Watershed protection, fauna refuge, tourist attraction. The northern limit of the Coastal Cordillera is formed by the coastline of the Caribbean Sea, and to the south it is bordered by the extensive plains of the Llanos. The Coastal Cordillera is articulated into two transversal sections, a larger western and a smaller eastern one. Between them are the densely populated valleys of Caracas and Tuy, and the Valencia Lake Depression.
Soils are generally acidic and predominantly entisols and ultisols.
The general climate of the Coastal Cordillera is strongly influenced by the north-eastern trade winds, especially during the dry season from December to April, whereas during the rainy season the Intertropical Convergence Zone reaches its northern limit in the area, accompanied by predominantly southern winds with high moisture. Above about 800 m on the windward and 1000 m on the leeward slopes, frequent mist occurs, extending usually 1000-1200 m upwards. Seasonality is strong in the lower regions, where the dry season is marked, but at higher elevations seasonality tends to become less pronounced. A wide variety of vegetation types covers the entire Coastal Cordillera, showing a characteristic altitudinal zonation throughout the range. Predominant is the forest formation, which ranges from deciduous low forests to evergreen luxuriant and very tall upper montane forests, also known as cloud forests.