Los Teques

Miranda highland capital above Caracas, with cooler air and access to Macarao's cloud forest.

Los Teques is the capital of Miranda state, sitting in the highlands about 30 kilometres southwest of Caracas at around 1,200 metres. With over 400,000 inhabitants, it has grown rapidly and somewhat chaotically — what was once a cooler retreat from the capital is now effectively part of the Caracas metropolitan sprawl.

The altitude gives Los Teques a noticeably milder climate than the lowlands. The town itself is not a tourist destination in the traditional sense, but it serves as a gateway to Parque Nacional Macarao and the cooler hill towns of the Altos Mirandinos. The Metro de Los Teques — a convenient extension of the Caracas metro — makes it easy to visit as a half-day trip from the capital or to use as a base for exploring the surrounding cloud forest.

Guide

Getting There

Los Teques is easily reached from Caracas. The Metro de Los Teques, an extension of Caracas's Line 3, runs from Plaza Venezuela all the way to Los Teques — the journey takes about 45 minutes and is the most comfortable and reliable option. Por puesto (shared taxis) also run frequently from various points in western Caracas, including from the Caricuao and Las Adjuntas areas.

By car, the main highway from Caracas climbs steeply into the hills; allow at least 45 minutes from central Caracas and considerably longer during peak hours. The road is occasionally subject to rockslides after heavy rain.

Guide

Things to Do

Los Teques is primarily a transit point and residential town rather than a destination in its own right. Most visitors pass through on the way to the cooler hill towns of the Altos Mirandinos or to Parque Nacional Macarao. That said, the town's elevated position in a narrow valley gives it an agreeable climate and a character that is noticeably different from the heat and chaos of Caracas below.