Caracas Become a Travel Agent Near Me

Overview

Introduction

Caracas is a popular place to talk about, although few people think of it as an ideal travel destination these days. Political tensions with Venezuela have made travel difficult for U.S. citizens.

Popular areas such as Plaza Bolivar are hot spots for ongoing political demonstrations, although these are now of a more subdued nature. On a hopeful note, the opposition has announced that it intends to welcome all visitors and promote tourism as it once did, with additional emphasis on adventure and ecotourism.

When stability returns to the country, we hope to see Caracas' tourism industry bounce back. The city's futuristic skyscrapers, fine restaurants, and museums displaying works by Picasso and Matisse are all frequented by residents who sometimes look as if they're ready to pose for Vogue or GQ.

Caracas is also a city where poverty is widespread and highly visible, in large part a consequence of Chavismo's draconian style of management. More than a third of its inhabitants live in shanties in hills around the city, and street crime is common. With that in mind, Caracas is worth a look, if only to experience a major South American city and its congenial, multiethnic population.

Although travelers who speak fluent Spanish may feel comfortable tackling the city on their own, it's recommended that visitors stick to guided tours, especially for the historic central zone and cultural areas of Bellas Artes.

In the safer and more upscale areas such as Las Mercedes, Los Palos Grandes, Altamira, La Castellana, Chacaito and El Hatillo, tourists can feel more comfortable exploring on foot, although navigation can be difficult if you don't speak Spanish.

Must See or Do

Sights—Panteon Nacional, the resting place for many Venezuelan heroes; the dramatic Teatro Teresa Carreno, site of many of the city's cultural events; the Catedral de Caracas, home to an impressive collection of art inspired by religious themes; the mountains of Parque Nacional Waraira Repano and the view from the cable car.

Museums—Modern art at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo; Venezuelan art at the Galeria de Arte Nacional; the beautiful Museo de Arte Colonial; Museo de Ciencias Naturales; Museo de Bellas Artes; religious art at Museo Sacro, next to the cathedral.

Memorable Meals—Perfectly cooked beef and attentive service at Maute Grill; paella or Biscayan red snapper at Urrutia.

Late Night—Bar-hopping in Centro San Ignacio; high-tech disco at Uve in trendy Las Mercedes; 360 Degrees for the thirtysomething crowd seeking a tranquil retreat; live jazz at Juan Sebastian Bar; people-watching at the casual El Leon restaurant and terrace bar.

Walks—Window-shopping at the enormous Centro Sambil shopping mall; strolling through the Jardin Botanico near Plaza Venezuela; exploring the wide expanse of Parque del Este; hiking in Parque Nacional Waraira Repano; exploring the streets of El Hatillo with its numerous and interesting shops, galleries and restaurants; the Plaza Bolivar with its resident sloths.

Especially for Kids—Be a DJ or ride in the space simulator at the Museo de los Ninos; visit the zoo and planetarium at Parque del Este; play in the game rooms of Centro Sambil shopping mall, the continent's fourth-largest.

Geography

Caracas is in north-central Venezuela, in a long valley that stretches from east to west at about 3,000 ft/930 m above sea level. It's bordered by majestic mountains to the north and densely populated suburbs, both rich and poor, to the south. It's about 14 mi/23 km from the Caribbean Sea.

Most of the city's historical attractions can be found near Plaza Bolivar, in the heart of the city center. Its cultural highlights are clustered around the Bellas Artes metro station. Most of the malls, trendy shops and restaurants are in the eastern section of the city, in neighborhoods such as Las Mercedes, Los Palos Grandes, La Castellana and Altamira, collectively referred to as Los Altos ("the heights").

History

Christopher Columbus stopped in Venezuela on his third voyage to the New World, but the first Europeans who fully explored the coastline were Alonso de Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci, who arrived in 1499. Diego de Lozada founded Caracas on the feast of St. James (Santiago in Spanish) in 1567 and named the city Santiago de Leon de Caracas after the saint and the tribe of Indians who inhabited the area. Because of its proximity to the port of La Guaira, the city became a center of trade between Spain and the New World.

Venezuela won its independence in 1821 after more than a decade of bloody battles with Spain. The resistance came under the command of Simon Bolivar, a native son of Caracas who is revered as the Great Liberator throughout South America. Bolivar's status almost equals that of a saint in Venezuela. His name is everywhere—even the country's unit of currency, the bolivar, and official name, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, are named for him—and his tomb is a stop on most Caracas tours.

The century after independence, the country saw no peace, as leaders from different factions all wanted to gain control. Civil wars left much of the country in dire conditions, especially in the vital agricultural sector, since many farmers left their fields to fight and other areas were intentionally destroyed by fires, set as a political tactic to assure that opposition forces did not even have basic resources.

Gen. Juan Vicente Gomez unseated Cipriano Castro in 1908, and his dictatorship lasted until his death in 1935. It was during his regime that petroleum was discovered in the 1920s. That discovery led to a shift from an agricultural society to a more technical one. Peasants left the fields for the oil wells, and the whole country began growing, as new roadways connected towns and villages to nearby cities. Oil money transformed the once bucolic city into a bustling and modern capital.

A democratically elected government was finally installed in 1958, but corruption, coup attempts and economic instability continued to plague the country. The former rebel leader, Hugo Chavez, was elected president in 1998 and reconfirmed in 2000, based on promises of addressing the needs of the poor and eliminating corruption. By 2002, the economy experienced a decline, in spite of record-high oil prices, and the weakening economy spurred growing rejection of Chavez. Opposition forces began staging massive protest marches and called a nationwide strike in December 2002, all in the hopes of ousting the left-leaning president. However, the embattled president won a landslide victory in a recall election in August 2004. Chavez continued to hold the presidency until his death in 2013. Nicolas Maduro, who had served as interim president after Chavez's death, was officially elected to the presidency in April 2013.

In spite of his party losing congressional elections by a landslide in December 2015, Maduro himself remains in power, after being reelected in 2018 amid much controversy.

Safety continues to be a serious concern, with an alarming increase in homicides, abductions of the wealthy and holdups. Inflation and high government spending continue to be problematic.

Potpourri

Simon Bolivar, the Great Liberator of much of South America, was born in Caracas. You'll see his name everywhere—even on Venezuelan currency, the bolivar. Statues of Bolivar are also found in the main square of every Venezuelan town and village.

The twin towers of Centro Simon Bolivar (at the western extreme of Avenida Bolivar) were originally designed in 1949 to have 28 stories (far eclipsing the city's six-story buildings of the time). But at the insistence of then-dictator Marcos Perez Jimenez, two more floors were added, making them the tallest buildings in South America when completed in 1958.

The twin towers of Parque Central, each with 56 floors, were built in 1966. At the time they were erected, they were the tallest towers of prestressed concrete construction in the world.

Venezuela produces more international beauty queens than any other country in the world (six Miss World titles and and seven Miss International titles), a fact that is a source of great national pride. Each potential Miss Venezuela is put through a grueling six-month regimen of physical conditioning and beautification that often includes plastic surgery and dental work. The rewards for the women are many: The Miss Venezuela title is an automatic entry into Caracas high society and assures a TV career or a public relations job at a major corporation.

Soap operas are popular in Venezuela, and the television industry often counts on former Miss Venezuela contestants to populate the shows. For tourists, it can be a treat to run across the live filming of these productions on location in shopping malls, stores, restaurants and hotels.

Ubiquitous and inexpensive valet parking is one perk in a country mostly known for its mediocre customer service. Roll up to any restaurant or nightspot and you'll likely be told to leave your car with the attendant, who, for a small tip, will park and oversee the automobile as long as you remain at the locale. Venezuela has one of the highest car-theft rates in the world, which is how the valet process came about—most people simply refuse to leave their car in the street unattended.

Location

Until further notice, cruise ships are not docking at La Guaira because of the 2003 collapse of the main viaduct connecting Caracas with the coast and with the airport, and ferry service between La Guaira and Margarita Island has been suspended. The only cruise ship line docking at La Guaira currently is the Spanish-owned Pullmantour, which specifically advises U.S. citizens who are passengers against going ashore.

Cruise ships dock at Isla Margarita, and you need to go to Puerto La Cruz, a drive of about five hours, and board the ferry from there to Caracas. Although you can buy ferry tickets at the pier in Puerto La Cruz, we recommend you prepurchase tickets at the Conferry office in Caracas (Avenida Casanova, Torre Banoriente, near the Plaza Venezuela metro stop; http://www.conferry.com) to avoid unnecessary delays and to make sure space is available on your desired date. You then present the receipt for the tickets when you board at Puerto La Cruz. Alternatively, you can fly from Caracas to Isla Margarita for about US$55 each way. At least five carriers make daily trips. Note that in spite of touts who will tell you otherwise, there are no water taxis between the mainland and the island.

We do not recommend even visiting the port town of La Guaira. It's an extremely dangerous area, day or night, noted for assaults on tourists (another factor contributing to the decision to move the cruise stop to Margarita).