Santa Elena de Uairén (Venezuela) Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Land

Bus

From the Santa Elena bus terminal, Caribe Expresos (0414/386 2997) has two daily buses to Puerto Ordaz (standard Bs 31, 000, deluxe Bs 41, 000, 10 hours) and Ciudad Bolivar (same price, 11 hours) and one to Puerto La Cruz (Bs 51, 000; 15 hours). Expresos Los Llanos (089/995 1468) has one daily bus to Caracas (Bs 90, 000; 20 hours). Alternatively, a bus operated by Brazil’s Eucatur (3592 1147 in Pacaraima) passes the Pacaraima and Santa Elena bus terminals at around 10am and continues to Puerto Ordaz and Ciudad Bolivar (R$40), and Puerto La Cruz (R$60).

There is no direct service from Santa Elena into Brazil. Instead, take a taxi across the border to the Pacaraima bus terminal, where buses to Boa Vista (R$12, three to four hours) leave four times daily, and collective taxis leave whenever there are four passengers (R$20, two to three hours).

Entering Venezuela, you can easily walk the 300m from the Pacaraima bus terminal to the Brazilian border post (8am-7:30pm). From there it’s a sweaty 750m to the Venezuelan post (8am-6pm) – fortunately, taxis pass frequently and typically don’t charge for a quick stop at Venezuelan immigration before continuing to Santa Elena (collective/private VZ$5000/VZ$20, 000).

Leaving Venezuela, taxis from Santa Elena to la linea (the border) charge the same as when arriving, though por puesto (collective) cabs may tag on a couple thousand if you take long passing immigration. Be sure to confirm they’ll take you all the way to Brazilian immigration – some go only as far as the Venezuelan post.

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Air

Rutaca (in Ciudad Bolivar 0285-632 6290) has flights most mornings to Ciudad Bolívar (Bs 425, 100) usually via Canaima (same price) on five-seater Cessnas. Buy tickets at the airport, 7km south of town.

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