Caracas is the capital of Venezuela, the northern most South American countries. On the country’s north coast lies the Caribbean Sea.
The official name of Caracas is quite lengthy and is known as CCS (Santiago de Leon de Caracas).
It is a metropolitan city with tall skyscrapers.
It is divided from the Caribbean Sea by a long mountain range known as Cerro El Avila. A national park is carved out of it is called ‘Avila National Park’, one of the top places to see in Caracas.
Surprisingly, the city’s population constitutes of several thousand immigrants from as far as the Middle East countries. The immigrants are also from Germany, Spain (they once ruled Venezuela), Peru, Columbia (immediate neighbour), and of course the U.S.
How to Reach Caracas?
As a big city, Caracas is equipped with an international airport. It receives flights from several American cities, and European countries.
While flights from northern most states in the U.S. take nearly 21 hours to reach it, from Miami being the closest, takes about 5 hours only.
Best Things to Do in Caracas?
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Avila National Park
The Cerro el Avila mountain range is part of the Avila National Park. Trekking up to the mountain’s summit that stands at a little over 9000 feet is very popular among young tourists.
More than 10 trails are there that take you up to the top viewing point. The name of the peak is Pico Naiguata.
There is a cable car ride that takes you to the peak. The ride is said to be the longest cable car ride in the world!
Well, by ‘longest’ they mean just 20 minutes. The lush forest below is picturesque.
In addition, you will see a wonderful aerial view of Caracas and stunning view of the Caribbean Sea from a very high altitude.
This is more of a hill station than a place for adventures. You have hotels to stay and enjoy the cool weather.
There is no dearth of restaurants.
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Wildlife Spotting in Caracas
The best place to see wildlife in the capital city is the Avila NP. You must be already aware of the exotic range of animals and birds of South America.
Well, your first encounter with the South American wildlife begins from here, the northern tip of Venezuela.
- Red Howler Monkey
The monkey’s coat is a deep rust color. They can be easily spotted.
- Three-toed Sloth Bear.
- Armadillo
This is a rare mammal with leathery skin that looks like a metal coat.
The dense forest on the hill’s slopes wear thick clouds several times a day.
It is a dreamy sight.
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Plaza Venezuela
Look at the title image of this wonderful place to see in Caracas. As you guessed, it is a people watching place.
The circular structure has a lovely fountain that looks more beautiful when lit with colourful lights.
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Plaze Francia
This is another public gathering place in Caracas.
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Parque Central
There is no need to visit this tourist landmark in Caracas city. It is visible from almost all over te city.
Nonetheless, you should stand in front of it and take a photograph.
The building complex is iconic of Caracas. Many Government offices function from these buildings.
Do you know?
Do you Spanish is the official language of Venezuela? In addition, 26 more local languages are spoken throughout Venezuela.
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Parque del Estate
As one of the places to see in Caracas, it is a public park meant for recreational purposes.
Parque del Estate has a dense forest-resembling area to walk through, a meadow to stroll, and a landscaped garden.
In addition, there is a mini zoo housing several animals and birds of Venezuela.
Among them, some are rare; you might not have seen them before. They include:
- Tinamou
This looks like a flightless-bird-eh?
- Red-billed Toucan
- Anaconda
I think these enclosed wildlife can also be spotted in Avila NP.
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National Pantheon
Strikingly beautiful building! This is a cemetery of national heroes of the country. It is a visible tourist landmark to see in Venezuela.
A prominent place is given to Simon Bolivar, one of the national heroes of Venezuela.
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Los Cobos Park
It is a public park with neatly laid out gardens, and fountains. In addition, there are some statues of prominent persons of the country.
Some of the flora planted in the park is of rare species.
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Contemporary Art Museum
Of course, not all tourists would be interested in a museum of art but this particular museum attracts all.
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Llovizna Falla
These copious waterfalls are fed by River Caroni.
This is also a favorite picnic spot because of spacious beaches on the Caroni River Bank.
In addition, near the entrance to the falls, some show or the other are always on.
Moreover, this rare monkey (picture below) will entertain the visitors.
Another interesting but dangerous wildlife that you can quickly spot here is the Anaconda.
Sadly, these thundering falls are so out of way from the city. Nonetheless, I read the capital city acts as the gateway to both the Angel Falls and Llovizna Falls.
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Margarita Island
It is a typical picture of an island with coconut trees as backdrop. It is a very scenic.
However, it is too far off from the capital. You need to fly nearly 500 km and stay overnight on the island before returning the next day.
Margarita Island is famous for wave surfing and scuba diving.
I think that’s all about best things to do in Caracas, Venezuela. The top most attraction of the country is Angel Falls but nearly 700 km distance between the two.
