Maracaibo

Maracaibo stands on the western side of the strait connecting Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela, and the oil found under the lake from 1914 made it the country's second city. The old centre keeps a colonial core around the Plaza Bolívar and the basilica of the Virgen de Chiquinquirá, and Calle Carabobo is a restored street of houses painted in strong colours. The General Rafael Urdaneta bridge, opened in 1962, crosses the strait in a span of more than eight kilometres.

Background

Maracaibo lies on the western shore of the strait that joins Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela and is the capital of Zulia. With an estimated 1,752,602 people in the city and 2,727,957 in the metropolitan area in 2019, it is the country's second largest city after Caracas, nicknamed the Beloved Land of the Sun. Earlier attempts to found it in 1529 and 1569 failed, and Captain Pedro Maldonado finally established it in 1574 as Nueva Zamora de la Laguna de Maracaibo. It grew as a transshipment port after pirates destroyed Gibraltar at the head of the lake in 1669, and it was the first city in Venezuela to adopt several public services, electricity among them.

Source: Wikipedia, "Maracaibo"

The main sights

• Calle Carabobo - a restored colonial street of brightly painted houses.
• The basilica - the shrine of the Virgen de Chiquinquira, the city's patron.
• The Urdaneta bridge - the eight-kilometre crossing of the lake strait.
• The lake front - the working waterfront on the strait.

When to go

December to April is driest, though the city is hot and humid year round. The Feria de la Chiquinquirá in November is the main festival. Mornings are the only comfortable time outdoors.

Before you go

Maracaibo is extremely hot and humid, regularly among the hottest cities in the country. The old centre is small relative to the city. Power supply has been unreliable and affects hotels and services.

Nearby

Sinamaica is north, and the Catatumbo river mouth is south.

Key facts