El Ávila National Park is the favorite place for people who practice sports such as mountaineering and running; moreover, it is good for those who train to acquire physical resistance or simply to go hiking, know the forests and why not, remove excess fat from their bodies. However, as every year at this time, and due to the start of summer, the entrance to the park is restricted to protect people from possible fires, which greatly limits the options for carrying out the activities already mentioned by frequent visitors.

But there are always other options. On this occasion I want to share with you in detail what has been one of my visits to a small mountain located in the east of Caracas. In fact there are many people who still do not know it, the El Volcán de La Trinidad mountain. So let's meet it, there are no excuses for you to continue your training routine.

El Volcán is the highest mountain in the El Hatillo Municipality of the Miranda State, with almost 1500 m.a.s.l. At its top are militarized land, owned by TV channels; and the "Topotepuy" Ecological Gardens.

The route starts behind the Gama Express supermarket in La Boyera sector. After a few meters up the concrete road, a small dirt road appears on the left side, which must be taken. After a few minutes, you will reach a small wooden bridge, and a small stream passes under it.

Following the path for a few more minutes, you exit to another dirt road. You must take the left, and a few meters later, you can see the entrance of an other broad dirt road. If you look up, you can see a pine forest.

From there, you can already feel the energy of this mountain, starting with the fact that it is not very busy by people and also the suburb of the city is almost unnoticed. Moreover, when turning you can already capture beautiful views of Caracas.

Soon after, you reach the aforementioned pine forest. This area is the only one of the whole route that has trees shade, since there are thousands of Caribbean pines around forming a beautiful landscape. The ground remains covered with all the dry leaves in the form of sticks that drop these trees, which gives the impression of being a kind of natural carpet; besides the pine cones that at some point were detached from the pines by wind action.

After passing through the pine forest, the road opens to give way to a large plot with a spectacular view of the city and you can also see El Ávila mountain to the north.

After this point, the ascent is through a moderate slope trail, accompanied by beautiful views due to the fact that it is acquiring height.

The route is short, you can be up between 30 and 60 minutes depending on the speed of the person or the stops you make, either for rest or to take pictures. It's better to give a one-hour workout to your body than to be doing nothing, right? : D

From above, the view of Caracas is wide. It is another perspective, not the same typical photo that people make from Sabas Nieves in El Ávila mountain; moreover, you can still take a breath of fresh air that is given to you by the frequent breezes that arrive at the place:

Already at the top, you can choose to enter the "Topotepuy Ecological Gardens", where they have guided tours in their facilities, perform activities such as yoga, relaxation workshops or take many photographs, lunch at the restaurant, etc. I opted for a delicious snack and going back down. ;)