Must-see attractions in Venezuela

Occupying the eastern end of the Parque Central complex, the Museum of Contemporary Art is by far the best in the country, though it can be a little…

Thundering Angel Falls is the world's highest waterfall and Venezuela's number-one tourist attraction. Its total height is 979m (3211ft), of which the…

This neo-Gothic church, one block north of Plaza Bolívar, is modeled on the Sainte Chapelle of Paris. It was ordered by General Antonio Guzmán Blanco in…

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…

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…

The most popular high-mountain trekking area is the Sierra Nevada national park, which has all of Venezuela's highest peaks, including Pico Bolívar (5007m…

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…

Gran Roque is the main island and population center, and exudes a distinct Caribbean feel. The sandy streets of the fishing village are lined with single…

Set on the eastern side of Plaza Bolívar, Caracas' cathedral started its life in the mid-16th century as a mere mud-walled chapel. A church later replaced…

North of the old town, and separated from it by the entrance channel to the harbor, is colonial Fortín San Felipe, later renamed Castillo Libertador. It’s…

On the southern edge of the colonial sector is the tree-shaded Plaza Miranda. Positioned at the halfway point between the cathedral and the cemetery, it…

The Iglesia de San Antonio is at the upper end of the historic town of Clarines. Built in the 1750s, the church is a massive, squat construction laid out…

Commissioned by Gómez in 1934, this Soviet-esque theater was intended to be the best in the country, to match the capital status of the city. An immense…

This gigantic, 47m-high monument is said to be the world’s tallest statue of the Virgin Mary. Frankly, it bears an eerie, uncanny resemblance to Darth…

North of San Rafael, at an altitude of about 3600m, is the Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía, an astronomical observatory with four telescopes and a…

Kamarata is an old Pemón village on the Río Akanán, at the southeastern foot of Auyantepui. Since being discovered as an alternative access point for…

This fishing town is popular with international backpackers for its proximity to the islands of Parque Nacional Mochima. Travelers spend their days island…

Mesmerizing zebra stripes of sand shimmer in the breeze at the Parque Nacional Médanos de Coro, a spectacular desert landscape with sand dunes of 30m in…

Not far from the zoo is the Jardín Botánico. Inaugurated in 2000, the botanical garden is still young, and only a portion of the total 44 hectares is open…

After a 2010 exhumation to confirm cause of Bolívar's death, Chávez built his hero this grand new mausoleum, which opened in 2013. The US$140 million…