Caracas

Venezuela's bustling capital of Caracas is situated on the Guaire river in a beautiful valley on the country's northern coast. It is officially called Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS) The city boasts some of South America's most stunning modern architecture, as well as large expanses of shantytowns, locally known as pavelas.

Apart from the Petares district, Caracas retains little of its colonial heritage, but there are some interesting sights.

Neighborhoods

El Hatillo used to be a separate colonial town, but with the expansion of Caracas, it has become a neighborhood of the city. It is one of the few well-preserved colonial areas in Venezuela.
The neighborhood of Altamira contains numerous hotels, malls and restaurants. The main avenue of Francisco de Miranda runs through Altamira.
Las Mercedes is another zone with many restaurants, pubs, bars, pools and art galleries.

Public squares

Plaza Bolívar is the focus of the old town. At its center is a monument to Simón Bolívar. The square is surrounded by modern high-rise buildings.
The Plaza Caracas is part of the Simón Bolívar Center. It was constructed in 1983.
Plaza Los Palos Grandes is a modern construction in the municipality of Chacao. It has a water display and there is a coffee shop and a library.
The Plaza San Jacinto used to be the location of Caracas' market. The square dates from 1603.
Plaza Venezuela is right at the center of Caracas. The Central University of Venezuela is in the square. To the east is the Plaza Venezuela Fountain, which is a display of water, music and colored lights.

Religious buildings

The Basilica of St. Teresa is a national historic landmark.
The city's marvelous 17th-century cathedral is situated on Plaza Bolívar.
The Iglesia de San Francisco is the place where Bolívar's funeral was held 12 years after his death. The church features gilded baroque altarpieces and retains much of its original colonial interior, including 17th-century art, carvings, sculptures and oil paintings. Next door is a cloister that used to house the Central University of Venezuela and nowadays are the seat of the Language Academy and the Academies of History, Physics and Mathematics.
The Santa Capilla is a neo-Gothic church that was modeled on Paris' Sainte Chapelle. It was built in the 19th century.
The Mosque of Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim is the second-largest mosque in Latin America.
The Union Israelita de Caracas is the main synagogue for the Jewish Ashkenazi community in Caracas.
Los Caobos is the most important synagogue for the city's Jewish Sephardic community.

Other places of interest

On thePaseo Los Próceres you can see several statues of the heroes of the Independence of Venezuela. The promenade is close to Fort Tiuna and the Military Academy of the Bolivarian Army.
The Federal Capitol occupies an entire city block. Construction took place from 1872 to 1877 and it features golden domes and neoclassical pediments. It includes the Salón Elíptico, which is an oval hall with a mural-covered dome. Its walls are lined with portraits of famous Venezuelans.
The Palacio Municipal de Caracas is located nearby the Federal Capitol. It was constructed in 1696 and it was renovated in the Neoclassical style in 1906. It houses Caracas' City Hall and the Caracas Museum.
The Palacio de Miraflores was the residence of former leader Joaquín Crespo.
Caracas' Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the most important in South America.
The National Pantheon of Venezuela is five blocks north of Plaza Bolívar, in the north of Caracas. It used to be a church, but in 1874 it became the final resting place for eminent Venezuelans. It is a good place to get away from the city's busy traffic and pollution.
Casa Natal de Bolívar (Simón Bolívar's Birthplace Home) is a reconstruction of the house where Simón Bolívar was born on 24 July 1783. Bolívar was the man who liberated Venezuela, as well as Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia from the Spanish in the 1820s.
Inside the building you can see weapons, banners and uniforms from the 18th century, as well as paintings of battle scenes. Bolívar's personal artifacts can be seen in the nearby Bolivarian museum. The coffin that was used to transfer Bolívar's remains from Colombia can also be seen there. His ashes rest in the National Pantheon.
The Complejo Cultural Teresa Carre˜o (Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex) is the most important theater of Venezuela. If features concerts, operas, ballet and dramatic works. It is the second-largest theater in South America.
Parque Central is a concrete complex of five high-rise residential buildings, including two 56-storey towers, one of which was burned in 2004. The towers are home to museums and cinemas. The West Tower balcony, on the 52nd floor, offers a 360° bird's-eye view of Caracas. The buildings are east from Plaza Bolívar.

Green spaces

The Parque Generalísimo Francisco de Miranda used to be called Parque del Este (East Park). It is a beautiful green place in the center of Caracas, where you can get away from all the noise and bustle of the city. The park features a small zoo and a replica of the Leander, the ship that was led by Francisco de Miranda. The replica of the Santa Maria, which was used by Christopher Columbus in his voyages to America was removed from the park.
The Parque Central, or Central Park, is a good place to escape the noises and hassles of the big city. Many other people go there for the same reason, so often it is as busy as the rest of Caracas.
The Cerro el Ávila (El Ávila mountain), or Waraira Repano, is the mountain that separates Caracas from the Caribbean Sea. Its highest peak is Pico Naiguatá, which is 2,765 m (9,072 ft) tall. The mountain offers great views over the city.

There are countless hotels and restaurants in Caracas, many of which are located in the suburbs. Be very careful to wander out on the streets alone there, especially at night, as mugging and petty theft are widespread.

The districts of Las Mercedes

, El Rosal, La Floresta and La Castellana are the best places to go if you want to experience Caraca's nightlife. Caracas has some of the tallest skyscrapers in Latin America.

Miscellaneous Information

Latitude: 10°30' N
Longitude: 66°56' W
Elevation: 1,042 m (3,419 ft)

Population: 5,000,000
Cost-of-living compared to Washington D.C.: 80%

Hours from UTC: -4
Daylight savings time: n/a

City phone code: 2
Country phone code: 58

Average Weather Patterns

	Temperature	Precipitation
January	18.6°C (65.5°F)	2.3 cm (0.91 in)
April	21.4°C (70.5°F)	3.3 cm (1.3 in)
July	20.8°C (69.4°F)	10.9 cm (4.29 in)
October	21.1°C (70°F)	10.9 cm (4.29 in)

Hotels in Caracas

Images

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