Festival

Vélorio de Cruz de Mayo

Originally a pagan festival, but modified according to Catholic Christian beliefs over the years, the May Cross Celebrations occur mid-May to welcome Spring, the season of good harvests, fertility, and life. Street processions mark this event, where people traditionally used to hold symbolic vigils to keep guard as Spring moves in, displaying their thankfulness for the blessings it brings. The vigil tradition is now fading out, being replaced by singing, dancing, and a general air of merrymaking as people get together on the streets to socialize. A rather charming highlight of this festival is the public buffet table – bring a homemade dish, place it on the table, and enjoy some of the delicacies brought in by others.

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Overview & visitor information

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The World Poetry Festival

Festival / event

Initiated in 2002, this literary festival has managed to gain the attention of an intellectual target group all across the country. Popular, established poets, as well as upcoming ones from all around the Latin American region come together in this charming series of evening sittings, concerts, poetic displays and artworks, calligraphic exhibitions, and a host of related cultural activities. Might sound a bit dry to all the partygoers out there, but you would not believe the amount of people who turn up for participation in a literary sitting during this festival – Venezuelans love poetry!

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New Year's Day

Festival / event

Caraqueños just need an excuse to start shaking all over! Partying, singing, dancing, and going wild to the beats of music serve as the Fountain of Eternal Youth for this nation. New Year’s Eve makes no exception. From late afternoon you can see people scurrying all around town, eager to close down their businesses, get together a group of friends, and head to the most happening places around town – either the beach, that is swarming with other like-minded partygoers, or a more private retreat in nightclubs across the city. As a centuries old tradition, people bring homemade cloth or rag dolls and burn them at the stake – this represents forgetting the hardships and problems borne the previous year and preparing for a fresh new start. As midnight draws in, people head to the central square. Here an intense display of fireworks follows, amidst excited squeals from the audience, to welcome the New Year as the clock strikes midnight.

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Fiesta de Nuestra Senora de La Candelaria

Festival / event

A revered religious celebration occurring during the first week of February that pays homage to the Virgin Mary, a highly esteemed religious icon in Latin American lands. This festival is marked with sober expressions of respect rather than zealous displays of passion. People from all over the rural suburbs gather around as the main churches in Caracas hold religious sermons, poetic and musical recitals, and folk songs and dances. As the festival draws to an end, people put up ceremonial candle lighting displays and decorate churches and homes with floral wreaths, giving a warm, blessed, motherly touch to the city.

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Carnival

Festival / event

A festival that draws in tourists and visitors to Caracas by the thousands, from all across South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean lands, Carnival is an event that gives new meaning to the phrase “partying hard!” Marked by noisy street processions, splendid decorative elements, parades with lavishly prepared floats, and in general hordes of adrenaline-charged locals and tourists jumping to the beats of heart-throbbing music, Carnival gradually increases in intensity and reaches its peak at Mardi Gras, a Tuesday. Live open-air concerts, street performances, amateur theatrics, all-night clubbing, and a general air of recklessness are the main highlights of this festival.

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Semana Santa

Festival / event

A somewhat milder festival compared to the general party-loving scene in Caracas, Semana Santa marks a week-long vacation season before Easter where families get together to spend quality time at homes, public parks, and, most commonly, at the beach, sunbathing. The week marks a series of venerated religious proceedings that commemorate significant events from the life of Christ, including the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Church plays re-enact these events in the presence of hundreds of dedicated followers. A series of feasts follows as the day’s more formal programs come to an end. This festival is also marked by empty office buildings, fully booked hotel rooms, and overcrowded public transportation, as most people get decreased work hours and so spend more time socializing.

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Festival Internacional de Teatro

Festival / event

The International Theater Festival provides immense global recognition to Caracas. It is held every alternate April, and draws in crowds of intellectuals and students from all across Latin America, featuring theatrical performances by popular local as well as foreign actors. Venezuelan theatre arts have been flourishing over the years, and you can witness quite an impressive variety of plays that address regional and international social issues. The main events occur within the 4 major theatres in town, namely the Teatro Nacional, the Teatro Teresa Carreño, the Teatro El Paraíso, and the Ateneo de Caracas.

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Festival de los Diablos Danzantes

Festival / event

Known as the Festival of the Dancing Devils, this is another pagan festival that originated in African dance methods but has been adapted to suit the religious and social lifestyle of Caraqueños. First, all hell breaks loose as citizens put on colorful costumes, usually red or other bright colors, and rush into the streets to dance to wild drum beats. Then, after all the energy has died down, they head to the church and line up to place solemn resolutions for their lives ahead, and pay generous donations as repentance for their sins. This is seen as a kind of voluntary exorcism, the expulsion of the devil’s energy from the human body. The festival honors the Corpus Christi tradition, and commemorates the ultimate victory of good over evil.

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Independence Day

Festival / event

Venezuelans are a very sentimentally charged nation, and they hold their historic moments in high esteem. The 5th of July, the day when Venezuela gained independence from the Spanish Crown back in 1811, is regarded as a day of celebration, a day that is full of passionate chanting, singing anthems, decorating the streets with flags, and holding splendid parades. Every few minutes or so you are sure to witness a group of young bikers or excited schoolchildren running past you screaming "Viva Venezuela!" on the top of their lungs. Towards the evening, people start gathering around the major squares in the city to view performances by local artists that depict the centuries old culture and heritage of not only Caracas, but the whole country.

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Natalicio del Libertador

Festival / event

The birthday of Simón Bolívar, Venezuela’s greatest celebrated hero, is observed on the 24th of July. A public holiday, the day is marked by ceremonial processions, art exhibitions concerning the life and works of Bolivar, and official political dinners at stately residences. This is a time for reminding oneself of the hardships the great leader had to bear in order to bring justice and liberty to the people of Venezuela. A general air of cheerfulness, thanksgiving, and patriotic energy fills the air.

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El Hatillo Jazz Festival

Festival / event

El Hatillo Jazz Festival For the love (and lovers) of Jazz! Following centuries old traditions in local folkloric music fused with the modern blues and rumba of today, this festival brings together some of the best jazz players in the region for a long week of fun and music. Ethnic, classical, and international tunes, from solo street side performances to open-air concerts to formal, full-fledged orchestras in auditoriums, the Jazz festival is sure to drive away your “blues”!

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Museo Bolivariano

Attraction

Address: south of Plaza Bolívar Timings: Tuesdays to Fridays 9pm to 430pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 4pm. Admission free A museum dedicated to the legendary independence hero Simon Bolivar. Situated in a renovated colonial style building, the Bolivar Museum contains exhibits with historic documents, formal dresses from Bolivar’s era, a collection of weapons used during the colonial wars, and a number of paintings from the political and personal life of Simon Bolivar.

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What to do with Children in Tow

Activity

Caracas loves children! Apart from the many family-oriented public parks, like the Parque del Este and the Parque Los Caobos, which offer countless hours of fun with the lush landscaping, the serene water bodies, the alluring all-year-round floral displays, and the regularly organized family activities, the city contains two large public zoos that are also a big hit with Caraqueño children.

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Plaza Bolívar

Attraction

The main public square in Caracas, dedicated to the man whose relentless struggles bought the nation independence. The plaza is large open space used frequently by the citizens for public gatherings, political processions, open-air festivals and concerts, and as the starting point of numerous annual parades. The plaza contains impressive monuments, including statues of Bolivar, and is surrounded by government buildings and offices, all echoing with colonial architectural accents.

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La Casa Natal de Simon Bolívar

Attraction

Address: between Esqs San Jacinto and Traposos Cathedral Phone: +28 212 541 2563 Timings: Tuesdays to Fridays 9am to 4pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 430pm. Admission free of charge This is the birthplace of El Liberator Simón Bolívar, the most highly esteemed national hero in Venezuela. It has been restored as a national museum with the utmost attention to detail. Constructed originally as a colonial style mansion in the 17th century but starting to undergo significant degradation over the years, the house has been completely restored and now functions as a permanent exhibition space that depicts scenes from the life of Bolívar and his family, including classic living room furniture, formal attires, banners and weaponry, and full-wall paintings.

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Calvario Hill

Attraction

Address: Paseo El Calvario, Urbanización El Silencio, Caracas Timings: open daily 7am to 10pm Go for stroll though these lush gardens containing an enchanting chapel and a brilliant white stone arch, all of which were built to emulate the city of Paris. The park contains classical elements out of the gardens at Versailles, including delicate metalwork benches, gazebos, statues of eminent personalities, and fountains. Located on a hill overlooking the city, this is the ideal place to spend your last evening in the city as you sit back and take one last, lingering look at Caracas from above.

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Elliptic Hall

Attraction

Constructed in 1872, and having serviced many administrative departments since, including the Federal Court, the Legislative Court, and currently acting as the Seat of Congress, the Capitol Building, also known as the Elliptic Hall, is a stunning whitewashed building with golden domes that today contains some of the most important legislative documents and manuscripts of the Republic of Venezuela. Although visitors are not allowed inside, they can observe the building for its traces of rich colonial legacy in the elements and embellishment techniques used. The building is an authentic architectural marvel from the regime of the Spanish monarchy.

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Casa Amarilla

Attraction

Address: Centro, western edge of Plaza Bolívar Originally a prison cum sanitarium in the 17th century, Casa Amarilla is also known popularly as the Yellow House because of the shade of lemon yellow given to it after the country’s independence. Casa Amarilla is a treat to the eyes – or whatever you can catch of it today, as it is currently the Foreign Affairs office and visitors are generally not allowed inside. But get a glimpse of it as you pass the Plaza Bolívar, and you will see a very well-preserved example of a colonial manor with many small projecting balconies forming a rhythmic façade.

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Capilla de Santa Rosa de Lima

Attraction

Address: west of Concejo Municipal, south of Plaza Bolívar This chapel marks the exact location where Venezuela was declared as an independent sovereign state in 1811 – although it took 10 more years for this goal to be achieved. However, the chapel has been held in high reverence ever since, and has recently been restored with classic décor and furniture from Venezuela’s cultural past. Great photo ops inside!

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Panteón Nacional

Attraction

Address: north of Plaza Bolivar Timings: open daily (including holidays) Originally constructed as a majestic church, the National Pantheon was converted in 1874 to act as the last resting place for many of Venezuela’s prominent personalities, based on their outstanding achievements in fields of politics, warfare, social service, and education and science. The central, focal space within the pantheon is reserved for Simon Bolivar’s remains. The ceiling contains murals depicting scenes from Bolivar’s life. The body itself is contained within a sarcophagus of bronze housed within a polished marble niche, and the burial chamber reeks of immortal grandeur. More than a hundred other notable personalities are buried within the Pantheon, all the chambers designed with special attributes and elements that had significant symbolic meaning to the person buried within. Overall, the Pantheon is a genuine example of neo-colonial baroque style architecture, with pale pink paint, overly done columns, intricate arches, and grand cupola-topped towers.

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Teatro Nacional

Attraction

Also known as the Municipal Theatre, this public amenity is a splendid work of art in itself. Since its first live performance in 1881, an opera that received national recognition, the theatre has successfully continued to lure music and art lovers to its rather commendable performances. The interior is ornamented in tones of opulent luxury, with velvets and fine silks and an added sprinkle of gold. A large central dome over the performance area attempts to re-create the ambience of a 19th century opera performance. The theater usually has one or more ongoing shows throughout the year, and you are sure to catch one any time you drop by. Splurge on traditional Venezuelan and South American ballets, musicals, and operas. Tickets are quite reasonable, and they are seldom sold out to the full.

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El Arabito

Cuisine: Arabian Address: Avenue Casanova, Sabana Grande Phone: 212 761 0887 Timings: Mondays to Sundays 11am to 12midnight Small, welcoming, and inexpensive, this Arabian diner is known best for its falafels, shish kebabs, spicy shawarmas, and an assortment of customizable salads. It also specializes in fast food, burgers, and sandwiches. Try the Pitta-Burger, made out of a beef or chicken helping wrapped inside soft Middle Eastern bread. A take-away service is also provided as there is rarely enough space to seat the hordes of incoming customers. The restaurant contains a little store where you can buy Arabian spices and groceries like olives, dry nuts, roasted almonds, and confectionery.

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Zambal

Cuisine: Asian Address: 3 Avenue, Los Palos Grandes Phone: 212 286 8553 Timings: Mondays to Saturdays 11am to 4pm, 7pm to 11pm Small, trendy, and popular amongst the locals as the best Asian eatery in town, you will often find Zambal overcrowded to the brim with young Caraqueños as well as tourists. Chinese, Indo-Chinese, Japanese, and Thai, you can experience authenticity in all its Asian grandeur. The place contains charming interior décor and lighting, kind of like a frame out of a Japanese movie. The furniture is finely carved, ceramic ornaments line the intimately low-placed shelves, and incandescent lanterns hanging from the ceiling simulate fireflies on a dark night. Treat yourself to one of the delightful varieties of sushi after choosing from an assortment of appetizing Thai soups. You can also try the sashimi, chicken curry, szechaun steak, and salmon. Service is quick and very polite.

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Lasserre

Cuisine: French Address: 3 Avenue, Los Palos Grandes Phone: 212 283 4558 Timings: Mondays to Fridays 12noon to 4pm, 7pm to midnight. Saturdays 7pm to midnight A genuinely French dining experience, a rarity in Caracas. The interior whisks you off on a magical journey to 17th century Versailles, complete with baroque and rococo paintings, full-length mirrors reminiscent of the Palace Hall, and decorative schemes in silver, gold, and crystal, coupled with soothing live piano sessions. The rich menu offers traditional delicacies like anguille pâté, chicken Kiev, peacock bass, and Canard à l'Armagnac. Also available are a delightful variety of French desserts. The restaurant offers a valet parking service. Reservations are strongly advised.

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El Barquero

Cuisine: Spanish/Seafood Address: Avenue Luis Roche, corner 5a Transversal Altamira Phone: 212 261 4645 Timings: Mondays to Saturdays 1130am to 11pm All aboard for a delightful journey into the riches of the oceans, accompanied by creatures from the deep (don’t worry, the creatures will all be cooked, grilled, fried, or roasted)? El Barquero, “The Boatman”, serves mouthwatering fish and shrimp dishes, as well as a delightful variety of lamb and rabbit dishes! Try the seafood rice and casserole. The restaurant has an air of formality, and is good for over-lunch business talks. It also contains a hall that can be rented out for conference and event dinners.

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Astrid y Gastón

Cuisine: Peruvian Address: Calle Londres, Las Mercedes Phone: 212 993 1119 Timings: Mondays to Saturdays 1230pm to 330pm, 7pm to midnight Straight from the heart of Lima, Peru, comes this delightful little restaurant that will leave you just longing to visit Peru itself! Located in one of the most upscale and undisturbed parts of town, the restaurant offers genuine Peruvian flavor right down to the last speck of pepper and sauce. Start off by spicing things up with some hot, steaming chupe (soup). Then try scrumptious delicacies like the ceviche (saucy seafood in tantalizing gravy), causa (dumplings with potato peels and slices), and a variety of fish and meat menus that are not exactly true-blood Peruvian but a finger-lickin’ blend of Spanish, Middle Eastern, and Asian flavors. The place has a formal atmosphere, and is good for serious dinners with business partners and delegates. Reservations are especially advised.

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Coma

Cuisine: International Address: inside the C.C. Blandín shopping center, Avenue Blandín, Chacao district Phone: 212 263 4628 Timings: Daily 8am to 730pm A favorite hangout space for businessmen, Coma places all its emphasis on providing healthy, low-fat, organic food for its busy clientele. Treat yourself to tossed salads, whole meal sandwiches, a variety of pasta, fresh fruit juices, a selection of cream shakes, and dishes derived from milk and dairy products. For dinner you can try a more filling menu composed of fish, meat, and vegetable dishes. A special mention is the salmon fillet. Coma contains an open-air terrace, another reason which makes it a first choice for relaxed business conversations through the evening. Coma, keeping in mind its target crowd, also provides wireless internet service to its customers.

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Altamar

Cuisine: Mediterranean/Spanish Address: 3 Transversal, entry to Avenue San Juan Bosco and Avenue Luis Roche, Altamira district Phone: 212 262 1813 Timings: Daily 12noon to 11pm Santorini? So you will surely feel as you step inside this charming Mediterranean diner. With blue and white walls and matching furniture, this place pulls you into a whirlwind of Spanish and Galician seafood recipes, with slight pinches of Greek spices. A special mention: the tiger shrimp dish topped with garlic, served with cured ham – called “camarones al ajillo con jamon serrano”. The turkey and chicken menu is also worth tasting, served with a side dish of vegetables of your choice. Reservations are advised, as this place is quite popular, and subsequently very crowded.

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Aventino

Cuisine: French Address: Avenue San Felipe, La Castellana Phone: 212 267 5422 Timings: Mondays to Fridays 12noon to 3pm, 7pm to 11pm. Saturdays 7pm to 11pm Just add the Eiffel Tower and you can have the whole of France inside this charming little place! Operating since the 1960s, regarded as a pioneer in French cuisine in all of Caracas, Aventino prides itself with traditionalism when it comes to serving authentic food with all the hospitality of a Frenchman. The décor and lighting is reminiscent of many a diner in Paris. The special on the menu: pressed duck, the Caneton a la presse – spice, seasoning, and flavor, with an added touch of magic, all make this dish a must-have during any visit to Caracas. Good for formal dinners with family and friends. Reservations are strictly advised.

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Sibaris

Cuisine: Fusion Address: Avenue Principal, Las Mercedes Phone: 212 991 8776 Timings: Daily 11am to 4pm, 7pm to 11pm The best flavors from around the globe, blended to perfection by experts and served with local traditions of hospitality. The interior is splendidly ornamented, presenting a rather formal setting, but the ambience is nonetheless soothing. As for the food – what you cannot make out from the menu will gladly be explained to you by the friendly waiters, including the ingredients, the spices used, the seasonings added, and how the dish will ultimately taste! If you are still not comfortable, you can ask for a custom-made meal – list the ingredients and spices you want to be used for any meal on the menu and the chef will modify it for you. Sibaris also contains a small courtyard garden with an adjoining terrace, making for a perfect evening dining experience. Make reservations at least a day before you plan to visit, as this popular five star restaurant is usually booked to full capacity every night! Valet parking is available.

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Arepazo

Cuisine: Local Address: Con Avenue Principal de Las Mercedes, El Rosal A visit to Caracas is not complete without a taste of the truly authentic Caraqueño dish, the stuffed arepa. The arepa is round corn flour bread, usually small in size. It can be made into a roll, and the filling can range from salads and strictly vegetarian, to cheese and butter, to poultry, meat and fish. The meat can be grilled, sauced, minced, roasted, fried – you name it! Do not try to make a reservation – there is no phone! But the place is neat, the service is polite, and the food – some of the best at this price!