Valencia is the capital city of Carabobo State, and the third largest city of Venezuela.
The city is an economic hub that contains Venezuela's top industries and manufacturing companies. The population of Valencia reached some 1.5 million in the year 2003, and it is expected to grow dramatically in the years to come. Greater Valencia unofficially incorporates the communities of Naguanagua, San Diego, and other smaller bordering cities. Caracas lies some 180 km away to the East.
The area was already inhabited in the IV millennium BC. They were mainly hunters and gatherers and could have already develop some elementary forms of agriculture. Between 200 and 1000 A.D. an important settlement took place, specially close to the Valencia Lake.
Around the year 1000 migrations started to come from the Orinoco area, probably arriving along the Pao river. The fusion of previous settlements with these new populations gave rise to the Vacencioide culture.
People in the area belonged mostly to Arawak groups. They were hunters and gatherers, but they also fished, grew maize and cotton. Their houses were built on artificial mounds on the valleys that were often flooded with water from the Valencia Lake.
Archaeologists have found mostly pottery from that time. Valencia was founded by Captain Alonso Díaz Moreno on March 25, 1555 – as the locals are proud of reminding visitors, eight years before Caracas. It was the first Spanish settlement in central Venezuela and its official name was Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Nueva Valencia del Rey. The encomiendas put the Indians living in the region under the control of the Spanish settlers. They started to displace the native population from the most fertile land, but they also started merging with them.
PLACE TO VISIT
Valencia Athenaeum: a cultural centre where concerts and art exhibitions regularly take place.
Municipal Theater of Valencia: It is the main theatre of Carabobo. It was finished in 1895 following the architecture of French theatres of the time.
Páez House: this is a house once owned by one of the first presidents of Venezuela and leader of the independence wars, José Antonio Páez. It is currently a small museum and has a historical library. Some of the paintings with scenes depicting independence wars were made by Pedro Castillo, the grandfather of a well-known Venezuelan painter, Arturo Michelena.
Celis House: this is a colonial house built in 1765. It is the seat of the Museum of Art and History and the Lisandro Alvarado Foundation.
Museum of History and Anthropology: this museum contains an important collection of the pre-Columbian and colonial heritage of Venezuela.
Iturriza Palace or Quinta Isabela: this has the Museum of the city (Museo de la Ciudad).
Museum of Culture:' this museum holds different temporary arts exhibitions.
Negra Hipólita Park or Fernando Peñalver Park: a large park with gardens, concert halls, cultural centres and facilities for children to learn traffic rules and celebrate parties
Valencia's Metropolitan Park (Parque Metropolitano): a park on the Southern part of the city where the Bull Ring is located, but also an area used for many concerts and national and international festivals and exhibitions.
Valencia's Aquarium (Acuario de Valencia): This is the largest aquarium in Latin America, it contains also a serpentarium, a terrarium and a small zoo with lots of animals endemic to Venezuela. It also has some facilities for children to play.
Plaza Monumental de Valencia: this is second largest bullring in the world and is located right in Valencia's Metropolitan Park.
Cerro Casupo Municipal Park: a natural park on the mountains, some 693 hectares big, to the West of the city.
WHAT TO DO
Las Trincheras, Freeway Valencia - Pto. Cabello, Sector Las Trincheras, Edo. Carabobo, Natural thermal hot springs, spa, and hotel.
Indian petroglyphs in Vigirima (40 minutes towards the Northeast), no public transportation.
Monastery in Güigüe (40 minutes to the South)
Acuario de Valencia* Acuario de Valencia.
The parque Casupo is an excellent area for hiking. It is located to the West of the city and it offers a good view of Valencia.
HOW TO REACH
VLN-Valencia International Airport Arturo Michelena. Take taxi to any hotel. Airport has car rentals counters as well (Hertz and National.)
CCS-Maiquetia International Airport (Biggest Airport in Venezuela just outside of Caracas), then drive 2+ hours west in Autopista Regional del Centro( 220km aprox). This is the main highway connecting the two cities. Some portion tolls.
Valencia is connected to other main cities through a series of well-kept highways.
There are bus connections from Caracas, Barquisimeto, Mérida and Maracaibo. The main bus terminal is located in the Big Low Centre, a popular shopping center to the Northeast of Valencia and close to the San Diego region. Travelers need to take another bus or taxi to go from there to the city of Valencia.
