Holiday in Valencia

About Valencia

Valencia is the third largest city in Venezuela and the capital of the Carabobo state. The city is located in a fertile valley on the southern shore of Lake Valencia (Lago de Valencia), the largest inland lake in Venezuela, surrounded by mountains and tropical vegetation. Valencia was briefly the capital of the country twice and is closely linked to Venezuela's independence history. The Battle of Carabobo on June 24, 1821, took place in a field southwest of the city and was the decisive battle in the independence war led by Simon Bolivar against Spanish colonial power. Campo Carabobo is now a national monument with a monumental arch, memorials, and a museum — a pilgrimage site of Venezuelan national sentiment. The colonial old town impresses with Plaza Bolivar featuring the Catedral de Valencia, one of the largest cathedrals in Venezuela, and the Teatro Municipal, a neoclassical theater building from the 19th century. The Museo de Arte Valencia (MUVA) houses a remarkable collection of Venezuelan and Latin American art. Lake Valencia, although ecologically burdened, offers a unique nature reserve with its islands: rare iguanas live on the islands and thousands of waterfowl nest there. The surrounding mountains, especially Cerro El Casupo and the Reserva Henri Pittier (one of the oldest national parks in South America), offer hiking opportunities in tropical mountain forests.