Cumaná

Cumaná is the capital of the state of Sucre in Venezuela.

Understand
Cumaná is said to be the oldest continuously inhabited city by Europeans in South America and, to that end, one of the first in all of mainland America, starting as a settlement by Franciscan friars in 1515 with the name Nuevo Toledo. It saw a volatile history of military engagement between the indigenous Cumanagoto people and the Spanish conquistadors until the former were finally routed in a not-so-innocuous way at which point Cumaná became a viceroyalty of Spain. The city has a distinguished claim of being the birthplace of Antonio José de Sucre - the ‘Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho’ - a leading general and President of Bolivia, plus the home of poets and politicians and scientists such as Alexander von Humboldt. Unfortunately, it has seen a fair share of earthquakes, too, necessitating rebuilding over the years.

Today, sitting across an inlet of the Caribbean from the Araya Peninsula, Cumaná is regarded for its large tuna industry and proximity to the prized Caribbean destination Mochima National Park.

Get in
Being about 400 km east of Caracas, Cumaná is about a 6 hour drive from the national capital along Trunk Road 9. There is also infrequent flight service, mostly to/from Caracas, with limited amenities like money exchange and food service, out of Cumaná's

Ferry service to/from Punta de Piedras (Araya Peninsula of Sucre State) is provided by:

Get around
For intra-city bus service, try Bus Cumaná Sucre.

Sleep
Hopefully the tourist beat will be back someday.

You can also find some cozy posadas for accommodation on the Araya Peninsula across from Cumaná, a fairly short ferry ride away.

Go next
If possible, a visit to Mochima National Park would be a good option while you're in the area. It is recognized for its landscapes and, of course, beaches.