Caracas Travel Guide

Caracas OVERVIEW

Come to Caracas and the cliché 'contrast' tag will develop an entirely new meaning for you. A dense urban cluster neighbors the mystically forested slopes of Parque Nacional El Ávila, glitzy office buildings cast their slender shadows over gaudy shantytowns precariously glued to the surrounding hillsides, the top-notch shopping mall of Centro Comercial San Ignacio provides an alternative for the flea market of Mercado de la Pulgas, and multi-storied hotel grounds abut districts where even residents hesitate to venture out after dark. Nowhere else in South America is the gap between flabbergasting poshness and the grim sides of city life as vast as in Caracas. Heaps of fun with, a doze of bitter reflection, and eternal sunshine make for an overall unforgettable stay.