| |
Caracas and the Central Region
The central region of Venezuela encompasses the country’s capital, Caracas
and the surrounding states of Carabobo, Aragua and Miranda.
Despite being the hub of activity and industry that it is today, Caracas has
had a turbulent history with little glory. Founded in 1567 as Santiago de León
de Caracas, it became Venezuela’s third and final capital ten years later. However,
beset by pirate invasions, earthquakes and disease for the better part of the
colonial era, the settlement expanded little and was of no particular historical
significance. Only in the 1700s did Caracas began to show signs of economic and
cultural progress, thanks mainly to the establishment of the country’s first
university and the development of trade and commerce. Nevertheless, growth remained
slow, and the city was not significantly modernized until the regime of Guzmán
Blanco some 150 years later. The Guzmán era (1870 – 1888) saw the construction
of some of the city's oldest monuments and buildings including the Capitol, Santa
Teresa Church and the Municipal Theater, all of which were of considerable grandeur
for the period. For this, Guzmán became known as El Modernizador. Nonetheless,
it was due to the oil boom of the 1920s and 30s that Caracas sprung to life.
Suddenly prosperous, the capital went under the knife. The remaining colonial
architecture was pulled down and steel, concrete and glass towerblocks grew in
their place. In 1936, the population barely exceeded 200,000; by 1971, post-war
immigration caused it to exceed the 2 million mark. Little of the oil wealth,
however, reached the people and most of the newcomers found themselves in the
ever-growing shanty towns of the suburbs.
Today, Caracas is a sprawling urban jungle home to 5 million inhabitants (a
quarter of the country’s total population), where impressive contemporary architecture
is a stark contrast to the poor barrios of the suburbs, now spilling up the valley
sides. Caracas, spreading for some 20km over the Guaira valley floor, is by far
the most modern, metropolitan city on the continent and is the focal point of
Venezuela’s trade and industry. The 360km² metropolitan district, constantly
thronging with tireless Caraqueños is a hive of activity, with a wealth of shopping
centers, hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars nightclubs, commercial plazas, cinemas,
theatres and museums.
There are three main areas of interest to visitors: Plaza Bolívar, La Parque
Central and La Sabana Grande. Around Plaza Bolívar are historic sites such as
the cathedral, Simon Bolívar’s birthplace and several buildings commissioned
by Guzmán Blanco. La Parque Central is home to high-rise futuristic architecture,
theatres, museums and art galleries, and the district of La Sabana Grande is
well-known for its shops, bars and restaurants. Caracas also has several urban
parks, botanic gardens and zoos, which make a welcome break from the city’s traffic
and crowds. However, for a real escape from the heaving capital, visitors can
explore El Ávila National Park, whose magnificent, green mountains overlook the
city.
Getting around in Caracas in not a problem. Taxis, buses and por puestos are
everywhere, and there are plenty of car rental offices, especially in major hotels.
An extensive motorway network crisscrosses the valley floor and a modern efficient
metro system cuts through the heart of the city. Nationally, Caracas has bus
and air links to almost every corner of the country. The international airport,
Simon Bolívar, and the national airport, Maiquetia, are both located in the coastal
town of La Guaira, 28km from the city. Shuttle buses operate frequently between
the airports and Caracas.
Plenty of tour agencies are dotted around the city, and offer trips all over
Venezuela . Caracas’ average temperature is 22ºC, rising to 32ºC in July and
August, and falling to 9ºC in January and February. At an altitude of 960m, the
overall climate is pleasant and breezy and nights are comparatively cool. The
rainy season lasts from June to October, and the dry season from November to
May.
The Caribbean coastline north of Caracas is otherwise known as The Central
Litoral. Encompassing the small towns of Maiquetia, La Guaira, Macuto and Caraballeda,
the Litoral is a well-developed region inhabited by over half a million people.
There are some sites of interest here, such as the colonial parts of La Guaira
and the marina in Caraballeda. Some of the small towns - linked by a coast road
– are holiday resorts and serve as a good alternative to Caracas, especially
en route to or from the airport. The coastline is rocky, and not particularly
suitable for swimming, but certain resorts have waters partitioned off for swimmers.
These are known as balnearios. The Litoral is easily accessible by bus or taxi
from the airport and from Caracas. The coast road reaches as far as Los Caracas,
before becoming a dirt track which continues to a series of fishing villages
and some beautiful sandy beaches backed by densely forested mountains. Accommodation
is scarce here, but day-trips are possible from other towns.
Colonial Tovar, founded by German settlers in 1843, was for years isolated
from the outside world. Spanish only became the official language in the 1940s
and a road link was not constructed until the 1960s. Set in the foothills of
the coastal mountains, Colonial Tovar is famous for its weekend street markets.
At an altitude of 1800m, the town enjoys a cool climate. It is easily reached
from the coast, and has a variety of hotels and restaurants specializing in German
cuisine. Hiking around the surrounding mountains is a popular activity, and the
town has retained much of its original architecture.
Maracay is the capital of Aragua state and has a population of 538,000. Founded
in 1701, the city became an important agricultural center, yet did not expand
until the arrival of Juan Vincente Gómez in the 1900s. The Gómez era saw the
modernization of Maracay, with the construction of many new buildings, notably
an opera house, mausoleum, and the largest Plaza Bolívar in the country. Maracay
has continued to progress throughout the last century, and today the city is
an important industrial, military and agricultural center. Little colonial architecture
remains, but there are some sites and museums dotted around the place. Moreover,
the city is the main entrance to the Henri Pittier National Park. Maracay maintains
an average temperature of 25ºC and the rainy season lasts from April to October.
It can be easily reached from Valencia and Caracas.
Many beautiful beaches lie on the north coast. Just outside the Henri Pittier
Park boundaries are the popular beaches of Cata, Cuyagua, Choroní and Puerto
Colombia, all with dazzling white sands and a backdrop of lush vegetation. Accommodation
and restaurants can be found in the area and boats are available for charter
to the nearby beaches of Copo, Oricao and Aroa, all of which are inaccessible
by land. In the state of Carabobo to the west lie the expansive white sands of
Patanemo, complete with camping facilities.
Founded in 1555, Valencia is the Capital of Carabobo state and the third largest
city in Venezuela. The first three hundred years of its history were marked by
successive bouts of bloodshed and violence. The city was pillaged and burnt down
repeated times by pirates, Indians and adventurers, plagued by smallpox and devastated
by the earthquake of 1812. The Wars of Independence followed, and Valencia was
seized by the Royalist leader José Tomás Boves, who proceeded to plunder the
city and massacre its people. Numerous battles were fought in the region, culminating
with the Battle of Carabobo on the 24th June 1821, in which the victory of Bolívar’s
army marked the end of three centuries of Spanish domination.
Today, Valencia is a significant agricultural and industrial center and has
various historic monuments and parks. There are also several attractions around
the city, including guided tours of the Campo Carabobo battlefields, the hot
springs of Las Trincheras (the hottest of their kind in the world) an impressive
collection of petroglyphs at Piedras Pintadas and the country’s only geoglyph:
a gigantic rock carving in the mountain side at Hacienda Cariaprima. Valencia
makes a good base from which to visit these sites, and plenty of accommodation
is available. A bus terminal and national airport provide links to all major
cities and towns.
| Arístides Rojas Natural Monument
|
top |
Located 5km northwest of the town of San Juán de los Morros sits the Arístides
Rojas Natural Monument. This geological rarity is composed of morros, dramatic
red sugar-loaf mountains created from coral reefs with the formation of the coastal
mountains. The tallest morro stands at 1,060m. The monument has become a popular
climbing spot and can be reached by road from San Juan de Los Morros and Caracas.
The site is known as La Puerta de los Llanos (gateway to the Llanos) and provides
an overland link with the giant plains.
| National Parks of
the Central Region |
top |
El Ávila National Park covers 85,192ha of coastal and mountain habitat between
Caracas and the Caribbean. Rising from the coast, the mountains reach 2,765m
(Pico Naiaguatá) and 2,640m (Pico Silla de Caracas) at their highest points.
While the southern slopes overlooking the city are largely uninhabited, the seaward
slopes are scattered with settlements. The park is home to a diversity of fauna
including jaguar, puma, ocelot, brocket deer, agouti, armadillo, opossum, red
howler monkey, sloth and several species of snake. Birdlife is equally prolific
and among the many species are toucans, parakeets, orioles, cuckoos, nighthawks
and hummingbirds.
To enter the park, visitors require a permit (available from Inparques).The
park has its own campsites and a hotel. Over 200km of hiking trails provide visitors
with excellent routes to explore the park, weaving around beautiful waterfalls
and up to panoramas with fantastic views. 4x4 vehicles can also be hired to access
the single track which crosses the park. The park is accessible from Caracas
or La Guaira.
The Swiss biologist Henri Pittier was the first to point out the ecological
problems in Venezuela and the necessity to protect the country’s ecosystems.
Thanks to his pioneering efforts, the national park system was born and in 1937,
the mountainous region along the northern coast became Venezuela’s first national
park. Originally Rancho Grande, the park has been known as la Parque Nacional
Henri Pittier since 1953. The park covers 107,800ha and extends south from the
Caribbean coast into the mountains almost as far as Maracay. Its dramatic topography
is characterized by steep slopes covered with deciduous and tropical forest and
cloud forest at higher elevations.
The park’s flora is exuberant, and arboreal ferns, bromeliads, and several
species of ornamental plant, notably the rare, endemic Gunnera pittierana, flourish.
Animal life is equally diverse and the park is home to pumas, ocelots, otters,
brocket deer, tapirs, kinkajous, coatis, tree porcupines, several species of
snake and lizard and the marsupial frog. Moreover, because the park lies on a
significant migratory route, the bird population is incredible. Some 550 species
(over 40% of Venezuela’s birdlife) have been identified here, one of the highest
recorded species densities in the world. The list includes curassows, parakeets,
hawks, eagles, kites, toucans, oropendolas, parrotlets, owls, bellbirds, manakins,
jays, caciques, chachalacas and woodpeckers. Portachelo Pass is the lowest point
on the ridge, and as such is used as the crossing point by thousands of migratory
birds each year, making it the best birdwatching spot in the entire park.
A biological research station (Estación Biologica de Rancho Grande) complete
with a zoological museum is located within the park and is open to visitors.
The park can be reached by bus or taxis from Maracay, and is a popular venue
for hiking and camping. The rainy season is from April to November, and the dry
season from December to March.
Macarao National Park lies within both the Federal District and the State of
Miranda. Founded in 1973, the park, which protects the hydrographic resources
of the capital, encompasses 15,000ha of coastal mountains. The boundaries include
the basins of the Macarao and San Pedro Rivers. Sub-montane tropical moist forests
and montane cloud forests are the primary vegetation types within which flourishes
a variety of flora, notably orchids and tree ferns. Fauna includes red brocket
deer, opossums, red howler monkeys, peccaries, raccoons, rabbits and three-toed
sloth, tinamou, helmeted curassow, and band-tailed pigeons. Horseriding is popular
in the park, which also has good hiking trails and picnic sites. The park is
accessible from the road between Caracas and Los Teques.
Located to the east of Henri Pittier, the San Esteban National Park covers
40,000ha. Founded in 1987, it encompasses the western tract of the coastal mountains
as well as coastal habitats and the islands of Rey, Ratón, Alcatraz, Santo Domingo
and Larga. The coastal region is characterized by dry forests, which give way
to sub-montane tropical moist forests and montane cloud forests in the higher
regions. Fauna includes puma, tapir, spectacled bear, deer, raccoon, ocelot;
parrots, owls, doves, jays and many species of reptile. Swimming, diving and
boat tours are popular, as are tours around the mountains of the park. San Esteban
can be reached by road from Puerto Cabello.
Southeast from Caracas and over the border into Miranda State is the Guatopo
National Park. The park occupies the mountain range between the towns of Santa
Teresa del Tuy and Altagracia de Orituco, covering an area of 92,640ha.
The park is predominantly covered by tropical moist forest streaked by numerous
streams and rivers, and nurtures a rich and varied wildlife. Several species
of orchid flourish amid the typical rainforest vegetation. Resident fauna includes
jaguars, pumas, ocelots, margays, tapirs, giant armadillos, opossums, peccaries,
capuchin and red howler monkeys, vipers, rattlesnakes, fer-de-lance, boas and
coral snakes. A birdwatcher’s paradise, the park abounds with species such as
harpy eagles, macaws, toucans, parrotlets, curassows, hawks, hummingbirds, chachalacas,
caciques and green jays. The climate varies with altitude, and temperatures
range from 14ºC to 32ºC. The park offers plenty of good hiking trails and camping
facilities, and has a road link to Caracas serviced by regular buses.
Report about any problems
and errors to: info@exploremargarita.com
Copyright © 1998 - 2003 by Tucupita Expeditions C.A.
www.orinocodelta.com |
|
