👉 Surely you know the Caracas - La Guaira highway, but today we are going on an adventure and we will cross Ávila along the Camino de los Españoles (Caracas), which begins its journey from the Caracas gate (La pastora) and culminates in La Guiara. A journey full of history and stories.
👉 The Camino de los Españoles had its origins with the Caribs, the first inhabitants of the area later known as Caracas - (Capital of Venezuela), who used numerous trails to move along the slopes of the Waraira Repano. Officially, the Camino de los Españoles is a trail in the El Ávila National Park, Venezuela🇻🇪 that goes from the city of Caracas to La Guaira. 🌊☀ The path was ordered in May 1589, by the Governor and Captain General of the Province of Venezuela and founder of the port of La Guaira, Don Diego de Osorio y Villegas. According to evidence in a document dated January 4, 1603, the construction order was finally fulfilled following an indigenous path or pike called "La Culebrilla". In order to repel possible attacks by pirates and bandits, the road was reinforced with forts, which are currently observed in different states of conservation.🍃☘️🌱
This Road was, in colonial times, the only link between the city of Caracas, the Port of La Guaira and the Central Coast, serving for the transport of goods, people, food and goods necessary for the colonization of Venezuela and, later for the War of Independence.
As a curious fact, chroniclers have reported various names for this route:
👉 "Road to Caracas", "Road to the Sea", "Road to the Port of San Pedro de la Guaira", "Camino Real" or "Camino Viejo".
👉 The Camino de los Españoles is filled with faithful who celebrate the pilgrimage of Our Lady of Lourdes, which begins with a mass at 5 in the morning in La Pastora Parish in Caracas.
👉 Although this route can be done in one day, 🏃♀️it is considered strong . The path begins at the old entrance to the path, through the "Portón de La Pastora" or "La Puerta de Caracas" (1,043 meters above sea level), as it is generally called, and ends in La Guaira or Maiquetía, depending on the path chosen. The most used and known is that of Maiquetía. The total route is around 23 km. 🤯
In total, we spent 10 hours on our tour, counting the stops we made. If you don't want to do the entire route on foot, another option you have is to take jeeps right there in El Polvorín that take you to all the inhabited sectors such as Campo Alegre and Sanchorquiz,☺ a good stretch ahead of you. In addition, they go up to the forts, but their normal route is the towns. You can also go up with your vehicle to these points.
The road is paved in the first section, you will be able to see houses in this area of La Pastora that still preserve the rural style, as well as beautiful murals. 🏡
Finally, we arrive at "Los Dos Caminos", where the path forks:
The one on the left leads to Maiquetía. From the past it was the most used, it could be said that the main one, since it was the most comfortable slopes.
The one on the right is called "Las Dos Aguadas". It is a path that is much less frequented today and since the time of the construction of the path by the Spanish (around the 17th-3rd century) the least preferred because it is steeper. The latter goes directly to La Guaira (today La Guaira), passing through the Castillo de San Carlos. 🏰
The construction of Fortín San Carlos dates from 1769 and currently, its visit is controlled by the same inhabitants of La Guaira. To get to him, look for the Jeep's that are between Trinchera street and Soublette de la Guaira avenue, they know their caretaker😍
Inside you can find a dungeon, where they tried to recreate the scene of the famous painting by Miranda in La Carraca, as an additional attraction, additive to the visit. 🤓
From it you have a privileged view of the Port and the City of La Guaira, allowing military control and its function as a lookout, in the protection of merchandise and the capital city.
After walking a long way intellectually and physically, we have been able to re-construct for you, through this documentary, the
old colonial road of the Spanish, also known as Camino a La Mar 🤩, because it connected the city of Caracas (in the valley next to the southern slope of the Ávila National Park) with La Guaira (in the Caribbean Sea).
I hope you can enjoy this content of interest. I recommend doing this route with people who have knowledge of the path 🙏🙏🇻🇪. I appreciate the guidance of the guys from
@historiasyturismo 👈
28 сен 2024
