Caracas

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Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Waraira Repano National Park, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Warairarepano Cable Car, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Warairarepano Cable Car, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Warairarepano Cable Car, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

About Caracas

Caracas fills a long green valley at about 900 metres, walled off from the Caribbean by the forested ridge of El Ávila. The altitude gives Venezuela's capital a mild, spring-like climate all year, and the mountain is never out of sight, rising straight above the tower blocks and highways of a big, energetic Latin American city.

Founded by the Spanish in 1567 as Santiago de León de Caracas, it was the birthplace of Simón Bolívar, the liberator of much of South America, and his memory is everywhere: in the colonial grid around Plaza Bolívar, in his birth house and in the National Pantheon. In the 20th century oil wealth brought bold modern architecture, above all Carlos Raúl Villanueva's University City, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Visitors ride the cable car up El Ávila for views over the valley and the sea, explore museums and concert halls, and eat arepas, cachapas and pabellón criollo. Take local advice on safety, move around by registered taxi and plan routes before heading out after dark.

Best seasonDecember-April, the drier months

Ideal stay2-3 days

ArrivingSimón Bolívar International Airport at Maiquetía, on the coast below the city

11 Unforgettable Things to Do in Caracas

Nature 1

Waraira Repano National Park, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Waraira Repano National Park

Better known as El Ávila, this national park covers the steep coastal range between Caracas and the Caribbean, its cloud forest ri...

Viewpoints 1

Warairarepano Cable Car, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Warairarepano Cable Car

From its lower station in Maripérez, this cable car climbs the flank of El Ávila to a summit area near the landmark Hotel Humboldt...

Landmarks 2

Plaza Bolívar de Caracas, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Plaza Bolívar de Caracas

The old main square of Caracas is shaded by tall trees and centred on an equestrian statue of Simón Bolívar, with the cathedral, t...

Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas

Designed by architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva in the mid-20th century, the campus of the Central University of Venezuela is a maste...

History 3

Caracas Cathedral, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Caracas Cathedral

Facing the east side of Plaza Bolívar, the cathedral of Caracas has a whitewashed colonial facade and a bell tower that have been...

National Pantheon of Venezuela, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

National Pantheon of Venezuela

North of the old centre, a former church was transformed in the 19th century into the national pantheon, where Venezuela honours i...

Casa Natal del Libertador, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Casa Natal del Libertador

Simón Bolívar was born in this colonial house near the Plaza San Jacinto in 1783. Rebuilt and restored over time, it is arranged a...

Museums 1

Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas

Founded in the 1970s in the Parque Central complex, this museum built one of the most important collections of modern art in Latin...

Arts 1

Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex

Named after the Venezuelan pianist and composer Teresa Carreño, this huge concrete performing arts centre near Plaza Morelos opene...

Parks 2

Parque del Este Caracas, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Parque del Este Caracas

Officially named after Francisco de Miranda, this large park in the east of the city was designed by the Brazilian landscape archi...

Caracas Botanical Garden, Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela

Caracas Botanical Garden

Next to University City and part of the same World Heritage area, the botanical garden shelters an extensive collection of tropica...

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Photo credits

Photo: BlackBeast, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Emily Alejandra Gonzalez Romagosa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Warairarepano&Guaicaipuro, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Warairarepano&Guaicaipuro, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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