Venezuela - City of "La Guaira"

La Guaira was established as Venezuela 's main port in 1589. It was originally created as a protection for the capital and an important harbour. Because of these activities, a road was built between Caracas and it's port known as "El Camino de los Espanoles". This road would become of a strategic and economic value throughout the years. There is no real foundation of the city, but the settings of warehouses and cellars on the bankside of the river would finally lead to the construction of residential areas. La Guaira has been the capital's main port since before 1580. It was where merchant ships arrived bringing goods to Caracas. Its urban structure was slowly defined throughout the XVII century. It obtains its fortified aspect in defence of pirates and privateers at the end of the XVIII century. The topography where La Guaira is situated (a thin piece of land between the mountains and the sea) was the less indicated to apply the usual colonial urban layout. This doesn't mean that the city's structure was accidental. The city centre of La Guaira is historically and morphologically related with the port activities. The urban pattern is dense and homogeneous, where low-rise and traditional buildings are organised around “patios" or internal gardens.