Cerro Santa Ana
Península de Paraguaná
Estado Falcón 
Foto: Orlando Da Silva

Vista Aérea del Cerro Santa Ana
Península de Paraguaná, Estado Falcón
Foto: Orlando Da Silva

Vista del Cerro Santa Ana
desde Muaco
Foto: Alirio Puche

The Cerro Santa Ana, located at the Paraguana Peninsula, was declared Natural Monument on June 14th 1972.
The Cerro Santa Ana stands out by being the only elevation with 830m of height! in the Peninsula of Paraguana. Its summit has actually three peaks that extends from North to West in the following order: The Picacho (Peak) of Buena Vista, The Picacho of Santa Ana (center) and the highest: the Picacho Moruy.

INSIDE THE CERRO

There has been identified five different types of vegetation, since the vegetation species changes depending on the altitude.
The first is the Xerófita (arid dessert) Area where they prevail the cujíes, cardones, student minstrels and crops and also other species like the bush of hoop, and the lily of mount.

The second denominated Tropofitica Area includes higher trees like the tabacon de falda, and the morillo. In this are the climate is less hot given the number of precipitations.

The next area is the Cloudy Forest where the trees reach a height until of 15 meters and since the concentration of humidity is more high, the floors are marshy.

Up of this forest, in the Zone that according to the authors: Tamayo, Lasser And Aristiguieta denominate of Antillean Heath, the vegetation is smaller plants and bushes, similar to the Andean heath.

At the top, the area is call of dwarf vegetation because prevail small plants like ferns, the clusia, and the corta-corta ( a plant of shaft and sharp leaves).

FAUNA
The Fauna that lived in each area  is also varied.
The birds that live in the cloudy forest : the guacharaca, paraulata montañera, siriri, curtío of the Tocuyo and the tile verdeviche, by naming some, live exclusively in this area. They are not found  side of the Península.
As for Mammals refer exist rodents: like the mouse mochilero, the casiragua, and the rat "arboricala", but it have been also identified marsupials. At the highest part have been identified bats of long muzzle and in its lowest part there are also rabbits of mount.

GOING TO THE TOP

There are two routes in order to go to the summit. One of them is by Moruy, where it is a path until the highest peak the Picacho of Moruy. It is possible to go to the summit , but INPARQUES has restricted the traffic until "LA PLANICIE" (550mt) in order of preventing the destruction and conserve the natural habitat. The other is for Santa Ana, here the road is interrupted and for recommendations of INPARQUES you could only go until the area known as " LA HIERBITA" (550mt). Please Contact INPARQUES in order to verify and update the information presented here.