Home/up

Home ] Up ] Contact ]

Los Cerritos Jungle Lodge is Ani Villanueva's ecological home. 
She is a Venezuelan artist, conservationist and a consultant for sustainable development projects.

Ani has  undertaken the challenge of moving to the coastal rain forest and creating a  refuge for nature lovers.  Los Cerritos is a village by the side of the  main road from Maracay to Choroni, in the buffer zone of the Henri Pittier  National Park, a large extension of coastal  rain forest in north-central Venezuela.  The building is a traditional rural mud house, built  using the bahareque building technique and Ani's creative touch.   It is located in a small valley on the side of the Choroni River by the river pool called "La Gallina".  It faces the cocoa plantation of El Casibo. 

 In  the garden there are magnificent trees, such as Caobas (Mahogany), MihaosYagrumos, and Higuerotes and the virgin coastal  rain forest is close by.  Coexisting with the forest on the  river banks there are giant Bamboos, and  under the canopy, Cocoa, Coffee, Cashew, Guama, Papaya, Avocado and Banana  trees grow, making it a charming refuge for whoever  is seeking peace,  quiet and inspiration.

It has been designed to  host people interested in enjoying this environment.  Those who have a  special interest in it and  those who want to share their knowledge with the  local community are most welcome. 

Birdwatchers and Biological Research Groups will find this a very pleasant  base camp.

Personal and custom-made attention is our objective.


 We also host workshops on the following  subjects:

  • Sustainable Development

  • Bahareque, a traditional building technique,

  • Cocoa from the  plant to the table,  

  • Alternative education for the rural communities.

  • Appreciation of the environment.

  • Yoga.

  • Tai-chi

  • Health and nutrition

  • Self Knowledge

Workshops are organized on demand and require a minimum of 8 participants. 

Instructors  who are interested and have workshops of their own already organized can  also  contact us for coordination and  to reserve dates.


Visitors are welcome for a weekend, or ideally a  minimum of 4 nights to be able to visit all there is to see along the coast and the mountains inside the Park.  

 Fees will be quoted on demand an can include the following alternatives:

  • The Rental of the Guest  House, fully equipped, and the private use of its  facilities.

  • Optional daily cooking and cleaning services.

  • Prices will be quoted on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

  • A Package Tour including personal attention and a custom-made trip according to specific interests.   This includes the following options:

    Management of the tour

    Guides
    Accommodation Specialized  bilingual guides
    Meals Excursions
    Beverages Instruction in case of the Workshops
    Transfers  

 

 

 

Accommodation: The Guest House is newly built and  can accommodate from two to six adults comfortably. The Main House from six to  eight adults depending on the profile of the group. Between  the Main House  and  the Guest House there are four rooms with double  occupancy,  one large veranda bedroom with single movable beds variable from  four to six maximum, and hammocks for four.  All beds  and hammocks have mosquito nets. The other  facilities available are:  three large bathrooms and two equipped kitchens.

Excursions: There are  boat trips to nearby coastal  fishing villages such as Chuao, Cepe, Valle Seco, Oricao and Aroa. Extraordinary trekking excursions in the National Park and  visits to places of interest like Cocoa Haciendas, Sugar Cane Plantations and  Processing Centres [Trapiches].

Guides: These excursions can include a  local guide and/or a bilingual professional guide in case of a specific interest trip.

Transportation and  Transfers: Transport to and from the camp to the nearby villages and transfers  to and from the Maiquetia airport can be  provided on demand.

Meals: The food is healthy and well  balanced. A mixture of local cuisine and an organic diet is what is commonly offered; however,  we are  flexible and adaptable on request.

 Beverages: Wine, Beer, Rum and other drinks can be included on request.

 Tell us what you  would like and we will work it out for you !

 

Copyright by the artist and synch.org.  All rights reserved.
Permission from the artist is required to reproduce images or text from this website.