Ciudad Bolívar

Ciudad Bolívar is the capital of Bolívar state in southeastern Venezuela, set on the south bank of the Orinoco River where the channel narrows to roughly 800 metres. That narrowing gave the city its former name, Angostura, and it remains a historic river port, a commercial centre for the Orinoco basin and a gateway to the Guayana region.

Founded in 1595 as Santo Tomás de Guayana, the settlement moved several times before taking root as Angostura in 1764. Simón Bolívar convened the Congress of Angostura here in 1819, and the city was renamed Ciudad Bolívar in his honour in 1846. The well-preserved historic centre around Plaza Bolívar, with its cathedral and colonial houses, reflects that long past.

Culture and architecture meet at the Jesús Soto Museum of Modern Art, designed by Carlos Raúl Villanueva and devoted to the kinetic artist born in the city. The Orinoco riverfront, the Angostura Bridge and the old quarter shape the city's visual identity, while joropo and calypso traditions and the annual Orinoco Fair shape its cultural life.

Today Ciudad Bolívar is a government and university town as well as a trading hub for goods such as gold, diamonds, timber, river fish and tropical produce. The Angostura Bridge links it by road to the rest of Venezuela, and the compact centre makes the main sights easy to reach on foot or by taxi.

For travellers, the city is both a destination and a staging point: its colonial core and river views reward a stay, while flights and road routes lead on to Canaima National Park, Angel Falls, the Gran Sabana and the Brazilian border.