Maracaibo

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Rafael Urdaneta Bridge in Maracaibo, Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela

Teatro Baralt I, Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela

Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Chiquinquira, Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela

Calle Carabobo, Maracaibo, Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela

About Maracaibo

Maracaibo grew rich on the oil beneath the great lake at its door, but its soul belongs to the Virgin of Chiquinquirá and to gaita music. Venezuela's second-largest city sits on the western shore of the strait that links Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela, hot and humid all year and proud of its own way of speaking, cooking and celebrating.

The old centre around the basilica holds the city's best sights. Paseo de las Ciencias opens a long esplanade between the basilica and the cathedral, while the brightly painted houses of Calle Carabobo and the Santa Lucía quarter recall the colonial port. The Baralt Theatre and an arts centre in the former municipal market keep cultural life close to the lake.

Every November the city celebrates La Chinita, its patroness, with processions, fairs and gaita bands that fill the streets for weeks. Across the water, the long Rafael Urdaneta Bridge links Maracaibo to the rest of the country, and the lakeside paths of Vereda del Lago are the place for evening walks.

Best seasonDecember to April, the drier months; November for the Chinita festivities

Ideal stay2 days

ArrivingLa Chinita International Airport; road across the Rafael Urdaneta Bridge

11 Places Locals Love in Maracaibo

Temples and Shrines 2

Basilica of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá

The spiritual heart of Maracaibo houses the small image of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá, which according to tradition appeared on a...

Maracaibo Cathedral

Facing Plaza Bolívar at the other end of the old centre, the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is the seat of the archdioces...

Landmarks 2

Paseo de las Ciencias

This long open boulevard of plazas, fountains and monuments links the Basilica of Chiquinquirá with the cathedral area, cutting th...

General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge

Opened in 1962, this bridge carries the road nearly nine kilometres across the strait of Lake Maracaibo, linking the city to the e...

Arts 2

Teatro Baralt

Named after the Maracaibo-born writer Rafael María Baralt, the city's principal theatre dates back to the late nineteenth century,...

Centro de Arte de Maracaibo Lía Bermúdez

Named after the Venezuelan sculptor Lía Bermúdez, this cultural centre occupies the former main market of Maracaibo, a large iron-...

Neighborhoods 2

Calle Carabobo

In the historic El Saladillo area near the basilica, Calle Carabobo is lined with restored single-storey colonial houses painted i...

Barrio Santa Lucía Maracaibo

One of the oldest neighbourhoods of the city, Santa Lucía spreads around its church near the lake with narrow streets of colourful...

Nature 1

Lake Maracaibo

One of the largest lakes in South America, Lake Maracaibo is a vast body of brackish water joined to the sea by a narrow strait, i...

Parks 1

Vereda del Lago

Stretching along the shore north of the centre, Vereda del Lago is Maracaibo's favourite park for walking, jogging and cycling, wi...

Events 1

Feria de la Chinita

Each November Maracaibo celebrates its patroness, the Virgin of Chiquinquirá, known affectionately as La Chinita. The feast on 18...

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Photo credits

Photo: Wilfredor, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

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

Photo: Rjcastillo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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

Photo: Mgta122001vzla, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Rjcastillo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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

Photo: Wilfredor, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

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

Photo: Wilfredor, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Zerojosefer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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

Photo: Wilfredor, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Ronaldy Lugo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: María Auxiliadora Ramírez Prato, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Wilfredor, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

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

Photo: Béria Lima de Rodríguez, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Wilfredo R Rodriguez H, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Luiscaraqueño, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Carlos Maldonado, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Zerojosefer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Rjcastillo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

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

Photo: Calle_Carabobo,_Maracaibo.jpg: Wilfredor derivative work: Wilfredor, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Wilfredor, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Javiermartinez76, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Wilfredor, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Mgta122001vzla, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0