Choroni, tropical paradise. Tourist guide.

franqueff (48)in #travel • 6 years ago (edited)

Good day Steemers.

In this opportunity I will tell you about one of my favorite places, Choroni is one of the coastal towns of the Aragua state in Venezuela, it is a paradise rich in customs, fauna, flora, flavors and history.

Encircled by the mountains of the Henri Pittier National Park in the south and facing the Caribbean blue, in this locality the humid and cold climates of the mountain and the tropical coastal coexist, which offers an unparalleled attraction and a great diversity of animal species and vegetables. To access Choroni you have to go along the Maracay-Choroni road that crosses the Henri Pittier Park, which in itself is a tourist attraction not only for being the first national park in the country, but also for being the one that hosts the largest amount of bird species in the world (550 species identified).

^{Ancient cannon recovered from the sea, Choroni seawall}

It was founded in 1616 during the colony, at that time the population was mostly indigenous Churuni tribe from which the town is named, then settled well-off Spaniards who built large estates for the cultivation of coffee and the so prized cocoa.

It was also a key meeting place for Bolívar after the retreat of Ocumare de la Costa in 1816, one of the largest and least known military exploits in the independence history of Venezuela. Pirates like Sir Francis Drake and Blackbeard also saw the natural and economic attractiveness of these coasts.

The town still maintains many of its colonial buildings, it is very well maintained despite the situation of the country, it is very picturesque and it is quite pleasant to walk through its streets. Tourism is one of their sources of income, in many places they speak English, French and German, people are very friendly and they cater very well to tourists.

Another source of income of the town and the most important is the artisanal fishing, the fishermen go out in the mornings and in the afternoons in their peñeros to look for the sustenance of their families. In the photo on the left we see a group of fishermen who captured with their nets a school of curaguas, in the one on the right I am fishing with fishing line from the shore.

There are many places to visit if you decide to go to Choroni, there are hidden beaches, spectacular waterfalls and caves with small secret beaches, in this photo you can see one of them, it is frightening to enter with the roar of the sea, darkness and echo but It is an unforgettable experience that I would not hesitate to repeat.
There are also historical and cultural attractions such as the Museum C.A.D.A.F.E, which operates in one of the first hydroelectric plants built in the country, dates from 1910 and started operations by mandate of then-president of the country Juan Vicente Gomez.

Playa Grande is the largest beach in Choroni, has an area of almost one kilometer of white and fine sands and a crystalline sea, its waters are calm with seasons with strong waves, this beach is also an area of nesting of several species of sea turtles , the locals have a great ecological conscience and protect their nests with signs and bamboo fences so that tourists do not stop over them.