La Guaira, the chief port of the Centro, and the best known of Venezuela, is rivaled by Puerto Cabello, which has a better natural harbor. La Guaira, population 18,000 including its suburbs, as the port of the capital, Caracas, attracts more travelers and at present more trade, much of it coming from or going to other parts of the country. The harbor, a rather open roadstead, was improved at great expense by port works. Though these facilitate the increasing traffic, ships at times are still exposed to heavy swells. The town is hot and unhealthful with a mean temperature of 84.5°, but it has good rail connection with its pleasant suburbs, cooler and more sanitary. The port has good piers, vessels lying alongside. The depth of water is 28-30 feet.
Puerto Cabello, 65 miles west, in the State of Carabobo, population 20,000, is said to have the best harbor, its depth 28 feet, on the North Coast of South America. With a slightly lower temperature than La Guaira, it has a higher death rate. To this port comes most of the produce of its own State, of Yaracuy, of the Llano States Cojedes and Portuguesa, and some from the Andes region. The enterprise of the Venezuela Meat Syndicate, with new buildings here, promotes stock farming and the traffic of the port. A floating dock receives vessels of 2000 tons; a new one will accommodate ships of 4000 tons.
Carúpano, far to the east of La Guaira, is the only other port of importance which is visited by large ocean steamers. Although as warm as Puerto Cabello, it has a much more healthful climate. With no real harbor, merely an open roadstead, serving the State of Sucre, it is a port of call for several lines of steamers. The cargo must be transported in lighters.
Ciudad Bolívar, though far up the Orinoco River, as the official port of entry for half the country, serves an extensive region. It communicates with the outside world by weekly steamers of shallow draught to the Port of Spain, as also by coasting vessels. The steamers returning cross the Gulf of Paria, follow up the Caño Macareo to the Orinoco, and up that river to Bolívar.
Maracaibo, the fifth port with foreign trade, though called a seaport is not exactly on the sea; being located on the west shore of a broad channel 6-12 miles wide and 30 long which connects Lake Maracaibo with the Gulf of Venezuela. The city has fine wharves on a beautiful bay, a smooth roadstead with water 30 feet deep; but unfortunately the sand bar at the entrance of the channel confines the passage to ships drawing only 11 feet, with conditions growing worse. As the city is now the second port of the country with the largest export trade including some from Colombia, it has been proposed either to dredge one of the entrance channels, or to make use of the fine natural harbor of Cojoro on the Gulf, capable of accommodating the largest steamers, and to connect this port with Maracaibo by a railway about 100 miles long. At present the foreign trade is carried on by national, Dutch, and Spanish steamers, and by American boats of the Red D Line. Freight not destined for the United States is largely carried to the Dutch Island Curaçao, where transfer is made to ships of other lines. Sailing vessels also carry much produce.
These primary ports, except Carúpano, all have docks where ships come alongside. A new freight and passenger service from New Orleans to Venezuelan ports has been installed by the W. R. Grace Company.
A number of smaller ports are served generally by smaller craft, steam or sailing vessels, which transfer freight to the primary ports for ocean traffic. Some of these are: La Vela (56 miles from Curaçao), the port of Coro, capital of Falcón; Tucacas, in the same State, important as serving the copper mines of Aroa; Carenero, in Miranda, east of Caracas; Guanta, long the port of Barcelona and neighboring coal mines; Cumaná in Sucre, a mile from the mouth of the Manzanares River; and Pampatar on Margarita Island. At Turiamo, a natural harbor between La Guaira and Puerto Cabello, a public bonded warehouse is to be erected, and connection will be made with the Grand Central Railway. At Ocumare de la Costa port and harbor works are to be constructed by the Government and a railway connecting the port with Maracay, 43 miles distant.
The railway development of Venezuela is small, the longest line being 111 miles in length, and the total mileage about 650. There is therefore a little over a foot of railway for each inhabitant. Most of the lines are from a port to the interior; all are of narrow gauge, but of varying widths. Most of the existing lines were laid, 1881-1893. Unfavorable legislation prevented further construction until after a change in the laws; later the Great War interfered. Rates are very high on all the railways, yet most of them are unprofitable.
The La Guaira-Caracas Railway is exceptional, having a large amount of traffic, more of import freight than of export. The British-built Railway climbs to a height of over 3000 feet to surmount the ridge on the south side of which is Caracas, a two hours’ ride, one of intense interest and beauty. While the tracks of the Harbor Corporation are of the same gauge as the railway, these cars do not go to the steamer’s side, so that much freight is unnecessarily handled twice. Railways now electrified serve the suburbs on either side.
Caracas is served by two other railways, but these are of different gauge.
The Central Railway, the station of which is two miles across the city, runs from Caracas east and south towards Ocumare on the Tuy River; 46 miles to San Francisco de Yare are completed; the remaining 15 are in construction. Both of these roads were difficult to build, the many bridges, tunnels, and viaducts needed making them very expensive. The maximum grade is about 4 per cent. The latter road follows down the Guaire valley, passing Petare, a town of Miranda, only seven miles from Caracas.
If the River Tuy were followed down to the east and north, one would come to the Carenero Railway which connects the small port of that name with the towns, Higuerote, Rio Chico, a flourishing manufacturing place, and Guapo, 34 miles, on the way to the llanos of Guárico. From the llanos come hides and other animal products to the port, and from the vicinity rich agricultural products including cacao. The Railway runs a steamship line to La Guaira; small schooners also serve.
The Great Railway of Venezuela, built by the Germans, is the other line from Caracas, the longest and most costly in the country. It runs west to Valencia, the second city of the Republic. Though as a whole less difficult than some others, there is one stretch of 8 per cent grade requiring cog wheels and there are many loops and zigzags. The road traverses a fine farming and cattle country and passes through the important towns of Victoria and Maracay in Aragua, previously mentioned. 212 bridges and 86 tunnels in 111 miles may seem many for an easier road. A branch of 2¹⁄₂ miles runs to the village of Guigüe.
The Puerto Cabello-Valencia Railway, 33 miles long, connects Valencia directly with the sea, passing over the north ridge of the mountains at a height of 2000 feet. Though the construction of the road as a whole was less difficult than that of the La Guaira-Caracas, to shorten it, a section 2.4 miles long has a cog rail with a maximum grade of 8 per cent.
The Bolívar Railway, farther west, the first in Venezuela, was built for the especial benefit of the copper mines of the State of Yaracuy. It runs from the port of Tucacas, northwest of Puerto Cabello, to Barquisimeto, 100 miles. The part built first is now a branch of the road, leading from La Hacha to the rich copper mines at Aroa eight miles distant. Both railway and mines are British properties, the latter bringing in handsome returns. A company steamer carries freight to and from Puerto Cabello, as Tucacas has no custom house. Another branch of the railway, from Palma Sola to the capital of Yaracuy, San Felipe, 25 miles, was opened in 1916. In this State are other copper mines unworked, and fertile hills and plains uncultivated. The Rio Tocuyo is navigable as far as Siquisique for steamboats, but traffic is not sufficient to make their operation profitable.
The La Vela-Coro Railway, 8¹⁄₂ miles long, connects Coro with its port.
In the State of Zulia are three more railways:
The La Ceiba, 50 miles long, runs from that port on the Lake toward the city of Trujillo as far as Motatán.
The Great Railway of Táchira, 75 miles long, goes from Encontrados on the Catatumbo River west of the Lake, south towards the capital of Táchira, now reaching San Felix or a little beyond. It serves the Colombian Department of Santander as well as Táchira. The many transfers of freight are a great disadvantage, while freshets on the Catatumbo threaten to destroy Encontrados.
The Santa Barbara-El Vigia Railway, 37 miles long, is designed to serve the city of Mérida. Santa Barbara is on the Escalante River; and the road towards Mérida, which crosses several streams, has had much trouble from the Chama River from inundations.
The Guanta-Naricual Railway, far to the east, leads from the port of Guanta past the city of Barcelona, capital of Anzoátegui, to the coal mines of Naricual. Guanta, though not a primary port, has an excellent natural harbor, but the opening to navigation in 1915 of the Neveri River on which Barcelona is situated has greatly diminished the traffic of Guanta.
A few private railways exist, constructed for business purposes:
A railway 27 miles long of the Asphalt Mines of Inciarte in Zulia.
A railway of 10 miles of the Asphalt Mines of Guanoco, Sucre.
A two mile railway of Asphalt Mines of Guanipa, Monagas.
A railway 10 miles from San Lorenzo, Zulia, to oil wells of the Caribbean Petroleum Company.
A railway 19 miles from Bobures, Zulia, to a sugar plantation.
A railway 19 miles from Rio Limón, Zulia, to coal fields 40 miles west of Maracaibo, leased by the Caribbean Coal Company.
Considerable railway construction is talked of, but the only immediate probability is of a road from the port of Castilletes on the Gulf of Venezuela to a coal property near Lake Maracaibo, belonging to the Caribbean Coal Company. A port is to be constructed admitting vessels of 35 feet draft, the present depth being 16 feet. The railway 93 miles long of standard gauge is to have a one way capacity of 10,000 tons daily, with maximum freight charges lower than any at this time on existing lines. As no port charges of any kind are to be collected, if the construction and mining development are carried out as expected, it will be a most important industrial development for Venezuela which may affect the trade of Curaçao and Maracaibo. As this port will be but 595 miles from Colon, and as the coal is said to be of the best quality, it is important for ships making use of the Canal.
The Venezuelan Government now gives generous concessions to foreign companies or individuals, undertaking railway construction.
Roads. Aside from the railways, a meagre supply for a country of its size, other means of transportation are inadequate. Street railways exist in the chief cities: Caracas, Valencia, La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, Maracaibo, Bolívar, Barquisimeto, Carúpano, and Cumaná. The great water power available for electric traction and for other purposes should be largely developed in future. Some automobile and cart roads exist, 1636 miles at the end of 1919, but to a large extent transportation is over bridle paths or caminos.
An excellent automobile road leads from La Guaira to Caracas. From the capital such roads branch in several directions. One goes east to Guatire, two south to Ocumare del Tuy, one of these with a branch south from Cua. A good road leads through Maracay to Valencia; from midway, a branch leads south through Villa de Cura to Ortiz in Guárico, from which point construction is being continued to Calabozo, the capital, and thence to San Fernando, capital of Apure. Another road leads from Ocumare de la Costa to Maracay.
From Puerto Cabello one may go by auto to Valencia and to Guigüe, south of the lake; also from the port to San Felipe and Barquisimeto.
From the city of Maracaibo a road goes north to San Rafael near the mouth of the Channel, and one southwest to Perija, west of the centre of the Lake, passing two petroleum sites.
From the terminus of the Táchira Railway, Uracá, a road leads to San Cristóbal, and one to Cúcuta in Colombia. From Motatán a good wagon road goes to Trujillo. Pack animals serve from El Vigia to Mérida. In the east there is the long road from San Felix on the Orinoco to El Callao and Tumeremo.
Other roads are in construction or planned for the immediate future. From Coro a road is to go south and southwest to Trujillo and beyond, and one near the coast to Altagracia on the Maracaibo Channel, northeast of that city. Several roads will branch from Barquisimeto and from Valencia, the most important, one from Valencia southwest to San Carlos, Guanare, Barinas, and San Cristóbal. Shorter local roads will serve Cumaná and Carúpano.
Considerable activity has recently been manifested in road building; and bridges, long sadly lacking over mountain torrents, have been constructed. Some deeper streams have ferries.
River communication and lake service are important in many sections. Of Venezuela’s nearly 500 rivers, 74 are said to be navigable a distance of 6000 miles, 4000 in the Orinoco Basin. Especially in Bolívar and Amazonas communication is by river, but in other States also it is important. The Orinoco is a natural highway 600 miles to Pericos and the Atures Rapids. There is regular weekly service to San Fernando de Apure. There is traffic along the Apure, Arauca, and Meta Rivers, the last two in Colombia; but the affluents on the north side of the Orinoco are too variable in depth to permit regular service, and those on the south are too broken by cataracts.
On Maracaibo Lake are plenty of craft, both steam and sailing vessels, two main lines of the former running from Maracaibo, one along the west side of the Lake and up the Catatumbo to Encontrados and the Táchira Railway, the other to La Ceiba and the Motatán Railway going towards Trujillo on the east side; a smaller boat runs around the south side of the Lake and up the Escalante to Santa Bárbara. From Encontrados a line of small steamers runs up the Zulia to Villamizar.