The Manzanares splits Cumaná in two before emptying into the Gulf of Cariaco, and the riverside is one of the more atmospheric parts of the old city. Wooden boats are pulled up on the banks, fishermen mend nets, and pelicans cruise the surface looking for scraps from the catch.
The river is named after the Manzanares in Madrid — Spanish chroniclers were homesick. Several small bridges connect the colonial centre on the east bank to the working-class neighbourhoods on the west. Walking the riverbank at sunset, when the heat eases and the fishing boats come in, is one of the pleasures of staying in town.