Vacation on Venezuela's green side
A cattle ranch embraces nature lovers, bird watchers, biologists and the oft-misconstrued concept of ecotourism
June 3, 1997
Web posted at: 11:17 a.m. EDT (1517 GMT)(CNN) -- The premise of ecotourism may seem contradictory: Eager, well-meaning tourists tromping through delicate habitats, pitching tents in threatened grasslands, matting down precious flora and frightening endangered fauna -- and, often, paying for the equivalent of a Club Med vacation in the process.
But a nature preserve in the central plains of Venezuela is making it work -- on land that is home to, of all supposedly eco-taboo ventures, a working cattle ranch.
For more than 40 years, Hato Pinero's cattle operations have coexisted with nature conservation efforts. Highly regarded by biologists, the family-run ranch also attracts tourists with its almost 200,000 acres of protected habitat, hundreds of species of birds and animals, and high level of personal attention to guests.
A haven for hummingbirds, capybaras, and caymans
The ranch, located about 220 miles southwest of Caracas, claims to be one of the best
bird-watching sites in the world. Egrets, osprey, parrots, macaws, storks, black vultures and hummingbirds are among the 350 species of birds identified at Hato Pinero.
Naturalists guide guests on treks that often provide glimpses of red howler monkeys, sloths, deer, anteaters, and capybaras (a largely aquatic, tailless rodent -- often more than four feet long). Hunting has not been permitted on the land for more than 40 years.
Guests can also see biologists at work, analyzing conservation programs and studying species such as the spectacled cayman (similar to an alligator) and peccary (nocturnal animals related to pigs).
Accommodations on the eco-side
Hato Pinero only hosts 20 guests at a time, to keep environmental disruption to a minimum. Guides accompany guests if they choose to see the habitat by Jeep, so that
they avoid disturbing wildlife. The ranch even specifies that any insect repellent visitors bring should be non-aerosol.
Rates for double-occupancy, colonial-style rooms run $150 a night, per person during the peak season (December through the end of April) and $120 a night, per person May through November. The "rustic" rooms, as the ranch puts it, are cooled by ceiling fans.
Meals, a bar, horseback riding, boating and a bilingual guide are included in the room price. But visitors must pay for transportation to the ranch -- either by car or by charter plane -- which adds between $250 to $1,000 or more to the bill.
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