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| Other
sites of interest |
Beach
resorts: Caimare Chico,
Cotorrera.
Churches:
Santa Ana’s Chapel, Santo Cristo
Chapel, the Cathedral, The Convent, La
Inmaculada Church, San Tarcisio Church,
Santa Bárbara Church, Santa Lucia,
Temple of San Francisco, Temple of San
Felipe Neri.
Monuments:
El Trigal, Equestrian statue of Simón
Bolívar, Homage to La Chinita,
Allegorical Nymphs.
Museums:
Anthropological, Archdiocesan, Graphic
Arts, Balmiro León, General Rafael
Urdaneta, Ciudad de Dios Museum, Culture
Secretariat.
Parks:
Maracaibo Southern Park Foundation, La
Marina Park, Rafael Urdaneta Park,
Simón Bolívar Planetarium
Boulevards:
Paseo 28 de Enero, Paseo del Lago.
Beaches:
Caimare Chico, Las Mercedes, Las
Palmeras, Santa Fe and San Remo.
Archeological
Sites: Manzanillo.
Historical Sites:
Santa Lucía neighborhood, Capitulación
House, Las Águilas Palace.
Business area:
5 de Julio Avenue, Bella Vista, Mercado
de Las Pulgas (Flea Market), Guajiro
Market
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Maracaibo,
the capital of Zulia State and the country’s
second largest city, is located on the banks
of the lake of the same name. Seaman
Alonso de Ojeda, one of Christopher Columbus’s
companions on his second trip, discovered the
site on August 24, 1499. The city was
first founded in 1529, when German governor
Ambrosio Alfinger established a settlement
there. It was sacked and burned
innumerable times by scores of pirates who
sailed the lake. Capuchin missionaries
settled there in 1691 and started the to bring
peace to the area.
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Tourist Attractions |
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 Chiquinquirá
Basilica
The Basilica was originally a reed-covered
chapel built in 1686. Later it was
converted into the attractive structure first
known as the Church of San Juan de Dios, which
houses the retable where the Virgin of
Chinquinquirá, known familiarly as “La
Chinita” and the city’s patron saint, made
a miraculous appearance.
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 Carabobo
Street
The houses that line Carabobo street are
structures typical of the Maracaibo of
yesteryear that have been restored to enhance
the historical city center. There, one
can find handicrafts typical of the region,
traditional cuisine, some bars and a café,
together with a comfortable little hotel
called Hotel Caribe, which is the third oldest
hotel in the city.
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 Lake
Maracaibo
Covering an area of 13,000 square kilometers,
Lake Maracaibo is the 23rd largest lake in the
world. It is Venezuela’s most
important lake system and constitutes a highly
important waterway for the communities and
businesses of Zulia State.
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 General
Rafael Urdaneta Bridge
One of the country’s largest concrete works,
this bridge measures 8,678 meters and took
five years to build. It spans Lake
Maracaibo, linking up the western part of
Zulia State with the eastern part and the rest
of the country.
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 Maracaibo
Bullring
The Maracaibo Monumental Bullring seating
15,000 persons was inaugurated in 1972,
replacing La Trinidad, the city’s first
bullring. The main bullfight fair is
held as part of the Chiquinquirá Fair in
honor of the city’s patron saint, on
November 15, 16, 17 and 18.
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