Caracas Practical information

Health & safety

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Dangers & annoyances

Since the late 1980s, Caracas’ crime levels have increased along with the city’s rapidly growing population. Except for Chacao, Las Mercedes, Altamira and to some extent Parque Central, the rest of the city is considered a zona roja, a high-crime area where assaults are commonplace and police protection is minimal. In particular, locals warn you to avoid the centro (center) and Sabana Grande after hours. Past 9pm or 10pm at night, the streets in those zones tend to clear out, creating the sense of a de facto curfew.

Caraqueños will invariably warn you of these dangers, leaving visitors quaking with fear at the prospect of moving about the city. While such warnings should not be ignored, they also tend to reinforce the paranoiac atmosphere of the place. Like any large, chaotic city, Caracas has its hazards, but that should not deter you from exploring.

Taking certain precautions will greatly reduce any risks. Try not to look like a tourist, for example by wearing jeans instead of shorts. After dark keep off deserted streets and stick with groups of people. The best approach is to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.

Some Caracas residents say the police are more of a threat than muggers and advise you not to ask them for any sort of assistance. Police have also been known to harass foreigners about not carrying a passport as a means of extracting a bribe, so take along a copy when you go out.

Perhaps more than street crime, traffic in Caracas is a persistent danger, especially for those on foot. Many intersections are impossible to cross safely. Never assume you have the right of way in any crossing situation. Drivers cannot be trusted to stop at red lights – it is always safer to look for a break in traffic before crossing, preferably with other pedestrians. Motorcycle taxis zip along sidewalks or against the flow of traffic to circumnavigate jams; you never know where they’re coming from. Asphyxiating fumes and incessant horn honking by gridlocked vehicles are additional annoyances.

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While you're there

Medical services

Most minor health problems can be solved in a farmacia (pharmacy), of which Caracas has a wide array, and one in every neighborhood takes its turn to stay open all night, easily recognizable by a neon sign reading ‘Turno.’

Some convenient farmacias include:

Farmarebajas (261-2337; Av Ávila, cnr Av José Félix Sosa, Altamira; Altamira)

Farmatodo (761-4812; Blvd de Sabana Grande; Plaza Venezuela)

Caracas has a number of public hospitals and private clinics. The latter are better equipped and offer inpatient and outpatient services; some have English-speaking doctors.

Following are reputable medical facilities:

Centro Médico de Caracas (552-2222; Plaza El Estanque, Av Eraso, San Bernardino)

Clínica El Ávila (276-1111; Av San Juan Bosco at 6a Transversal, Altamira)

Clínica Instituto Médico La Floresta (286-3856; Av Principal de la Floresta at Calle Santa Ana; Altamira)

Hospital de Clínicas Caracas (508-6111; Av Panteón at Av Alameda, San Bernadino)

Policlínica Metropolitana (908-0100; Calle A-1, Urbanización Caurimare)

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