Henri Pittier National Park (Parque Nacional Henri Pittier) is the oldest national park in Venezuela. Located in the northern part of Aragua state, in the mountainous regions of Carabobo state, it covers an area of ​​almost 108 thousand hectares. It is the largest protected area in the Cordillera De La Costa mountains.

The park received national status in 1937 (the first one in the country). It was originally called Rancho Grande (a big ranch). Later, in 1953, it got a new name in honor of the founder of the system of national parks, Henri Pittier. The Swiss scientist worked in Venezuela since 1917, he created descriptions of almost 30 thousand plant species. Pittier, a geographer, botanist, and ethnographer, spent several years studying tropical species of flora and fauna on the territory that later became a park.

The protected area was created to protect endemic, rare and endangered species of animals living in the forest, river, and marine environment.

The park can be divided into two parts: mountainous areas and a coastal zone with bays and beaches. Aside from performing a conservation function, the park serves as a source of freshwater for settlements in and around it.

The flora of the park is very diverse: there are low-growing plants, typical plants for forests at low altitudes, palm trees, and many beautiful flowers (aroids, orchids, bromeliads). The water resources are connected by several rivers flowing into the Caribbean Sea or the lake of Valencia. The park has several recreational areas such as La Guamita, Las Cocuizas, La Trilla, El Polvorín. Moreover, there are observation decks on the main roads connecting Maracay and Choroní and Maracay and Ocumare de la Costa

One of the main attractions of the park is the variety of birds: there are more than 500 species of them. Such a range of feathered race makes the park especially popular among scientists and tourists from all over the world.

The Estación Biológica Rancho Grande has the Zoological Museum that can be visited by appointment. There you can see many species that live on the territory of Henri Pittier Park.