Located
on the Orinoco's south bank, Ciudad Bolívar
is capital of Bolívar State and has a population of 261,000.
It was founded as Angostura in 1764, and grew as a fishing port.
It was, however, the arrival of Simón Bolívar in
1817 that was to put the town firmly on the map. Angostura became
a strategic planning center for the re-grouping and re-organization
of troops after battle, and it was here that the British, Irish
and German troops joined the ranks in support of the fight for
independence. On 3rd May 1836, Angostura was named Ciudad Bolívar
in honor of Latin America's greatest ever hero.
Today, the state capital is a lively, historic town. Some
colonial architecture remains, and there are several museums
and sights of interest in and around the city. Among the
most popular are Fortín el Zamuro, a hill fort built
at the beginning of the century, Puente de Angostura, the only
bridge
over the Orinoco (1,678m), Jimmy Angel's restored plane,
on display at the city's airport and the rock art in the Cueva
del Elephante, south of the city. Ciudad Bolívar has
an average temperature of 29ºC and is blessed by a cool
evening breeze. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants and
tour operators in the city, and trips can be arranged to
the Angel Falls, the Gran Sabana, Canaima, the Orinoco Delta,
Amazonas
and just about anywhere else in the country. The airport
operates daily flights to Caracas, and there are buses to
all big towns
and cities. Hostels in Ciudad Bolivar |
ROOMS VENEZUELA
