Coro and its Port

Coro was founded in 1527 and is one of the oldest surviving towns in the Americas, and its distinction is the material: the colonial buildings are made of earth, mud brick and rammed earth rendered and painted, a technique brought together from Spanish, indigenous and Dutch practice in a way found nowhere else in the Caribbean. With its port at La Vela it was inscribed by UNESCO in 1993, the first Venezuelan site on the list.

What you actually see

• The earthen architecture - colonial buildings of mud brick and rammed earth under render.
• The Casa de las Ventanas de Hierro - the eighteenth-century house with its ironwork windows.
• The cathedral - one of the oldest surviving churches in the country.
• La Vela de Coro - the port town on the coast, inscribed with the city.

When to go

December to April is the dry season. Earthen buildings are vulnerable to heavy rain and restoration work is often in progress. Mornings are coolest for walking.

Honest expectations

Heavy rains in 2004 and 2010 caused serious damage and the site has been on the List of World Heritage in Danger; some buildings remain under scaffolding or closed. Museum opening is irregular. It is very hot and there is little shade.

Nearby

Medanos de Coro are beside the town, and Adicora is north.