frequently and much of the landscape can be flooded (not when I visited in June/July). During the dry season, December - April, it can on the other hand be very warm and dry, and many of the water holes dries up.

The reason to come here as a tourist is mainly to see the abundant wildlife. There are about 50 species of mammals and 350 species of birds. During my visit I saw an anaconda, capybaras, caimans, turtles and lots and lots of birds. The dry season is considered the high season as the animals then concentrate around the water there is and is easier to spot, but during the wet season on the other hand they are everywhere. As many other tourists I visited on a tour from Mérida. We stayed at a camp in Apure State, surrounded by the grass plains.