Venezuela - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 909

EATING AND DRINKING
Seafood lovers are in for a treat in Santa Fe, where the
produce is freshly caught daily.
Café del Mar Far end of the beach T 0293 231 0009.
With tables on top of the sand, this palm-roofed restaurant
serves up delicious platters made with fresh ingredients
from the market nearby. Does soups from BsF35, but the
real triumph is the parrilla café del mar (BsF65), a seafood
platter that you'll be thinking about until dinnertime the
next day, when you'll probably be back. Also runs a posada
upstairs with doubles for BsF130. Tues-Sun, 11am-9pm.
El Mercado On the beach past Café del Mar . An excellent
breakfast option, as well as a place to stock up on supplies for
your posada's kitchen. Numerous stands where empanadas
and arepas are made to order while you sit back and watch
the pelicans sneaking up on the fishermen. Daily breakfast
& lunch.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus The road to Mochima breaks off from the main
coastal highway (heading towards Puerto La Cruz or
Cumaná) beside various food stands; shout “¡parada!” at the
bus driver to let you off, or hail a bus from the roadside to
get on. Walking the road to Mochima is not recommended
as robberies have occurred.
By jeep Intermittent jeeps and busetas (BsF15) shuttle
back and forth along the road daily until 8pm. Otherwise,
drivers who know the road's reputation are usually happy
to give you a lift if you flag them down.

ACCOMMODATION
Casa Cruz T 0293 416 0810, E posadacasacruzmochima
@hotmail.com. Plenty of fish motifs to remind you of the
beach location at this welcoming little posada with five
rooms. Also has a s eparate house for groups of six for
BsF600. Book ahead. BsF300
Posada El Mochimero T 0293 643 5797. An oversized
ceramic toad, elevated views from the big rooftop terrace
and a trippy painting of marine life brighten up this
otherwise dull posada. Rooms are clean, all with a/c; ask for
room No 10 or No 17 as they have natural light. All rooms
are triple. BsF180

11

DIRECTORY
Internet Posada Bahía del Mar has a computer you can
use for BsF6/hr until 8pm, or for free if you're staying there.
Pharmacy Medicinas Santa Elena, C Las Mercedes, east of
Av Principal (daily 7am-7pm, although they take a siesta
from around noon-2.30pm).
Police Station at beach end of Av Principal.
Shopping The food market on the beach; you can buy fish
directly from the fishermen outside in the mornings.

EATING
Restaurant El Mochimero T 0293 644 3200. They
boast a Basque chef (which means delicious food) at this
pleasant waterside restaurant, who serves up excellent
seafood and grumbles over anything land-based, although
the menu is extensive. Daily 11am-9pm.
Restaurant Puerto Viejo T 0293 416 0810. Right next
to the jetty, you'll get splashed at your table if a boat roars
away quickly enough. The three-in-one platter serves up
fresh octopus, squid and shrimp for BsF120. Also mixes up
an excellent piña colada if your vitamin C count is running
low. Daily 11am-8pm, open Thurs-Sun in low season.

Mochima
The village after which the national park
is named occupies a pretty inlet 3km
from the main coastal road. Originally
a fishing village, MOCHIMA has a lively
malecón, from where boat trips to the
park's cays depart. The village has no
beach and is tricky to get to.
The main activity in Mochima is,
once again, boat trips to the cays of the
national park, all of which depart from
the Terminal de Lanchas in the town
centre. Prices for each destination are
written on a board above the booth where
you buy your tickets. If there's a group
of you, you may want to rent a lancha
(speedboat) for the day (BsF800 on the
weekends, less during the week).
Alternatively, consider the friendly Los
Buzos dive centre ( T 0293 416 0856,
E

CARIPE
Tucked away in the mountainous state
of Monagas, the rounded limestone
hills and lush forest around CARIPE
offer respite from the heat of the coast.
The town is famous for the Cueva del
Guácharo , a 10km-long cave home to
screeching nocturnal birds that add an
unearthly atmosphere to an astonishing
natural phenomenon. [e-mail]),

which offers kayaking, trekking, climbing,
rafting and dolphin-spotting in addition
to one-day scuba trips (BsF600) and a
four-day scuba SSI certification course
(BsF3200, accommodation included).

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The pretty town centre is easily walkable
and safe at all times of day. The region
is renowned across the country for its