Caracas, Capital of Venezuela.
When the Spanish conquistadors founded Caracas in 1567, they chose a perfect location for the city, which lies in a valley about 900m above sea level on the south side of the Ávila mountains. As a result, even though it is only some 15km from the Caribbean coast, Caracas enjoys a warm spring climate all the year round.
For over 200 years, Caracas was a fairly small town in a backwater plantation colony and made little impact on the world. Then, in the late 18th century, two of its citizens, Miranda and Bolívar, emerged as leaders of a revolutionary movement that liberated not only Venezuela but also five other South American countries from colonial rule. Then Caracas went back to sleep for another century.
Oil changed everything. There's not much of the old colonial Caracas left now but then there wasn't very much to begin with. Venezuela didn't have vast deposits of emeralds or silver so the conquerors didn't spend too much money in building magnificent cities. It was the discovery of huge oil reserves, the largest in the western hemisphere, that transformed Venezuela and its capital. There are some picturesque colonial buildings and some impressive post-colonial buildings in the centre but, as you can see from our Carefree Caracas logo, major features of Caracas include modern architecture, the Ávila mountains and the sun.
However, although Caracas has many high-rise buildings, it is also full of trees, parks, museums, concert halls, art galleries, cafes, and restaurants. It is arguably the cultural capital of South America and the gastronomic capital of the continent, as well as the cradle of South America's independence. In addition, Venezuelan architects produced some of the world's best contemporary architecture in the 1950's and 1960's. In this respect, Caracas is similar to Manhattan, except that you can't walk down a street in Manhattan and pick a mango from a tree.
If you're only spending a few days in Caracas before heading off to Venezuela's outstanding interior destinations, you'll be spoilt for choice of what to do so we have provided some suggestions in our Things to See and Do section.
During the oil booms of the 1970s and 1980s, Caracas experienced rapid growth, with a huge building program and a large influx of people from the countryside. This was augmented by immigration from other South American countries, as well as from European countries such as Spain, Italy and Portugal and from many other parts of the world. As a result, Caracas is now a modern and cosmopolitan city whose geographical location makes it the natural hub for travel between Europe and South America. The city itself is a vibrant, cultured and cosmopolitan reflection of the rich historical roots and cultural variety of its people, who are mostly a broad mix of European, African and Amerindian ancestry.
Like most big cities, Caracas also has its share of urban problems. Most of the people that flocked here during the oil booms found that the streets were not paved with gold and had to make their homes in the "barrios" that sprawl over the surrounding slopes and often aren't paved with anything at all. Some barrios have developed a high degree of self-oganization with a strong community spirit but in others there are serious problems with violent street crime. We strongly recommend that tourists do not attempt to visit these areas unless they are part of an officially organized and accompanied group, even during the daytime.
For most of the Twentieth Century, Caracas pursued a policy of unrestrained modernization and expansion but in recent years there has been a revival of pride in the city's heritage, coupled with major investments to restore historic buildings and improve the amenities and security of the city. Today, Caracas presents a unique blend of past, present and future that makes it one of the world's most fascinating cities to visit.