Macuto is a seaside city in

Vargas state La Guaira State (), known until 2019 as Vargas State (, ), is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Formerly named after Venezuela's first civilian president, José María Vargas, the state comprises a coastal region in the north of Venezuela, bord ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

. The city has a long history of attracting Venezuelan political leaders and artists, and popular tourist site today.

History

Macuto was founded in August 1740 on the site of an indigenous village called Guaicamacuto ("basket of thorns"). It is known for its beaches, and for the nearby town of Galipán on the mount Avila, famous for its flowers. Since the 19th century, Macuto has served as a

resort town A resort town, resort city or resort destination is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding area. Sometimes ...

for many in

Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...

and other nearby areas. Large streets and private homes were constructed during that time, and Macuto began being known as a place where several Venezuelan presidents spent time off and received international dignitaries. In 1885,

Antonio Guzmán Blanco Antonio Leocadio Guzmán Blanco (28 February 1829 – 28 July 1899) was a Venezuelan military leader, statesman, diplomat and politician. He was the president of Venezuela for , from 1870 until 1877, from 1879 until 1884, and from 1886 until 1 ...

ordered the construction of a large manor known as "La Guzmania", which has subsequently been used as a residence for a number of Venezuelan leaders, including

Juan Vicente Gómez Juan Vicente Gómez Chacón (24 July 1857 – 17 December 1935) was a Venezuelan military general, politician and '' de facto'' ruler of Venezuela from 1908 until his death in 1935. He only officially served as president on three occasions d ...

Marcos Pérez Jiménez Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez (25 April 1914 – 20 September 2001) was a Venezuelan military officer and the dictator of Venezuela from 1950 to 1958, ruling as member of the military junta from 1950 to 1952 and as president from 1952 t ...

, and Wolfgang Larrazábal. A high-end hotel called the Miramar was inaugurated in the 1920s, but is no longer in operation. Macuto served as the hideaway and final residence of Venezuelan artist

Armando Reverón Armando Reverón (May 10, 1889 – September 17, 1954) was a Venezuelan painter and sculptor, precursor of Arte Povera and considered one of the most important of the 20th century in Latin America. While his mental health deteriorated throughout ...

, a modernist painter and craftsman, who built a compound of huts surrounded by a wall, which he named "El Castillete" ("little castle"). From 1921 onwards, he lived with his companion Juanita, his dolls, and other handmade objects. While in Macuto, Reverón attracted much attention for his unusual lifestyle, which, along with his paintings depicting the town, helped Macuto gain notability. On May 3 and May 4 of 2020, Macuto was one of the sites of the failed

Operation Gideon Operation Gideon was a Haganah offensive launched in the closing days of the British Mandate in Palestine, as part of the 1947–48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine. Its objectives were to capture Beisan (Beit She'an), clear the surrounding villa ...

, where a small group contracted by an American mercinary company named Silvercorp USA headed by

Jordan Goudreau Jordan Guy MacDonald Goudreau (born 30 July 1976) is a Canadian-American mercenary who claimed responsibility for organizing the Macuto Bay incursion into Venezuelan territory on 3 May 2020. Goudreau is the owner and operator of a private s ...

attempted to invade via sea to capture

Nicolás Maduro Nicolás Maduro Moros (; born 23 November 1962) is a Venezuelan politician and former union leader serving as the 53rd president of Venezuela since 2013. Previously, he was the 24th Vice President of Venezuela, vice president from 2012 to 20 ...

and remove him from power. Eight of the attackers were killed, with another thirteen, including two Americans, captured.

Tourism

Macuto is a popular

, aided by its close proximity to

. The town has been the subject of many paintings, including those by

Arturo Michelena Francisco Arturo Michelena Castillo (; 16 June 1863 – 29 July 1898) was a Venezuelan painter known for his historical and Genre art, genre scenes and portraits. Biography His father, Juan Antonio Michelena (1832-1918) was also a painte ...

, Cristobal Rojas,

Martín Tovar y Tovar Martín Tovar y Tovar (10 February 1827 – 17 December 1902) was a Venezuelan painter, best known for his portraits and historical scenes. Biography Tovar was born and died in Caracas. His father, Antonio María Tovar (1791–1860), was a fo ...

and others. Macuto is linked to Caracas by highway & "avenida" roads. Other tourism infrastructure in the town includes hotels and golf courses.

References

{{Authority control Cities in Vargas (state)

History

Tourism

See also

References