Maracay, Venezuela

Maracay, Venezuela
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maracay_Panoramica.jpg
Author: Steevenj


Maracay is a coastal city in north-central Venezuela. Facing the Caribbean Sea, it is the state capital of Aragua. It covers 911 sq km (352 sq mi) and has a population of 850,000 people (2011 estimate) within a metropolitan area with 1.8 million people.

Maracay was founded in 1701 by Bishop Diego de Baños y Sotomayor. It is said to have been named after a native chief, whose in turn was named after the Maracayo (Felis mitis) a small tiger.

Maracay experienced tremendous growth at the turn of the 20th century, when Venezuela was under the dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez, who made the city his home. Today the Gómez Mausoleum holds his remains. The modern city of Maracay is an industrial hub. It produces a wide range of products incuding chemicals, textiles, paper, cement and more.

Catedral de Maracay
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catedral_de_Maracay2.jpg
Author: xolkanf

Visiting Maracay

Maracay does not have its own airport. You can fly in through the Arturo Michelena International Airport (VLN) in Valencia. The safest (but most expensive) option is to take a taxi from the airport to Maracay. The airport receives regular flights from Barcelona (Venezuela), Caracas, Curaçao, Maracaibo, Puerto Ordax and Santo Domingo, among others.

Places of Interest in Maracay

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.