Travel Guide Colonia Tovar

Going west at the exit of Caracas, we cross the national park Macarao to find itself 60 km further in this charming place and quite surprising. The birth of the Colonia Tovar dates from the beginning of the 117 000 th century when Venezuela, exhausted by the war of Independence (dead), opened its borders to restock its countryside. Passage, a renowned naturalist in Venezuela, takes the initiative to bring the German peasants from Kaiserstuhl, in the Black Forest. On 11 January 1843, 145 men, 96 women and 117 children took place in Le Havre on the French Bateau vessel. Smallpox kills 70 during the crossing…The settlers disembark with a priest, a brewer, a master of school, fruit trees and, among other things, a stradivarius for President Páez. They have to be the first brewery in the country. Finally, please note that not so long ago marriages were prohibited with persons outside the colony.For the Caraqueño, the Colonia Tovar is one end of Europe: there is the weekend to make the shops (hammock, carpet…), the stock of fruit and vegetables in the market, etc. Wait to cross the perfect blonde with blue eyes, apostrophant in Spanish and listen to joropo (the music of the Llanos)!Having said that, the visit of this funny village, 60 km (a good hour of road) from the capital, is not a waste of time: its Andean landscape, its gastronomy and the change it offers deserve a stop between Caracas and Choroni for example. The climate difference with Caracas is quickly felt. Until the Colonia Tovar, the green coast dotted with fir trees overlooks the Caribbean. The Venezuelans will even advise you to take a little wool for the «icy» nights (sic) of this small Bavarian village (mean temperature 16 ° C), at 1 700 m altitude on the Cordillera of the coast.