Valencia is Venezuela's third-largest city and a major industrial hub in Carabobo state, about 180km west of Caracas. It is primarily a manufacturing and commercial centre and sees few international tourists, but the historic core is more interesting than that suggests. The Plaza Bolívar, the Cathedral, and the Casa de la Estrella — where Venezuela separated from Gran Colombia in 1830 — form a compact historic centre. The Casa Páez preserves the residence of the independence-war general José Antonio Páez.
South of the city, the Campo de Carabobo marks the battlefield where Venezuelan independence was sealed in 1821; north of it, Parque Nacional San Esteban offers accessible hiking and pre-Columbian rock art. The Acuario de Valencia is a long-standing family destination.
Lake Valencia, east of the city, was once a significant lake but has shrunk and polluted dramatically due to wastewater and water diversion — a sobering side trip rather than a beach destination. Most travellers pass through Valencia on the way between Caracas and the west.