Barquisimeto

Barquisimeto is the fourth city of Venezuela and calls itself the musical capital, with a long tradition of choirs, orchestras and the tamunangue dance of the surrounding Lara countryside. Its best known event is the procession of the Divina Pastora each 14 January, when the image is carried from Santa Rosa into the city along a route lined by crowds that regularly exceed a million people, one of the largest Marian processions anywhere.

What you actually see

• The Divina Pastora procession - a January procession drawing over a million people.
• The Santa Rosa church - the home of the image carried into the city each year.
• The musical tradition - the choirs, orchestras and schools the city is known for.
• The Obelisco - the tower on the city's western edge, a local landmark.

When to go

14 January for the procession, which is the city's defining event. December to April is otherwise the driest season. It is hot and dry through most of the year.

Honest expectations

The city itself has few conventional sights and works best around the festival. Accommodation is impossible to find around 14 January without booking far ahead. The centre is congested.

Nearby

Carora is northwest, and Sorte Mountain is east.