Maicao
Maicao is a city in La Guajira.
Get in
- From Venezuela
- From Riohacha and Santa Marta
Get around
There are no ATM in the bus terminal, you'll have get a taxi driver to drive you to the city center.
See
Do
Maicao is a great border town. Everything is for sale here, most of it of dubious legality. The city sits on one point of a triangular shaped smuggling operation. Home appliances and large goods come here via Panama, offloaded at the port of Puerto Bolivar. Gas, food and other subsidized goods come over the border from Chavez's Venezuela, using primarily Indian footpaths.
A trip to the vast market is a must for any visitor, where everything from fake iPods, outdated American department store merchandise and Amazonian fruits are on offer. Negotiate hard.
Buy
Eat
The trading atmosphere of Maicao means a broader range of options than elsewhere in the region. Of particular note are the two Arab restaurants in town, which serve reasonable shawrma, chicken, and hummus, along with fries.
Other options include roast chicken, soups, with both Colombian and Venezuelan flavors.