Describing the route of Chuao
By Liliana Elías
Photos: Juliany Sánchez / Jesús Lozada
Chuao is a beautiful land with the smell and taste of red fruit, with greenery within a warm and humid jungle, beautiful people who enjoy freedom, sirens who sing to San Juan and use the power of their voices to express their feelings all over the place, seas and rivers surrounding it, and mysticism, much mysticism. But above all, this dreamy corner strategically placed in Aragua state, is the quintessential land of the best cocoa in the world, which, when tested evokes happiness bursting in the centre of the tongue and ends in a smile.
One of the most astonishing curiosities of Chuao is that, if you look at it from up in the air, you will discover that it has a cocoa shape. Amazing! And this is not pure coincidence … The island is formed of three oval-shaped streets that join at an intersection named “Las Tres Cruces”, behind “La Casa del Alto”, named so because it is a huge colonial house with three floors which used to be an old cocoa hacienda. Now it serves as House of Culture of the Chuaeños.
Towards there we will describe the route of cocoa.
The pod from above
The route we will describe has been recommended by the @ChuaoPescao team, led by Fernando Carrizales, a passionate of the region who takes us to heaven on earth through a project named Residencia de Artistas Chuao, whose keyword is hospitality.
First of all, it is recommended to take three days and two nights to truly enjoy Chuao, without leaving aside its beautiful sunsets and the cultural centre in which every night the drying yard of the village becomes, where children run and play free and adults dance and enjoy their traditions.
One of the advantages of Chuao is its location in a strategic area of Venezuela, which allows people from all over the world to visit it, meeting in the centre of the country.
The tourist must leave Maracay by road up to Choroni, crossing the Henry Pittier National Park, famous for having the largest variety of ferns and butterflies, as well as being an important centre for bird watching. From Choroní one has to follow Puerto Colombia to take a boat to Chuao. The journey takes about 15 minutes.
When the tourist arrives in Chuao he will see the bay area of the beach, from there to the village there are 5 km. The visitor has two options to continue, on foot or by truck or bus. From Vivaelcacao we recommend walking for two reasons: one, because Chuao is one of the few places in Venezuela that escapes from insecurity since there you can walk calmly and happily. Two: because in this route of 5 km is the Hacienda Campesina of Cocoa of Chuao, and to take a walk around it is simply a spectacle of subtropical forest and unique aromas, of mijaos, samanes, avocado trees, papaya trees and, of course, cocoa trees.
If you decide to take the trucks you will also have fun. You will travel on its back side like hovering in the jungle and enjoying the breeze. Another option is the classic 30-seat bus that can provide you a round trip to there.
The Eiffel tower of cacao
Once reaching the village, you will find none other than the drying yard and the famous Chuao church, one of the most known on the planet for being an inspiration to artists, photographers and chocolate makers from around the world. It could be said to be in The Eiffel Tower of cocoa. It is also the oldest church in Aragua state. Take that day to enjoy the sunset and for a “purification” in Tamaira river. We guarantee that all your pain and sorrow will be taken away by those wonderful waters and you will return to the shore lighter and reborn.
At six o’clock in the afternoon the church bells ring, announcing the beginning of the spectacle: that is when the drying yard is turned into the children’s play-ground, in the town hall.
The next day, get ready to get up early, because at 7:00 in the morning, part of the cocoa women go out to the patio to sow the seed, the others go to the cocoa farm -which incidentally – belongs to the town entirely – and they begin with the daily work on the land. You will be part of the typical organisation of a working day, a totally new and interesting dynamic for tourists.
By 12 noon, the women are back. The administrative office of the hacienda is next to the church and next to them are the warehouses where the cocoa is stored and the fermentation chamber as well. You can also see where it is none other than the machinery to make chocolate. Imagine leaving the place with a fresh-made chocolate bar, of course made with Chuao cocoa … The glory!
In that same area you can find Plaza Bolívar and the police station.
The other jewel of Chuao
We have already described the central core of interest as far as the cocoa route is concerned, but if you walk 5 km further north you will still find part of the cocoa hacienda and the Casa de la Cultura. There, you can ask for a certified guide so that, he could take you from the sector La Toma to the other jewel of Chuao: Chorreron, the place where El Duro river, the Middle river and the Tamaira converge, in which finally they flow into. Chorrerón is a mandatory visit when you go to Chuao. There, you are awaited for 90 meters of impressive and magical waterfall, to which you can arrive after two hours journey.
A curious fact: to reach the waterfall you have to cross the same river 27 times, thus, you should go prepared: water-proof shoes, sunblock, light clothing, sufficient hydration, and a chocolate bar or fruit to eat on top of the mountain.
Finally, if you want to soak up your journey, you can take a pirogue from Chuao to Sepe, a small island where you will also find cocoa, although much less than in Chuao. From there you can follow to Tuja, which is a “pocket beach“, as it is called because it is so small and inviting.
We hope that after reading us, you feel the same thing that happens to us and want to rush to make your suitcase to go to this delightful paradise that waits to be discovered by you … And savoured!
