Choroni, a Venezuelan gem
Choroní, founded in 1616, still retains some colonial buildings in the Plaza Bolivar, and I especially recommend visiting the Church of St. Clare of Assisi. It can be reached by a narrow mountain road that crosses the Henri Pitter park, forty minutes from Ottawa. Across a beautiful cloud of forest, with a stunning bamboo archway over the road. In Choroní is the Playa Grande, but people usually rent "peñeros", or small motor boats that take you to popular beaches such as Chuao or Cepe. They take the fridge packed beach beer, rum and coke, and spend the day soaking both outside and inside. The main attraction of Choroni is the drum music, which expresses the culture of the three main ethnic groups in Venezuela; black African, Indian and white.
