Maicao travel guide

Maicao, Colombia

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Maicao

Introduction

Maicao is a city and municipality in La Guajira Department, in northern Colombia. It sits 76 km from Riohacha, the departmental capital, and is the second largest urban center near the border with Venezuela after Cúcuta.

Getting there

To reach Maicao, you cross the border from Venezuela. From the Colombian side, buses run from Riohacha and Santa Marta; Riohacha is the closer of the two, about 76 km away.

Getting around

Getting around Maicao is entirely road-based: there is no rail, metro or tram network to plan around. The city sits on a two-lane highway crossing the municipality from Riohacha toward Venezuela, with another road running south toward Valledupar, and these corridors carry the intercity buses and long-distance transport that make Maicao a land transportation hub. Buses connect Maicao with Riohacha, the departmental capital, and with Santa Marta, while the border crossing from Venezuela is a common arrival route. Note that the bus terminal has no ATM, so have cash on hand before you arrive or once you reach the city center. Taxis are the practical way to cover short trips and to bridge the gap between the bus terminal and the city center; since the terminal has no ATM, a common approach is to have a taxi driver take you into the center, where you can access cash and services. Ride-hailing apps are not described in the available information, so treat taxis as the reliable option. Maicao's commercial life is concentrated in its center, where the main shops, the Hotel Don Juan and the Mosque of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab are located, making the central area reasonably navigable on foot. The wider municipality stretches toward the Venezuelan border, so walking suits the urban core rather than travel between towns or to outlying areas. Expect hot conditions year-round, with two rainy and two dry seasons. Maicao's former airstrip, La Majayura Airport, is closed though it may reopen; the city is currently served by Jorge Isaacs Airport about 40 km to the southwest, from where onward travel into Maicao is by road, so arrange a taxi or bus connection for the final leg. As a busy commercial and border hub, Maicao rewards allowing extra time for road journeys along the Riohacha–Venezuela and Maicao–Valledupar corridors.

Where to stay

Lodging in Macau clusters around the Macau Peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Coloane. The peninsula puts you in the thick of the historic centre, where the concentration of hotels is highest; Taipa and Coloane offer a quieter base away from the main urban bustle.

Food & drink

Maicao's trading character brings a wider range of food than you will find elsewhere in the region. Two Arab restaurants in town are worth seeking out, serving shawarma, chicken and hummus, along with fries. Beyond those, you can find roast chicken and soups, with both Colombian and Venezuelan flavours on offer.

What to see and do

Maicao is a border town, and its market is the main draw: everything is for sale, much of it of dubious legality, from fake iPods to outdated American department store merchandise to Amazonian fruits. The city sits on one point of a triangular smuggling operation, with home appliances and large goods arriving via Panama through the port of Puerto Bolivar, and gas, food and other subsidized goods crossing from Venezuela along Indian footpaths. Negotiate hard. Among the sights, the Mosque of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab stands out as one of the largest mosques in Latin America, built in 1997 for the city's Arab and Muslim population, mostly Lebanese immigrants, and known locally as the Mezquita de Maicao. The Monumento a la Identidad, a sculpture by Cartagena artist Alfredo Tatis Benzo, is also called "El Abuelo de las Barbas del Maíz" in reference to how Maicao got its name. Plaza Bolívar holds a statue of Simón Bolívar by local artist Vespaciano Ruiz Pichón, and San José Church is the patron saint of the municipality. South of town, in the township of Carraipía, the Montes de Oca Natural Reserve protects a large area that supplies water to part of Maicao, with hundreds of plant types and bird species, including endangered forest species such as Guayacán.

When to go

Maicao has a hot climate year-round, with little temperature variation from one month to the next. What changes is the rain: the year divides into two dry seasons and two rainy seasons.

Whichever season you choose, pack for heat. The trade-off is between dusty, sun-exposed dry-season days and muddy, shower-prone rainy-season ones.

Three days in Maicao

Day one: Arrive in Maicao, a Colombian town in La Guajira Department close to the Venezuelan border. Settle in at Hotel Don Juan, then get your bearings in the centre, where the Mosque Omar Ibn Al Khattab stands as a landmark of the town's Arab heritage. Expect a mix of Colombian and Venezuelan influences in the streets and shops.

Day two: Use Maicao as a base for exploring La Guajira Department. Buses connect the town with Riohacha, Santa Marta and Valledupar, so you can plan a day trip or onward travel. Note that ATMs can be unreliable, so carry enough cash. Taxis and rides are available for getting around locally.

Day three: If you are heading further afield, La Majayura Airport and Jorge Isaacs Airport serve the region, with connections toward Cúcuta and beyond. From Maicao you can also reach Venezuelan border towns such as Puerto Bolivar. As you leave, remember that Maicao's character comes from its position between Colombia and Venezuela.

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