Sinamaica Lagoon

Sinamaica Lagoon lies about 65 kilometres north of Maracaibo, where the Limón River fans into a shallow coastal lagoon before reaching the Gulf of Venezuela. The indigenous Añu (Paraujano) people have built their houses on stilts over these waters for centuries, creating a village that sits on the water's surface rather than on land. Visiting requires a motorboat from the dock at Puerto Cuervito.

Guided boat tours take visitors around the lagoon and through the stilt community — most tours last 90 minutes to two hours and pass through the main living areas, past fishing boats, the community church, and small shops set up in floating structures. The Añu produce woven goods that are available to buy on the tours. The best time to visit is in the morning before the heat builds and the light turns harsh.

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A story
When Spanish explorers arrived at the northern end of Lake Maracaibo in 1499 and saw the Añu stilt villages rising from the water, they reportedly called the place "Venezuela" — Little Venice. The connection is contested by historians, but the Añu have lived in palafitos over the water for at least a thousand years, and the parallel is striking. The Añu communities at Sinamaica are among the last indigenous groups in South America still living in this way.

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