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Caracas

Travoley
Caracas
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Caracas Travel Guide

  • About Caracas
Nestled below rolling mountains and a short hop from a sun-drenched coastline, Caracas is a frenetic city of petrodollar wealth, modern high-rise architecture and volatile culture.The birthplace of South American independence hero Simón Bolívar, Venezuela’s capital is among the most sophisticated and cosmopolitan places in South America. It is inordinately proud of its past, and has its eyes set firmly on the future – even if not all its inhabitants are looking in the same direction.Caracas can boast one of the most dramatic settings of any world city. The Parque Nacional El Ávila looms directly over its northern outskirts, and its green forested slopes are riddled with walking trails. It is also home to a spectacular cable car ride, making a cool and breezy escape from the urban sprawl an easy reality.Architecturally, Caracas is a modern concrete and glass jungle, but many buildings also have sleek lines that betray art deco roots with some recent constructions designed in a distinct, postmodern style. Culturally, the city also has plenty to offer but it’s good to start at the Museum of Fine Arts before moving onto the Museum of Contemporary Arts; both are worthy of a visit.Famed for its dedication to the good life, Caracas fizzes with energy at night when clubs and bars absorb tireless revellers hell-bent on having a good time. Another thing the Caraqueños take seriously is food, and arguably South America’s best eating options are found here, be they gourmet, international, down-home or freshly sizzled street fare.However, a word of caution: safety is an important issue here that cannot be ignored. Crime is a serious problem and some areas are strictly off limits. Evidence of poverty is omnipresent and you may be shocked by homeless families camping outside corporate skyscrapers and glitzy malls. At night, the twinkling lights decorating the mountainsides are beautiful, yet bitter-sweet reminders that shanty towns encircle the city.Don’t be put off. It may seem daunting at first, but with a few common sense precautions, Caracas is a richly rewarding place to visit.
  • Caracas History
Caracas is a city that has dusted itself down more times than it probably cares to remember, but its story is one that locals will never get bored of retelling.When Francisco Fajardo (a half-Spanish, half-indigenous Guaiquerí conquistador) set up a ranch between Cumaná and Coro in 1557, he could have never imagined that he was laying the foundations for Venezuela’s future capital city.Perhaps even less so when the town built upon his ranch only four years later was destroyed in attacks by indigenous Indians.Rebuilt and resettled in 1567, the city was renamed Santiago de León de Caracas. It grew into a city of cobbled streets and small plazas, becoming a provincial capital a decade later.English pirates took what they could in 1595, before rattling earthquakes in 1755 and 1812 wiped out what was left.When smallpox killed many of the indigenous attackers, Caracas began to swell in size and stature, helped by the gold and cocoa found in its valley.The city’s most famous son, Simón Bolívar, was born in 1783, and 30 years later he returned to take over Caracas.And when Gran Colombia (now Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela) won independence in 1821, Caracas was chosen as the capital city of Venezuela.President (and dictator) Antonio Guzmán Blanco helped modernise the city, basing its wide streets on Paris and hailing in a railway system.Under successive dictators, petroleum exports ushered in a period of affluence for many as the population swelled. High-rises sprouted, but shanty towns began to appear.Thousands of the poor on the hillsides died following an earthquake in 1967, during riots and looting in 1989, and then floods and mudslides in 1999.Demonstrations and crime are still rife today with the city still suffering from inequality and poverty.
  • Did you know?
In 2004, protesters toppled a statue of Christopher Columbus after Columbus Day was renamed Indigenous Resistance Day. Many street corners are named after events that happened there – look out for Misery Corner, Dead Man’s Corner or Danger Corner. Caracas is said to be the witch capital of the world.
  • Weather in Caracas
Due to its elevated position in the mountains, Caracas enjoys a year-round spring-like climate and is pleasant to visit at any time of year. While it’s noticeably cooler and breezier than much of the rest of the country, it can still be hot at any time, likewise it can pour with rain year-round too, so bring an appropriate range of clothing. You may want to pack your boldest and brightest colours in February when Carnival rolls into the city.

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