Bocono

Boconó sits at around twelve hundred metres in a fertile fold of the Trujillo Andes, wet and green where much of the surrounding country is dry, and it has been called the garden of Venezuela for the intensity of its farming: coffee on the slopes, vegetables on terraces, flowers and fruit in the valleys. The town has a colonial centre around its plaza and a strong craft tradition, with potters at nearby villages and a cooperative selling the region's work.

What you actually see

• The coffee slopes - smallholdings covering the hills around the town.
• The ceramics - the pottery villages around Bocono and their cooperative outlet.
• The colonial centre - the plaza, church and streets of the old town.
• The terraced valleys - the intensive hillside farming the district is known for.

When to go

December to April is the driest. The altitude keeps it mild and the nights cool. The wet season brings frequent afternoon rain and landslides on mountain roads.

Honest expectations

Mountain roads are winding and landslides close them regularly in the rains. Accommodation is limited to small hotels and posadas. Craft workshops are scattered and need a car.

Nearby

Valera is northwest, and Isnotu is beyond it.