Sabana Grande is not as safe as it used
to be, especially the Boulevard. As you head west from
here the neighborhoods generally become less safer.
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| As the major hub for travel in
Venezuela, Caracas is hard to avoid. You can easily get a good feel for
the city and its major attractions in just a few of days. The natives refer to themselves as Caraqueños and their warmth and amiability is among the highlights to this big city of 5 million. The weather here is also generally agreeable, as the elevation provides an average daily temperature of 24°C (75°F). The city's clean, efficient subway system makes exploring the city easy for a visitor. However after dark Caracas becomes one of the most dangerous cities you can visit. |
Places To Stay
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Caracas has many hotels, but no youth hostels as one might
expect to find in other South American countries. Backpackers will find
that Caracas is not a cheap destination, and that rooms per night per
person range 20-30 USD. While the whole of the city is considered to be
dangerous at night, stick to the hotels in the east, that is, Sabana
Grande or farther east. Do not stay in hotels
west of the historic city center. While Sabana Grande has affordable
hotel rates, you need to take care at night, especially on the Boulevard. Neighborhoods
further east such as Altamira and Las Mercedes offer much safer
accommodations but at increased cost. Better yet, make your base of operations on the coast where the airport is located. Here the beaches and cultural traditions have bounced back from the infamous mud slides of 1999, and with a car you can discover beautiful deserted beaches to the east. Our guide will show you the way. |
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| May Cross festivals usher in the rainy season - pray for harvests, pay homage to nature, and hope for a respite from political tensions and crime by lesliemazoch.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 good options for meals, including a well known fondue restaurant also located at the top. |
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| El Ávila National Park | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| El Ávila National Park covers 85,192ha of
coastal and mountain habitat between Caracas and the Caribbean.
Rising from the coast, the mountains reach 2,765m (Pico
Naiaguatá) and 2,640m (Pico Silla de Caracas) at their highest
points. While the southern slopes overlooking the city are
largely uninhabited, the seaward slopes are scattered with
settlements. The park is home to a diversity of fauna including
jaguar, puma, ocelot, brocket deer, agouti, armadillo, opossum,
red howler monkey, sloth and several species of snake. Birdlife
is equally prolific and among the many species are toucans,
parakeets, orioles, cuckoos, nighthawks and hummingbirds. This is a great hiking and camping park. GETTING THERE: A dozen entrances lead into the park from Caracas; all originate from Avenida Boyacá, commonly known as ‘Cota Mil’ because it runs at an altitude of l000m. Whichever route you choose, you’ll have a short ascent before you get to a guard post, where you pay a nominal park entrance fee. The park has its own campsites and the Humboldt hotel [closed]. Over 200km of hiking trails provide visitors with excellent routes to explore the park, weaving around beautiful waterfalls and up to panoramas with fantastic views. 4x4 vehicles can also be hired to access the single track which crosses the park. The park is accessible from Caracas or La Guaira. |
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1-Never get in a taxi with more than the driver
in it. 2- Never assume that vehicles will stop when crossing a street. Pedestrians have very few rights in Venezuela! 3-Do not wear jewelry or expensive watches which you are not prepared to lose. 4- Do not carry excessive amounts of money, valuables, credit cards, passports or air tickets with you. Take only a reasonable amount of money and one or two credit cards plus ID and a copy of your passport with you. Leave the rest in a hotel safety deposit box. 5- If accessing money through an automatic banking machine, be discreet and do not accept offers for help. 6- If you have to walk outside your hotel during the evening, do so in a well-lit area and preferably in a group. 7- Never exchange currency with persons who approach you in the street. It is suggested you go to an exchange house (Casa de Cambio) or exchange your currency at the hotel. Your passport must be presented. Save 1 receipt for changing back to your currency. This regulated rate is about 20% less favorable than street rates. 8- If attacked do not resist! Your money and valuables can be recovered, your life cannot!. 9- Do not leave your bags unattended at any time, cautious if you are stopped by a stranger and never accept anything offered by them because it can be dangerous. |
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| Driving Directions to Caracas: | ||
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Upon exiting the airport,
follow signs to Autopista/Caracas and drive through a
toll-booth and two tunnels (Boquerón I and Boquerón II).
Then keep left as you enter a third tunnel (La Planicie) and
follow signs to Petare. The tunnel will bring you into
Caracas. Caracas is 16 miles south of
the airport.
Caracas Hotels in Cday travel with reviews by travelocity and a full range of travel options including special last minute deals, for all modes of travel. |
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Book hotels in Caracas
from HotelsCentral who partner with a local travel agency and collect |
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Caracas Hotels
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| If you can stay a weekend, there is less traffic and better discounts at hotels, which cater primarily to business travelers | ||
| Top-Rated Caracas Hotels | ||
Hotel Avila
Av. Washington, San
Bernardino, 0212/552-3000 113
comfortable rooms with private bathroom. Sat TV, Safe box,
tennis court, Gym & Sauna. Breakfast included. Swimming pool,
bar & restaurant. English speaking staff.
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| Altamira Suites Hotel Caracas
1Ra Avenida Con 1Ra Transversal De Los Palos Grandes, CARACAS
Just a block away from the metro station "Altamira."
This five-star hotel offers a restaurant, bar, beauty salon,
swimming pool, tennis
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Hotel Altamira
[80
rooms] Avenida Jose Felix Sosa, Venezuela.
With
private bathroom, cable tv, and telephone. Near to the biggest
shopping centre (Sambil) and also very close to the main
highway.
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Best Western CCT Centro Ciudad
Comercial Tamanaco, Chuao, Caracas, 1060A, VE Phone: 58 212 7008000 Fax: 58 212 7008090 Toll Free Reservations: 0800-1-002244 For reservations (U.S. and Canada) by phone call:1-800-780-7234 Located in the heart of the downtown business area on top of the largest shopping center in Latin America - two restaurants, two bars, a business center, six conference rooms, laundry services, beauty salon, gift shops, a huge gym, which is free for hotel guests, heated swimming pool and two tennis courts. |
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hotelcentrolido.com
Centro Lido Hotel
telephone 57-212-957-7777 Fax N°+58-212-9522944. on Francisco de Miranda Avenue, in the core of the main financial district A boutique luxury hotel in the Centro Lido Mall, surrounded by cinemas, restaurants and coffees. |
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 The
Cumberland Hotel, [117 rooms ] 2da avenida de las
delicias de sabana grande entre ave. solano y libertador caracus
Save with Precision Reservations |
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Four Seasons Caracas (tel:
(0)212 280 1000)
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El Cid Tel:
(0212) 263-1715.
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embassysuitescaracas.com
Embassy Suites
Av Fco. de Miranda con Av El Parque, Caracas, Venezuela 1060 Tel: +58-212-276-4200/700 El Rosal (Caracas) full-service upscale all-suite hotel is across from the Centro Lido Shopping Center. Precision Reservations |
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Gran Melia Caracas
432 Rooms Ave.
Casanova, URB. Bellomonte Caracas, Tel: (58) 212 7628111 Metro: Sabana Grande subway station is just a few meters away. Located in Sabana Grande, an important financial, commercial and leisure district.
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Gran Hotel Delicias
hoteldelicias.com
Address: Av. 15,
Las Delicias, Esq. Calle 70 City: Maracaibo , State: Zulia Phone: (58-261) 797-6111 Fax: (58-261) 797-3037 |
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JW Marriott Hotel Caracas
Av. Venezuela con Calle Mohedano, El Rosal Caracas, 1060
Venezuela Phone: 58 212 957 2222
 new [2002] and well located luxury Hotel with airport pick up and drop off please call at 58 212 9576023.
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HaciendaAguamiel.com
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 hiltoncaracas.com.ve.Caracas Hilton
[780 rooms] av. libertador y sur 25
Bellas Artes,
Caracas, Venezuela
in the heart of the financial
district. great views of the nearby Parque Los Caobos. |
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InterContinental Hotels Tamanaco Caracas
FINAL AV. PRINCIPAL DE LAS MERCEDES CARACAS, 1060-A VENEZUELA i n the fashionable and secure area of Las Mercedes. Distance: 5 KM / 3.11 MI Chacaito Subway Station |
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Las Americas Hotel Caracas
.hotel-lasamericas.com.ve[138
rooms] Calle Los Cerritos, Bello
Monte Caracas , State: Districto Federal (Caracas)
Phone: (58-212) 951-7387 Fax: (58-212) 951-1717
in the Sabana Grande |
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lincoln-suites.com.ve
[126 units] Av. Francisco Solano between Los Jabillos and San
Jerónimo, Sabana Grande Metro: Sabana Grande
0212/761-2727 In Room Amenities
A/C, TV, dataport,
fridge, safe
midrange option caters to Venezuelan businesspeople and international travelers |
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| President Hotel Caracas [165 rooms] Calle Valparaiso Los Caobos Caracas Venezuela,Caracas Save up to 75% with Precision Reservations | ||
The Savoy
[95 units] Av. 2
Las Delicias, Sabana Grande Metro: Chacaito
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Shelter Suites
[82 rooms]
Av. Libertador, Caracas, Venezuela Phone: 0212/265-3860
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Tamanaco
InterContinental Hotel Caracas [567 rooms]
caracas.venezuela.intercontinental.com.
Urb Las Mercedes, Caracas, Venezuela.
Venerable hotel sits on a bluff above the southeastern section of the city. The 
oldest of the city's luxury hotels, this pyramid looming over
the Las Mercedes neighborhood. The bar, El Punto, has
long been a gathering site of choice for the city's elite.
Spectacular pool and facilities for reasonable prices
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Caracas Directory of hotels by
wcities.com
Over 40 hotels with address & telephone sorted by quality/price |
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Getting
Around There
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 The
Caracas Metro is a world class subway where sleek trains
transport over 1.2 million passengers daily. The system's
beautifully designed and clean stations have become
architectural landmarks. Caracas Subway Map  Major
extensions were opened in 2006 and more or being built. The
state of Miranda, whose capital Los Teques received a
station in 2006, is participating in the expansion.
Metrobus, Hub well into the subways connecting more remote neighborhoods. Taxis:
while advisable at night often find their progress
stalled during the day by gridlock. |
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Neighborhoods
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| National drinks: Coffee,
Merengada (fruit pulp, ice, milk and sugar), and Pousse-café
is an after-dinner liqueur.
Beer: A lisa is a glass of draught beer and a tercio a bottled beer. Most bars are open very late and there are no licensing laws. |
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Attractions
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Iglesia de San Francisco, El Centro Dating from 1593, this was the site of Simón Bolívar's proclamation as "El Libertador" and of his huge commemorative funeral 12 years after his 1830 death. COST: Free. OPEN: Daily 7-noon and 3-6. Capitolio. Address: Av. Bolsa at Av. San Francisco, Caracas, Venezuela Phone: 0212/484-5172 Parque Central: 1.5km SE
from
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Museums
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Museums of the city include: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas Sofía Imber
Permanent Collection includes relevant names from the 19th Century like Arturo Michelena, Cristobal Rojas, Martin Tovar y Tovar and Tito Salas; among later artists are Francisco Narvaez and Hector Poleo, plus a vast selection of works by Armando Reveron. Present Venezuelan art is represented by Alejandro Otero, Francisco Hung, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Jacobo Borges, Regulo Perez, Meyer Vaisman and other great creators. The architectural neoclassic design is credited to Carlos Raul Villanueva, fundamental figure in the Venezuelan Architecture Housed on the edge of the Parque Central complex, Plaza Morelos (Plaza de los Museos) COST: Free. OPEN: Tues.-Sun. 10-6. Bellas Artes.
Sacred
Museum of Caracas: Located beside the |
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Shopping
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