Venezuela's urban spirit can be discovered mainly from understanding Caracas, its capital city.
Caracas is not one of the top touristic destinations of Venezuela, and travelers often bypass the capital city in order to see the country's amazing natural attractions. However, the Venezuelan capital can be a fascinating city to explore, replete with excellent art, food and a bustling nightlife.
Caracas is located in a beautiful valley, overlooked by Mount Avila, an impressive mountain that separates the city from the Caribbean Sea and shapes most of the city's landscape. It is a popular weekend destination for the city's residents (known as Caraqueños) and is easily reached by taking a very modern cable car that goes all the way from the mountain base to the newly nationalized Waraira Repano park, which is situated at the top of the mountain.
In Caracas the staggering inequalities of wealth that characterize Venezuela's economic situation are on display. They range from very poor neighborhoods in the hills west of the city called "barrios", to the modern business district of El Rosal, or even the huge mansions of the rich eastern neighborhoods.
The city's streets and highways are always crowded with vehicles, as Venezuela has the cheapest gasoline in the world (at about $0.12/gallon). Subsidized gasoline and inadequate infrastructure have helped spur pollution and big traffic lines in almost all of the inner city motorways. Caracas' subway system, once one of the best in all Latin America, is still quick but is often crowded and prone to delays.
Visitors need to be aware that Caracas remains one of the most violent cities in the world, with large parts of the city effectively No Go Areas to outsiders. Murder tallies of as many as 70 are not uncommon on weekends, so exercising caution and common sense - especially at night - is essential to a safe visit.
Rate and comment
