Barcelona:

This is the capital of the state of Anzoátegui in which Puerto la Cruz is located. It is the site of the airport for the two towns. The following are the principal attractions in Barcelona:

Casa Fuerte located within the town of Barcelona, the ruins of the Convent of San Francisco was outfitted with cannons and used by republican troops during the War of Independence in 1718. It has been preserved as a memorial.

Museo de Anzoátegui Open daily 8-noon and 3-6. (December: 8-4) Free admission. the oldest existing house in the city (1671). Handsomely restored; now used as a museum.

El Morro tourist project Between Puerto la Cruz and Barcelona, a turn off leads to the enormous El Morro complex and its beaches. The centerpiece is the Centro Comercial Plaza Mayor, designed with colorful architecture to resemble the Carribean resort city of Willemsted, Curaçao.

The entire Avenue Principal of Lecherías is lined with small shopping centers and many restaurants. The complex contains numerous single family homes, condos and hotels constructed on a series of canals which provide each living unit with docking facilities and boat access to the sea. A five star resort and golf course is part of the community.

Puerto la Cruz:

Paseo Colón A new, modern waterfront boulevard filled with hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, and shops on one side and a beach bordered by a wide walkway on the other. Seafood restaurants, cafés, and local crafts people line the walkways. the beach is beautiful and yields many interesting shells, but it is not safe for swimming. A multitude of swimming beaches are nearby.

Parque Nacional Mochima Reached by boat, the beaches are superb. Shuttle boats carry visitors to swimming, diving, and fishing locations all day. The park stretches from Puerto la Cruz to Cumaná. It contains many islands as well as a strip of hilly coast noted for its deep bays and white sand beaches. Some of the islands are surrounded by coral reefs and offer good snorkeling. The waters are calm and warm and filled with marine life.

Cumaná (South America's oldest city, population 270,000)

Museo del Mar Located opposite the University de Oriente campus Open daily from 8:30-11:00 and 2:30-5:30. Small entry fee Displays range from boats used by indigenous settlers to old time diving equipment, shells, fossils, and a small aquarium.

Castillo de San Antonio de la Eminencia overlooks the city open daily 9-noon and 3-5. Admission free Site of the first area fort (1660). Subsequent replacements were destroyed by earthquakes. The present fort was restored after a 1929 earthquake.

Castillo de Santa Maria de la Cabeza Enter through Iglesia de Santa Inés Like the Castillo de San Antonio this fortress has been destroyed and rebuilt 5 times between 1637 and 1929.

Museo Gran Marisical de Ayacucho Tues.-Fri. 8-noon and 2-4; Sat. 8-noon. Admission free. Historical exhibits and artifacts.

Market Near the fishing port on Avenida Los Manglares 5-noon Fresh produce; handicrafts; tasty food.

Marine Terminal Near the market. Catch the ferry to Punta Piedras for a visit to Margarita Island and from there back to Puerto la Cruz.

Excursion from Puerto la Cruz to Margarita Island and Caripe

A representative three day tour of the area originating from and returning to Margarita Island:

(Take the ferry or boat to Margarita Island from Puerto la Cruz)

Margarita - Orinoco Delta An early morning flight goes to Maturin, capital of the Monagas state. From there, a boat takes visitors through dense tropical forest all the way to a camp in the middle of the Orinoco Delta. After lunch there is a walk across the swampy ground of the delta forest to enjoy and learn more about the tropical vegetation. Piraña fishing on the Manamo river near the camp follows .At the end of the day there is always a one-of-a-kind sunset to watch .

2nd Day: Orinoco Delta - Caripe In the morning after breakfast , visitors enjoy a a boat ride to San Jose de Buja. and from there a drive to Caripe and the Hacienda Campo Claro, one of the oldest coffee farms in Caripe. Following the tour of the coffee farm, there is a visit to Guacharo's cave, one of the largest caves in south America, once examined by Alexander Von Humboldt a German scientist who spent 16 months exploring Venezuela. In the first section of the cave are huge stalactites and stalagmites, some growing together as though building images of enormous sandcastles.

Outside, there is a shrieking noise of the hundreds of unseen oil birds (guacharos). At the Hall of Silence in the center of the cave everything changes. The cave suddenly is dark, quiet, and humid, and it is necessary to light the way with the kerosene lamp carried by the guide.

Emerging from the cave, there is the amazing sight of La Paila a charming waterfall in the middle of the mountain! In the evening the nocturnal guacharos leave the cave with loud shrieks as they go on their nightly flight.

3rd Day: Caripe - Buffalo Farm - Margarita Island After breakfast, tour participants ride to "Hacienda Agua Sana" (thermal waters) in the Sucre state, where they are invited to bathe and swim in the hot springs. After lunch there is a visit to hacienda "Rio de Agua", a real buffalo farm. At the farm, visitors watch cheese being made and learn a little about eco-farming.