Venezuela - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 864

museums and galleries. The Galería de
Arte Nacional (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat &
Sun 10am-5pm; free; T 0212 576 8707)
is one block west of the Bellas Artes metro
station on Avenida México. Its primary
offering is a permanent exhibition tracing
Venezuelan art throughout the last five
centuries, while visiting exhibitions often
feature household names.
A block east from the same metro stop,
the oval Plaza de los Museos has two
excellent museums facing one another. On
the northern side, the Museo de Bellas
Artes (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun
10am-5pm; free; T 0212 578 0275)
houses temporary exhibitions by
Venezuelan and international artists.
Opposite, the more modern and child-
friendly design of the Museo de Ciencias
(Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm, Sat & Sun
10am-4.45pm; free; T 0212 573 4938)
focuses on Venezuelan geography, habitats
and wildlife. These museums alternate
between closing at 2pm and 9pm on
Fridays. To find out which is open late, and
for more information, visit the Fundación
Museos Nacionales website W fmn.gob.ve.

street performers who offer an insight
into the Venezuelan sense of humour.
The pedestrianized Bulevar de Sabana
Grande is lined with numerous specialist
shopping malls (see p.875), as well as
every other conceivable trade, legitimate
or otherwise, on street level. A heightened
police presence has done much to
improve security in the area, although
you should keep to where there are
crowds after dark.

El Hatillo
The pretty suburb of El Hatillo provides
a welcome respite from the more intense
atmosphere of the centre. The only street
noise here is gallery and boutique owners
chatting on the pavement or faint salsa
music wafting out of café doorways.
There are good eating (see p.873) and
shopping (see p.875) options here. To get
here from Caracas, take the forty-minute
metrobus ride from Avenida Sur below
Altamira metro station (Mon-Fri
5.30am-11pm; every 30min; BsF1.50).
On weekends, busetas (BsF4) leave from
outside the Chacaíto metro station - look
for windshields displaying “El Hatillo”.
Get off at the roundabout beside the large
pharmacy. The suburb is at the end of
a circuitous bus route, so simply catch
the bus from where you got off to return
to the centre.

11

Teatro Teresa Carreño
A quick walk south brings you to the
Teatro Teresa Carreño (box office
9am-8pm, free guided tours Tues-Fri
until 5pm; T 0212 574 9122), whose
compelling concrete and black-glass
design contributes to excellent acoustics
within. Some of the city's best music,
dance and theatre performances take
place here; enquire by phone or in person
for details of what's on.
The ironically un-contemporary exterior
of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
(daily 9am-4.30pm; T 0212 573 4602,
W

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane 26km northwest of Caracas, Maiquetía
International Airport ( T 0212 303 1329) is the country's
primary hub for international flights, and also serves
domestic destinations across the country. The airport has
two terminals, one for domestic and another for inter-
national, although both are in the same building. Visitors
leaving Venezuela must pay an exit tax of BsF225, while an
airport tax of BsF45 is levied for domestic flights. Often the
tax will be included in your airfare, so be sure to check with
your airline.
From the airport into town Buses to Parque Central (daily
5am-10pm; 1hr; BsF25; T 0212 352 4140) leave every
20min from in front of the international terminal. From the
bus stop, it's best to continue to your accommodation by taxi.
Red Sitssa buses (hourly 7.30am-9pm; BsF8) also connect
the airport to Hotel Alba in Parque Central, from where Bellas
Artes metro station is two blocks away. O cial taxis to and
from the airport take about an hour and cost upwards of
BsF200 depending on the time of day. Taxis waiting at

fmn.gob.ve) belies an excellent
permanent collection inside, including
Picasso, Miró, Moore and infectiously
enthusiastic staff. The gallery is across
Teatro Carreño's concrete pedestrian
walkway.

Sabana Grande
Named after its 1.5km-long commercial
artery, the district of Sabana Grande is
filled with cheap restaurants, locals
promenading their latest purchases and