Falcón state occupies the northwestern corner of Venezuela, a dry, wind-swept peninsula that feels completely different from the rest of the country. The coastline here is arguably Venezuela's finest, with long stretches of white sand backed by desert scrub and cactus rather than the tropical greenery found further east. The beaches around Adicora and Chichiriviche draw kitesurfers and windsurfers who come for the reliable trade winds.
The colonial city of Coro, the state capital, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the oldest European-founded cities on the South American mainland. Its pastel-coloured adobe buildings and cobblestone streets date back to the sixteenth century. The Cathedral of Coro is the oldest cathedral in Venezuela, while the Coro Synagogue and the Jewish Cemetery of Coro — the oldest Jewish cemetery in continuous use in the Americas — speak to the remarkable diversity of colonial-era settlement here. Just outside Coro, the Médanos de Coro National Park protects a striking landscape of sand dunes that shift with the wind, the only true desert in Venezuela. Falcón is an easy drive from Caracas, about three hours on the main highway, and makes a rewarding side trip for anyone who wants to see a less-visited corner of the country.