Things to do in Caracas
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Leo Lameda Tours
For a less conventional view of Caracas, Leo Lameda Tours leads walking tours, hitting some of the city's less-visited pockets, such as the central university and cemetery, while offering plenty of illuminating historical insights along the way.
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Parque del Este
Any given Sunday, there's plenty of activity within the extensive Parque del Este, from children playing hide-and-seek among the rock gardens, to soccer games, religious groups, martial arts classes and a profusion of lycra-clad bodies jogging while chatting into cell phones. Situated on a portion of a former coffee plantation, the 82-hectare park is the largest in Caracas, and a stroll through its expanses is a botanical odyssey, with many plants and trees labeled. You can visit the snake house, aviary and cactus garden, and on weekends enjoy astral displays in the Planetario Humboldt.
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Museo Bolivariano
Just a few paces north of the Casa Natal de Bolívar, this museum has successfully preserved its colonial style and displays a variety of independence memorabilia, from muskets to medals and shaving sets to swords. It also has some fascinating documents and letters written by the man himself, and numerous portraits. More on the morbid side are the coffin in which the remains of Bolívar were brought from Santa Marta in Colombia and the arca cineraria (funeral ark) that conveyed his ashes to the Panteón Nacional.
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Catar
One of several restaurants in the culinary mall known as the Cuadra Gastronómica, Catar has aggressively eclectic food, with a funky, mismatched decor to match. The emphasis is on fresh, natural ingredients, which show up in artistically presented sandwiches, carpaccios and lovely artisanal pizzas. Don’t miss it.
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Comercial Carrillo
For legitimately produced CDs (rather than the pirated versions that abound on the streets), try the small but well-crammed Comercial Carrillo, with a voluminous collection of Venezuelan folk and other styles from around the Caribbean.
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Iglesia de la Candelaria
Seven blocks east of Plaza Bolívar amidst an area steeped in Spanish flavor, the church Iglesia de la Candelaria has richly gilded monumental retables covering the chancel's walls. The central retable dates from about 1760, while the lateral ones are modern replicas.
But the holiest place in the church for Venezuelans is doubtless the tomb of José Gregorio Hernández, in the first chapel off the right-hand aisle. Though not canonized, José Gregorio is considered more important than many official saints whose images adorn the altars of this and other churches. Yes, ask Venezuelans to name their most important saint and most will answer 'José Gregorio Hernández.' Indeed, th…
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Concejo Municipal
Occupying half of Plaza Bolívar's southern side, the city hall, the Concejo Municipal was erected by the Caracas bishops from 1641 to 1696 to house the Colegio Seminario de Santa Rosa de Lima. In 1725, the Real y Pontificia Universidad de Caracas, the province's first university, was established here. Bolívar renamed it the Universidad Central de Venezuela, the moniker it keeps to this day, though it has moved to a vast campus outside the historic center.
Today the building is the seat of the Municipal Council, but part of it is open to the public.
Museo Santana, on the ground floor, has a unique 'doll's-house version' of the city's development, filled with elaborate mi…
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Plaza Bolívar
This leafy square is the nucleus of the old town. It's always alive with huddled groups of caraqueños engaged in conversation and children feeding freshly popped corn to the black squirrels in the trees, while vendors hawk lemonade and cepilladas (shaved ices) on the sidelines, the whole scene shaded by African tulip trees and jacarandas. Golden cherubs gather round the fountains at each corner of the square.
In the center is the obligatory monument to Bolívar - the equestrian statue was cast in Munich, shipped in pieces, and eventually unveiled in 1874 after the ship carrying it foundered on the Archipiélago de los Roques. The plaza is a favorite stage for political vis…
reviewed
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Fundación Bigott
If you’d like to dig a little deeper into traditional Venezuelan culture – perhaps learn to play joropo music with the bandola llanera (a string instrument) in the style of Anselmo López, or how to create your very own Festival de los Diablos Danzantes masks – you’ll want to pay a visit to Fundación Bigott. In a restored colonial home sitting prominently on richly preserved Plaza Sucre in the independent colonial town of Petare, Fundación Bigott offers extensive workshops in traditional Venezuelan culture, including traditional celebrations, music, gastronomy, popular arts and artesian crafts. Workshops generally last three months and cost a measly BsF15, but on…
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Galería de Arte Nacional
The new, nearly completed National Art Gallery was inaugurated by Hugo Chávez in 2009 and now stands as Venezuela’s physically largest museum. Construction on its nearly 31,000 sq meters originally began in 1989 but was abandoned in the mid-’90s. Architect Carlos Gómez persevered and construction resumed in 2006. Its exhibition galleries are complete and house a selection from the 7000-piece collection that embraces five centuries of Venezuelan artistic expression. Anything from pre-Hispanic art to mind-boggling modern kinetic pieces may be showcased here in temporary exhibitions. Venezuela’s four most important artists – Arturo Michelena, Armando Reverón, Carlos Cruz Die…
reviewed
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Catedral
Set on the eastern side of Plaza Bolívar, the catedral started its life in the mid-16th century as a mere mud-walled chapel. A church later replaced it, only to be flattened by the 1641 earthquake. Built from 1665 to 1713, the new cathedral was packed with dazzling gilded altars and elaborate side chapels. The wide, five-nave interior, supported on 32 columns, was largely remodeled in the late 19th century. The Bolívar family chapel is in the middle of the right-hand aisle and can be easily recognized by a modern sculpture of El Libertador (The Liberator) mourning his parents and Spanish bride. Bolívar was baptized here, but the baptismal font now stands in the Casa Nat…
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Iglesia de San Francisco
Just south of the Capitolio Nacional, the Church of San Francisco was built in the 1570s, but was remodeled on several occasions during the 17th and 18th centuries. Guzmán Blanco, unable to resist his passion for modernizing, placed a neoclassical facade on the church to match the just-completed capitol building. Fortunately, the interior of the church didn’t undergo such an extensive alteration, so its colonial character and much of its old decoration have been preserved. Have a look at the richly gilded baroque altarpieces distributed along both sidewalls, and stop at the statue of San Onofre, in the right-hand aisle. He is the most venerated saint in the church due to …
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La Cotorra
One of the city's first gay bars, La Cotorra is a dark, old-school pub with a barricaded door and a conspiratorial air, appealing to a mature crowd who'd rather hear Wham! or Gloria Gaynor than electronic beats. To find it, take the escalator one level up from the cinema, turn into the parking garage, then left along the perimeter. Afterward, you could head over to the other end for the more youthful Royal Club.
Caracas has by far the most open gay community in what is still a relatively conservative country. When looking for gay-oriented venues, the code phrase to watch for is 'en ambiente.' For additional options, check the websites www.vengay.com and www.rumbacaracas.c…
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Parque Zoológico de Caricuao
Caracas' main zoo, Parque Zoológico de Caricuao, is situated in the beautifully kept grounds of another old coffee plantation. It has a good selection of native birds, reptiles and mammals, plus some imported felines and elephants. Most animals enjoy a fair degree of freedom in their enclosures, and some birds, including peacocks, ibis, flamingos and macaws, are almost free. Monkeys also mingle with the visitors, so keep an eye on your lunch if you don't want it disappearing up the nearest tree.
The zoo is located in the far southwestern suburb of Caricuao, 10km southwest of the center. From Metro Zoológico, it's a seven-minute walk to the zoo's entrance.
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El Hatillo
Set in the rolling hills of Caracas’ heterogeneous southern suburbs, the 16th-century town of El Hatillo lived its own life for centuries until it was eventually absorbed by the burgeoning city. Its narrow streets and pretty plaza still retain many of their colonial buildings, now painted in sugary, bright colors and filled with art galleries, craft shops and restaurants. It remains a lovely and convenient nearby getaway for caraqueños, worlds away from the chaotic city. The only bummer is there are no accommodation options in the small pueblo (town).
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British Council
Travelers looking for a paid job in Venezuela will almost always be disappointed. The economy is not strong enough to take on foreigners for casual jobs. Qualified English teachers have the best chance of getting a job, yet it’s still hard to arrange work once in the country. Try an English-teaching institution such as the British Council. Note that you need a work visa to work legally in Venezuela. Sure, it’s possible to get a job without a visa, but you run the risk of exploitation or refusal to pay by your employer – with no legal recourse.
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People Power History Museum
Installed on the ground level of the mayor's office, which takes up the north side of the Plaza Bolívar, the People Power History Museum is 'devoted to the revolutionary process initiated by Hugo Chávez Frias.' It aims to highlight the cultural heritage of the Venezuelan people through exhibitions on the progress of social movements, achievements of revolutionary heroes and alleged crimes of US imperialism.
Whether it's a genuine expression of popular concerns or yet another platform for chavista propaganda, you be the judge.
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Teatro Municipal
A striking example of General Guzmán Blanco's Euro-influenced architectural ambitions, the Municipal Theater opened its doors in 1881 with the presentation of Giuseppe Verdi's Il Trovatore by the Fortunato Corvaia Italian opera company. Its sumptuous, domed interior with three tiers of balconies echoes the grandiose European opera houses of the era. After a period of deterioration, it was reinaugurated in 1998, resuming its role as a showcase for operas and plays, as well as concerts by the Municipal Symphony Orchestra of Caracas.
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Concejo Municipal
Occupying half of Plaza Bolívar’s southern side, the city hall was erected by the Caracas bishops from 1641 to 1696 to house the Colegio Seminario de Santa Rosa de Lima. In 1725, the Real y Pontificia Universidad de Caracas, the province’s first university, was established here. Bolívar renamed it the Universidad Central de Venezuela, the moniker it keeps to this day, though it has moved to a vast campus outside the historic center. Today the building is the seat of the Municipal Council, but part of it is open to the public.
reviewed
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Royal Club
Entrance to this vanguard club is from the parking garage, up the ramp from the cinema level. Beyond an acclimatization zone with three bars, you cross a curtained threshold to reach the main attraction - a cavernous, strobe-lit dance space.
Caracas has by far the most open gay community in what is still a relatively conservative country. When looking for gay-oriented venues, the code phrase to watch for is 'en ambiente.' For additional options, check the websites www.vengay.com and www.rumbacaracas.com (in Spanish).
reviewed
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Museo Bolivariano
Continuing on the Bolívar trail, this museum has successfully preserved its colonial style and displays a variety of independence memorabilia, from muskets to medals and shaving sets to swords. It also has some fascinating documents and letters written by the man himself, as well as numerous portraits.
A bit on the morbid side are the coffin in which the remains of Bolívar were brought from Santa Marta in Colombia, and the arca cineraria (funeral ark) that conveyed his ashes to the Panteón Nacional.
reviewed
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Museo de Bellas Artes
The Museum of Fine Arts is a beautiful museum with lots of breathing room housed in two buildings, a functional modern six-story building and a graceful building radiating from a neoclassical-style courtyard with a pond and weeping willow – both were designed by Venezuelan architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva. The museum features permanent exhibitions from Egypt and China and on Cubism, as well as mostly temporary exhibitions in 18 galleries. It includes a little shop selling contemporary art and crafts and a cafe.
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Torre Oeste
Parque Central is not, as you might expect, a green area, but rather a concrete complex of five high-rise residential slabs of somewhat apocalyptic appearance, crowned by two 54-story octagonal towers, the tallest in the country. You can ascend the Torre Oeste to the 49th floor for phenomenal views toward the north and west.
The Parque Central area is Caracas' art and culture hub, boasting half a dozen museums, the major performing arts center, two art cinemas and the town's most formidable theater.
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La Estancia
This renovated fragment of a 220-year-old coffee hacienda houses a fine museum with rotating works by Venezuelan artists. Property of the Simón Bolívar family until 1895, it is now owned by Petróleos de Venezuela Sociedad Anónima (PDVSA), the national oil company. Free concerts are staged on the patio on weekends (Saturday at 4pm, Sunday at 11am) and the well-manicured grounds offer a much-appreciated respite from Caracas’ diesel and dust, as well as a great location for a picnic.
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Museo Sacro de Caracas
Accommodated in a meticulously restored colonial building that stands upon the site of the old cathedral cemetery, this museum displays a modest but carefully selected collection of religious art. Duck through the low doorway into the dark, old ecclesiastical prison, where remains of early church leaders still lie in sealed niches. The Museo Sacro also stages concerts and recitals and has a delightful cafe inside a former chapel of the adjacent cathedral.
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