TOURS

All the tours offered to the Conference are in the all-included category, with the exception of the plane tickets. Issues related to this point, have to be quoted according to the date and selected destination, service that we can also offer and coordinate. Likewise, we can coordinate aerial and terrestrial combinations for all your pre and post tour activities while you stay in Venezuela. In order to guarantee availability and obtain the best price according to your trip date, we ask you to send us information about your arrival and departure from Venezuela, as well as your preferences for post conference trips, so as to get the best flights combination.

HALF DAY TOURS OF THE CONFERENCE 45 EUROS

We will pick the groups up at Hotel Hesperia after lunch 1:30 PM and arrive at Hesperia around 7 PM. A minimum number of participants are required for the tours to be offered so please make sure to book your choice in advance when registering for the conference. Accompanying persons may attend one of the tours by purchasing tickets at Eviatour-Conturven registration desk. The payment of the tickets will be possible only in cash. This option is available until June 21, 2010. Bring soft clothes, sunblock, hats, sport shoes. For the Restinga is needed to use mosquitoes repellant and waterproof camera.

Ecological Tour: National Park La Restinga

The National Park La Restinga includes a complex system of marine and coastal wetlands of considerable ecological and scenic importance. The complex of canals and lagoons is separated from the sea by a barrier (restinga) dominated by halophytes influenced by the subsoil of sand and seashells.

The mangroves cover more than 1,058 hectares (one of the largest areas of mangrove in the Lesser Antilles), composed of four species of mangroves. On the Island of Margarita, ten subspecies of endemic birds have been recorded of which at least seven are found within La Restinga national park which is the principal or exclusive habitat for three of them. These include the _ángaro (Aratinga acuticaudata neoxena), a Psittaciformes seriously threatened with extinction with a population of less the 110 specimens: the polla de mangle (Rallus longorostris margaritae); and chienguechera (Butorides striatus robinsoni). There is also the cotorra margariteña (Amazona barbadensis) whose population is a greater percentage of the total bird population than the other seven populations known of this species. The national park is the most important part of the island for aquatic birds, several species of which are threatened such as the garza paleta (Ajaia ajaja) and the togogo (Phoenicopterus ruber). The importance of this area as a resting and feeding place for migratory birds has been well documented. Among the reptiles are the sea turtles such as tortuga verde (Chelonya midas), tortuga parape (Erectmochelys imbricata) and caguamo (Caretta caretta).

Historical tour: El Valle de Charaima-La Asunción -Juangriego

Castles, Churches and Museums represent the main historical reminiscences of the Iberic architecture legacy in the colonial past that begins in the XXV century with the arrival of Colon to the nearby town of Cubagua, the important colonial city of Nueva Cadiz where the Indigenous Group Guaiqueries were forced to collect for the spaniers crown the immense richness of pearls.

There are archeological evidences about the presence of indigenous people in the islands since at least 3500 years BP, and around the ruins of the huge city of Cubagua where guaiqueries lived together with African slaves. The city was completely devastated by an earthquake (by the time when reached 1000 people). According to a Local Legend, some Guaiqueries found the Virgin statue of Cubagua on a beach that survived the earthquake and they translated it to the Valley of Charaima. Charaima was an Indian Cacique, who was one of the most important indigenous guaiqueries leaders inhabiting Margarita Island before the Spanish conquers.

We therefore start our historic tour in the Valley of Charaima, This valley was afterwards and today a very important catholic reference where it is found the Basilic of Our Lady of the Valley of the Holy Spirit. Our Lady of the Valley is the spiritual guide of the Guaiqueries Descendant people, the eastern cities of Venezuela and of the Venezuelan Navy.

Then we will drive to La Asunción, Capital of Nueva Esparta, where we will visit the CASTLE OF SANTA ROSA that dominates the valley of Santa Lucia. Its construction was started in 1677 and finished in 1683 under the leadership of the field master Juan Fermin. It was declared national monument in 1965.

In this city there is also the CHURCH LA ASUNCION. One of the most important religious buildings of the Island is the “Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Asunción, built in 1571. There is venerated the “Virgen of La Asunción”. The cathedral is a historical monument of the town. Another historic places are the MUSEUMS NUEVA CÁDIZ and “CASA NATAL DE JUAN BAUTISTA ARISMENDI” historical reminiscence o colonial times. Driving down we will find the CHURCH SANTA ANA in the village of “Santa Ana del Norte”that Holds the honorific distinction of being the place where Simón Bolívar was appointed as Commander in Chief of Venezuela in 1816. From there he started a nine-year campaign to free Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia from the Spanish Crown. 4pm.

We will then visit the FORTIN DE LA GALERA located in the bay of the same name, that was erected in 1811 by the “Junta Provincial de Margarita” and baptized with the name of “La Libertad”. Here there is also the CHURCH JUAN GRIEGO, where the cleric Fray Nicolas de Igualada initiated the construction of Juan Griego in 1846. The architectonical style is gothic and dedicated to the cult of “San Juan Evangelista”.

We will have the opportunity to see the magnificent scenario of the Sunset of Juan Griego.

WE WILL ALSO OFFER TOURS POST CONFERENCE WITH SPECIAL PACKAGES FOR TIES-2010 PARTICIPANTS

DOWNLOAD THE POST CONFERENCE TOURS

FULL DAY AND 2 TO 3 DAYS SAFARI MARGARITA, COCHE, LOS FRAILES, LOS ROQUES, CANAIMA, DELTA, PARIA, ANDES