Majestic wooded landscapes, broken hills and caverns. There is a series of reef limestone cliffs that formed in a marine basin during the Tertiary period. The river gallery has a height of about 20 meters allowing access in boats, the waters are cold, deep and turbid due to the vegetation that it drags the broken one from its birth.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

Historical review

This Park and El Guacharo National Park of the Monagas State, are the only two protected natural areas in Venezuela that have large caves that have been explored and studied. Both one and the other were declared National Parks with the express purpose of giving protection to all the area that had influence on them, their fauna and flora and other natural resources existing outside of them.

In the specific case of the Cueva de El Toro, also called Cueva de De Bellarad in honor of the distinguished Venezuelan speleologist who explored it, the waters of the Quebrada of the same name that emerge from its interiors supply several towns.

This goes to emphasize the special importance that the declaration of National Parks charges, when such distinction is based, not only on naturalistic motivations but also on reasons of a particularly relevant nature for a social community.

The Cave of the Quebrada El Toro and its area of ​​influence were declared a National Park by Decree No. 56 dated March 21, 1969. The cave was scientifically explored for the first time in February of 1958 and today accuses a tour of more than 1,200 m.

Among those considered of the official provision was that the cave, in addition to being inhabited by guacharos birds, a species that deserves maximum official protection, was reservoir of the waters of the Quebrada El Toro, which guarantee the normal operation of the aqueduct that It feeds the populations of La Taza, El Charal, Santa Cruz de Bucaral and other neighboring towns.

The park covers 8,500 hectares and is located in the jurisdiction of the Union Municipality, District of the Falcón State Federation, and the cave is only 15 km away from the town of Sana Cruz de Bucaral.

In this population and others of the Federation District, an opinion movement was initiated in 1965 that demanded the effective protection of the Quebrada El Toro basin. Subsequently, a pro – National Park committee was created that had a very outstanding performance in the procedures that preceded the declaration.

 

Decrees

 

Reason
No. and Date
Creation: 56 dated 05/21/1969 / GO 28,931 dated 05/28/1969. to download

 

Altimetry
400-1,120

 

Weather
Its climate varies from warm to slightly temperate.

 

Temperature
18º C to 24º C.

 

Precipitation (mm)
1,100 – 2,200 mm

 

state
Falcon

 

State
Superfice (Ha)
%
Falcon
4.885
100
Total Area (Ha)
4.885

 

Public consultation
Do not
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Geological and Geomorphological Information
The landscape presents a rugged topography, highlighting a series of reef limestone cliffs that formed in a marine basin in the Tertiary period, during the Miocene – period that goes from 25 to 13 million years ago. On the south side of the plateau is the Cueva de la Quebrada El Toro, which contains some small caverns such as the Catalina Passage, a cave that crosses this sector of the hill from end to end. The cave has a length of 1,602 m, but its structure does not allow its travel from North to South in all its extension, being able to be visited only the southern sector that starts from the foot of the southern escarpment of the reef limestones and finishes inside , in the limit of the Elda chasm. The entrance to the cave is through a wide mouth of 10 m. of height and 15 m. Wide.
Vegetation
On the banks of the El Toro River, there is a vegetation consisting of a lower stratum, a shrub, three trees and in some localities one emergent. The vegetation is always green or semi-deciduous. The average height of the arboreal strata is from 40 to 50 m., For shrubs between 2-5 m and less than 1.50 for the lower stratum. The canopies of tall trees are dense and intertwine, giving rise to a continuous canopy, which is sometimes interrupted by emerging strata. The trees are steep and show off their dark green foliage. The large trees such as the Hura crepitans, the ceiba Ceiba pentandra, the Matatalo Ficus spp., The bucare Erythrina sp., The naked Indian Copse Bursera simaruba, the Perchaca caerulea and the chaguaramo Roystonea sp .; In the parts where the path penetrates into its deepest shadow are the beautiful mountain rose Brownea grandiceps. In the undergrowth ferns such as Thelypteris sp., Adiantum sp., Microgramma sp., All these plants are adapted to the low intensity of light and high atmospheric humidity contents. Also the Cave National Park of the Quebrada El Toro, is the habitat of a diversity of epiphytic plants of the family Bromeliaceae as Tillanasia sp, Guzmania sp. and of the family Orquidaceae such as: Epidenarum sp., and Oncidium sp., among which a new species is the Nanodes corinae, fourth species of the genus Nanodes reported in the world. In the lower strata, a great variety of herbaceous vines and vines are recorded, that give the impression that they embrace the trunks of the trees. The vegetation of the slopes of the cliffs is very similar to that of the banks of the river, with the only difference being the abundance of deciduous species such as the sisal Agave cocuy.
Fauna
Among the reptiles we can find several mapnare snakes such as the macaurel Bothrops venezuelensis – Bothrops atrox, the fried tail Bothrops colombiensis. Among the non poisonous is the tragavenados Boa Constrictor, the sapa Leptodeira annulata ashmeadii, false and true corals, iguana Iguana iguana, among others. In its rich avifauna it is found: the Crax daubentoni paují, Pauxi pauxi stone paují, the blue macaw Ara ararauna the Turkish pigeon Leptotila Verreaauxi, the jay Cacicus cela, the tile Thraupis episcopus, the ringer bird Procnias averano and the guacharo Steatornis caripensis. Mammals abound: the cachicamo Dasypus novemcinctus, the crab-eating fox Procyon cancrivorus, the Araguato Alouatta seniculus, the cunaguaro Leopardus pardalis, the lapa Agouti paca,
LOCATION
Schedule
The visit to the park is from 08:00 am to 04:00 pm
Location from the Nearest City
The Quebrada del Toro Cave National Park is located in the jurisdiction of the Union Municipality, District of the Falcón State Federation, and the cave is only about 15 km away. of the population of Santa Cruz de Bucaral.
How to get
From Coro on the Coro-Churuguara-Santa Cruz de Bucaral-La Taza highway. To reach the park, a distance of 9 km is traveled by road from La Taza to the entrance. By air to the Coro airport.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations for the Visitor
When visiting the cave must be accompanied by a guide, only allowed the use of flashlights, not lighting up in the caves, direct light disturbs the fauna, do not scratch the walls of the caves, use boots.
Forbidden activities
Extract samples of stalactites, stalagmites, vegetables or fauna, consumption of alcoholic beverages and psychotropic substances.
Permissions
Inparques permit is required to visit the cave, spend the night and carry out scientific research.

Forts: Own research, Inparques