Choroní

Choroní sits on the Caribbean coast of Henri Pittier National Park, about 45–60 minutes from Maracay by a spectacular mountain road that climbs through cloud forest before descending to the sea. The journey itself is reason enough to come: the road crosses the Portachuelo Pass through one of the most biodiverse stretches of forest in the country.

The town is a single colonial street of brightly painted houses, an 18th-century church, and a handful of restaurants that depend entirely on what arrived from the fishing boats that morning. The beach — Puerto Colombia, a short walk from the town centre — is a working fishing beach with a few colourful launches and enough shade from almond trees to spend a full day without burning.

Choroní has no ATMs and unreliable phone signal, which is, for many visitors, its primary appeal. The posadas here are family-run; the cacao grown in the surrounding hills supplies some of Europe's finest chocolate makers; and the Afro-Venezuelan musical tradition of tambor is still performed in the central plaza on significant dates.

Current status (2026): Choroní's historic centre sustained real, still-unrepaired damage in the June 24, 2026 earthquake, and as of mid-July residents were still awaiting heritage engineers to assess the colonial buildings. The village is recovering, not closed — but confirm directly with your posada that it is open and structurally sound before booking an overnight stay.