Caracas

Understand

thumb|300x300px|A view of Caracas valley from El Avila National Park thumb|La Candelaria, the center of Caracas Caracas is a cosmopolitan city, congested and noisy. The restaurants in Caracas are still excellent and have a lot to offer. Wear light clothing, comfortable shoes and clothing or jewelry of little value. Also tourists who do not know the language, it is recommended to take a dictionary with Spanish translation to make it easier for them to stay in the country. The people of Caracas are usually quite hospitable and friendly. Caracas is a city of contrasts. El Rosal and Las Mercedes are the most exclusive districts of the city. The boulevard of Sabana Grande is the main commercial corridor of the city and is visited by more than 500,000 people every day. Plaza Bolívar, Plaza El Venezolano and Plaza Diego Ibarra are the most emblematic of the historic center. Plaza Altamira is the icon of the east of the city and has been the center of opposition protests for almost two decades. Caracas is not one of the top touristic destinations of Venezuela, and travelers often bypass the capital city in order to see the country’s amazing natural attractions. However, the Venezuelan capital can be a fascinating city to explore, replete with excellent art, food and a bustling nightlife. thumb|Architecture in El Rosal District Caracas is a modern, dynamic and diverse city where multiple realities converge at the same time. The architectural, cultural and socioeconomic identity of Car…

Get around

thumb|246x246px|Museum of Fine Arts of Caracas (2017)

Taxis can be easily hailed in the street and are generally (but not always) safe. They have no meters so prices should be agreed on before getting in. Some reports indicate that the situation has improved and there are fixed rates posted. Caracas traffic is notoriously bad and the metro is a better option if your destination is near a station. Licensed taxis have yellow plates and while some private cars with white plates are taxis too, it’s generally safer to take a licensed cab.

Venezuelan taxi cab drivers may quote you about double the actual price when you ask how much a ride will be. Bargaining is totally acceptable in this case. Simply respond with a more reasonable price that you are willing to pay, and it’s more than likely you can meet in the middle. If the taxi driver continues to quote an outrageous price, simply walk away and try another.

The Caracas metro is clean, modern, safe and extremely cheap. Tickets are available for a single journey, ida y vuelta (round trip), or a 10-journey multi abono. The metro is frequently overcrowded, particularly during peak hours.

The metro system is backed up by a network of metrobuses that depart from certain metro stations and take fixed routes to areas of the city not reached by the underground. Like the metro, metrobuses are cheap and clean, but passengers complain of bus shortages. Most services run only about every 20 minutes. The buses have fixed stops and will not…

See

thumb|300px|Parque del Este thumbnail|Inside the [[world heritage-listed university complex]] Caracas has more than enough sights and attractions to fill three or four days although it is often overlooked by international travellers.

thumb|Gran Sabana Building in Sabana Grande, home to the most important ornithological collection of Latin America

Do

thumb|A view of Caracas from near the top of the Teleferico thumb|Casa John Boulton in Caracas, 2017The Avila mountain to the north of Caracas is highly recommended for hiking, views of Caracas, and its fresh air. The Sabas Nieves entrance, accessible by bus from Altamira, is the most popular. The Teleferico is a cable-car that takes visitors up the Avila. The ascent provides a beautiful view of the city. At the top (altitude approximately 2600 m), there is a view of Caracas to the south, and of the ocean (Caribbean Sea) to the north on a clear day. Reduced fares are available for students, seniors and children. Take the ride up to Avila as early as possible before an afternoon haze obstructs your view from the top of the mountain. There are a few restaurants, many food kiosks, and numerous attractions suitable for children. These include a small skating rink, some small rides, and jungle-gyms. There is a well known fondue restaurant also located at the top. Some hiking trails branch off from the teleferico station, but without a map it is not easy to find them or know where they go, as they are not marked. The MetroCable close to Parque Central. It is co-located in the Parque Central Metro station. It's free and provides a fantastic view of the city, although the surrounding area is generally considered unsafe by locals.

Buy

thumb|276x276px|Balu H&M in Sabana Grande. The new fashion stores in Caracas. Most ATMs will ask you the last two numbers of a local ID, type 00 when it asks this to make withdrawal with a foreign card possible. CitiBank's ATMs don't ask this information. There is one CitiBank branch in El Recreo shopping mall, Avenida Casanova, in Sabana Grande. See also Venezuela#Money.

Drink

thumb|Nightlife in Sabana Grande, the bohemian districtthumb|Restaurant in Las Mercedes thumb|Caracas Country Club Exclusive modern nightclubs:

Le Club - The most exclusive club in Caracas. Paseo Las Mercedes. Neighborhood Las Mercedes. Sawu. Discovery. 360º Roof Bar LGBT friendly:

Cool Café Bar - in La Castellana, the best option for LGBT community in Caracas. Moskowa Disco. - in Macaracuay. Nice place. Triskel. in Altamira. Discovery. A really nice place for LGBT couples. Pasaje Asuncion, the oldest gay street of the city. A charming place that has many sad and happy stories to tell. La Fragata, Sabana Grande. Frequented by lower middle class Venezuelans. Pullman Bar, Sabana Grande. Plaza Venezuela metro stop. Bear community.

Sleep

Caracas has many hotels, but lacks youth hostels found in other South American countries. Backpackers will find that Caracas is not a cheap destination and there are not rooms available in the US$20-30 typical hostel range. While the whole of the city is considered to be dangerous at night, it’s preferable to stay near Sabana Grande or farther east.

Many hotels in the Sabana Grande area will offer rooms on an hourly basis (euphemistically known as love hotels) which are primarily for unmarried Venezuelan couples.

Stay safe

thumb|Casa John Boulton Caracas, 2017 thumb|El Rosal district in Caracas Violent crime in Caracas is a major problem, and it has been getting steadily worse: Caracas is now by some counts the world's most dangerous city. If you are robbed, hand over what is asked of you. For this reason it is advisable to carry a “decoy” wallet with small bills (around US$50). Most thieves carry guns and they will use them regardless of the consequences (there is a sense of impunity due to poor policing).

Stick to the tourist areas and dress like the average Venezuelans (jeans and short-sleeved shirt) and do not wear any expensive-looking jewelry. The barrios (poor neighborhoods/shantytowns) are to be avoided. They are mostly built into the hills around the west side of Caracas, similar to the favelas in Brazil. These neighborhoods are extremely dangerous, but they are far from the main tourist areas.

Kidnapping is a major problem for upper-class Venezuelans, but is unlikely to be a concern for travelers. As with many other developing nations, petty theft is a problem. Ask hotel management to store your valuables when you leave your room and use a money belt for your passport/extra cash when traveling.

The police tend to be corrupt, including at the international airport. According to the Lonely Planet guide: "Avoid the blue uniformed police. The only 'safe' police are the Chacao police with tan yellow uniforms". However, Venezuelans in general are friendly and helpful.

Connect

There are many "Centros de Conexiones" in which you can easily make domestic and international calls. There is also a growing number of internet cafes.

Free WiFi Pizzeria Va Bene, Boulevard of Sabana Grande.

Go next

thumb|300px|Sunset in La Guaira. El Litoral, or the narrow band of coast between El Avila and the Caribbean Sea, is also known at the State of Vargas and the location of the best airport hotels. These beaches are not well known with visitors, but are popular with Caraqueños on weekends. The area has been slow to recover from the disastrous mudslides of December 1999 which made the beaches better. Still they are of lesser quality than the beaches of Choroni, Morrocoy, Mochima or Margarita.

La Guaira - historic port district Macuto - long history as the favored among the urbanite Caraqueños and most crowded on weekends Caraballeda - upscale district with yacht marina Naiguatá - surf and cultural festival zone Catia La Mar - west of the airport with cheaper hotels that do airport pickup. Marginal neighborhood and beaches El Hatillo - nice restaurants and pretty colonial architecture.