Caracas — Hive

Caracas, officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the federal capital of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as well as it's administrative, financial, commercial and cultural center, as capital city of the Nation and Capital District.

It is located in the Municipality of Libertador, Capital District, and the municipalities Chacao, Baruta, El Hatillo and Sucre, which form part of the state of Miranda and constitute the Metropolitan District of Caracas, with whom it shares a population and creates Greater Caracas.

Caracas is the largest and the most populous city in Venezuela with nearly 4 million people.

This city is located in the north-central part of the country, some 15 km from the Caribbean Sea, separated by El Ávila National Park, but connected by the Caracas-La Guaira highway by three elevated viaducts that, together with two tunnels, allow connection of the capital with the Caribbean coast (Central Coast of Venezuela) and the main airports and seaports of the country in 20 minutes. Much of the city is crossed by the Guaire River in a southwest-northeast direction. And it is located near the coast (La Guaira Puerto), but at an altitude of 800 meters (2400 feet), which confers a unique climate.

The venezuelan capital is located under Avila, a mountain that reaches 2600 meters (7800 feet), where the Humboldt Hotel (currently out of service, because of repair works) is located, which you can reach by cable car. Definitely for tourists, it is the best activity around town, because of its beautiful view and its nice and cool climate. If you like hiking, you can also take a three to four hour excursion and return by the cable car (or walk).

*History:

The Spanish explorer Diego de Losada founded, in the year 1567, the city of Caracas with the name of Santiago de León de Caracas.

Two great historical figures of Latin America were born in this city: Francisco de Miranda and "El Libertador" Simón Bolívar.

Throughout the 20th century, Caracas became one of the financial centers of South America, mainly due to the development generated by high oil prices.

*Flag:

On the Caracas flag, the city's coat of arms overlaps with a red-wine background. The red background symbolizes the blood shed by the people of Caracas in favor of independence and national ideas. The original design of the city's flag came in the 1980s, but in 1994, presumably resulting from the exchange by the municipal authorities, it was decided that the coat of arms would be increased, a configuration that remains today.

*Economy:

The city of Caracas in its condition of capital of Venezuela, is soothes of numerous companies of services, banks, commercial centers, hotels, among others. The capital city is also the headquarters of the Caracas Stock Exchange, that concretally is located in the municipality of Chacao. Also the city is the main headquarters of the Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) which is the largest company in the country, from where all international agreements for the distribution and export of oil with other countries are negotiated.

*Tourism:

Caracas, as capital, is a very diverse city, since it counts on a great amount of parks, squares, churches, walks, boulevards, shopping centers, etc. In this way, it offers the residents of Caracas and tourists the best of their culture and services.

Monuments, buildings and historical places.

Caracas reveals its history through its buildings, since most of its monuments, buildings and important sites are of past times and have been maintained through time. An example of this is the Christmas House of Simón Bolívar, who still stands despite being over 200 years old. Some other similar constructions, belonging to that time, also stand, such as the Palace of the Academies, the House of Field of Guzmán Blanco and the Palace of Miraflores.

In addition to these, it also has monuments that represent the history of Venezuela, such as the National Pantheon, which houses the remains of Simon Bolivar, as well as other heroes and outstanding figures in the history of the country.

Another historic site in Caracas is Anauco Arribauna, a 17th century country house. It is the oldest building of the city and considered a national historical patrimony.

However, Caracas also has modern buildings such as Parque Central Torres, which are the second tallest towers in South America, and then only the "O Farol" tower in Medellín, Colombia.

Squares

• Plaza Bolívar de Caracas: the largest square in all of Caracas, located in the central Casco of the city, in the same one has a homage to the Liberator; around it are the Caracas Cathedral, the Municipal Palace and the Sacred Museum.

• Plaza Venezuela: it is a modern pedestrian promenade and distributor that houses several monuments, among them a fountain and some sculptures, as well as an important business area for the office towers that are.

• Plaza O'Leary: located in El Silencio urbanization, in the heart of the city, with two "Las Toninas" fountains by Francisco Narváez.

• Plaza Francia: considered the most touristic square in the capital city, it has an imposing obelisk and charming gardens.

• Plaza Alfredo Sadel: This is one of the most important squares of the metropolis of the region, named in honor of musician and lyrical Alfredo Sánchez Luna, with a modern and imposing infrastructure.

• Plaza Bolívar de El Hatillo: it is the most crowded place for tourists in the town of El Hatillo, it has a very calm and pleasant atmosphere, in the center of the square is a statue of the Liberator, in which he is represented standing and looking at the Santa Rosalía Church of Palermo.

• Plaza Bolivar de Chacao: the largest square in Chacao, surrounded by the City Hall and the Cathedral of this town.

• Plaza La Pastora: represents an important historical reference, embedded in the central hull of La Pastora, a place that has a wide tradition within the community of Caracas.

• Plaza de San Jacinto: better known as "El Venezolano" Square, it is a square located in the Historical Quarter of the city, the square has a central turret, in the enclosures is the Quadra Bolivar, with cobbled sidewalks, colony style.

• Boulevard de Sabana Grande: it is a populous sidewalk. In its route, different tents and shops are played. When arriving at the end of the boulevard in the sector of Chacaito, are located some kinetic sculptures.

Parks and tours

• La Candelaria: It is an area of the city, which has cobbled tracks and traces of tram tracks that once crossed the area. It has gained great fame for its gastronomic diversity, being able to find excellent restaurants specialized in Spanish, Canarian and Italian food.

• Paseo Los Próceres: is an extensive avenue that consists of monumental statues, sidewalks, stairs, fountains and walls made of marble, to pay tribute and honor to the Venezuelans who fought for the freedom of the nation during Independence.

• Parque Nacional El Ávila: El Ávila is an extraordinary natural reserve that offers the natural scenic beauties of its flora and fauna and the tourist imposing of the people of Galipan.

• Parque Ávila Mágica: A favorite place for the city, which offers everything from a ride on the cable car to an ice-skating rink and Spanish-style paths that date back to colonial times.

• Parque Francisco de Miranda: popularly known as Parque do Leste is a favorite place for the "trotters" of Caracas, with charming and paradisiacal green areas, a small zoo where animals typical of the region can be seen, an artificial lagoon and its different attractions/recreations, such as the well-known ship of Christopher Columbus, the Santa Maria, in the southern part of the park. Francisco de Miranda Park, very crowded on the weekends of the Venezuelan capital, is a work of the architect Roberto Burle-Marx, inaugurated in January of 1961 and has an area of 82 hectares that were part of the coffee farms of San Jose and La Cienaga.

• Parque de Recreación Jóvito Villalba: better known as Parque do Oeste, an area of enjoyment for all the people of Caracas that live on the west side of the city, with sports courts, children's games, an artificial lagoon, the amphitheater and an acoustic shell, a snack bar and its walks, all within its beautiful green areas.

• Jardín Botánico Caracas: is the botanical garden in the spaces of the University City that constitutes one of the main reservoirs of fauna in Caracas and preserves the quality of the environment in the capital area.

•Parque Zoológico Caricuao: The Caricuao Zoo shows a wide variety of African and American animals. What makes the park very special is that some animals can walk freely among people.

• Parque Zoológico El Pinar: Pinar is one of the favorite parks for children, for the variety of animals and for their contact zone. It is a true Oasis in the middle of the city. It also has a special area where you can admire different species of butterflies.

• Parque Los Caobos: this is one of the oldest parks in Caracas. In it is one of the most important collections of centenary trees of the city, which is characterized as being a refuge for sportsmen and anyone who wishes to relax. In it, children's theatrical works can be presented at the weekends. Close to the Museum of Fine Arts, the Science Museum, the National Gallery, Ateneu de Caracas and the Teresa Carrenho Theater.

Museums

• Museo de Bellas Artes: Venezuela's oldest museum, it offers works of art including Egyptian art, Chinese ceramics, collections of cubism, and constantly changing exhibitions.

• Museo de Ciencias: unique in its kind in Caracas, it exhibits about 200,000 pieces of diverse areas of the natural sciences.

• Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas: Since 1974, it has exhibited works by national and international artists from the mid-20th century.

• Galeria de Arte Nacional: more than 6,000 pieces of Venezuelan art are exhibited from the pre-Hispanic period up to modern art. Since 2008 it has become the largest museum in Venezuela.