San Carlos del Zulia

Introduction

San Carlos del Zulia is the capital of Colón Municipality in Zulia State, Venezuela. Founded in 1778 by Captain Nicolás José Antúnez Pacheco y de la Cruz y Velasco, an alderman of Maracaibo, with lieutenant Ramón Hernández de la Calle, the town began as part of the pacification of the Motilón Indians who populated the area.

Three days in San Carlos del Zulia

Day one: Start in San Carlos, the seat of Colón Municipality in Zulia State, Venezuela, and get your bearings in the town centre. Walk Calle, the street that anchors the historic core, and take in the setting of a town founded under Captain Nicolás José Antúnez Pacheco, with Cruz and Velasco also remembered in its early story. Keep the pace easy and let the lowland heat set your rhythm.

• San Carlos town centre
• Calle
• Colón Municipality

Day two: Build your day around the town's indigenous heritage, learning about the Motilón Indians who are part of the local story. Use the afternoon to understand San Carlos's place within Zulia State and its links to the wider region, including Maracaibo. Ramón Hernández is another name tied to the area's background and worth noting as you piece the history together.

• Motilón Indians heritage
• Maracaibo connections
• Ramón Hernández

Day three: Round off your stay with a slower morning in San Carlos, revisiting the parts of Calle and the centre you liked most. Use the time to fit the town into the broader map of Zulia and Venezuela before you move on.

• San Carlos
• Zulia
• Venezuela