El Tocuyo

Founded on 7 December 1545 by the Spanish official Juan de Carvajal, El Tocuyo served as the administrative capital of Venezuela Province from 1546 to 1548 and functioned as a base from which expeditions set out to found other cities across the region. This town in Lara State sits in a fertile valley along the Tocuyo River, with mountains close by, and the surrounding agricultural land — long devoted to sugar cane and now largely given over to tomatoes, onions, chiles, and potatoes — reflects a history of cultivation stretching back to the pre-colonial Gayones people.

• Population74,829
• Nearest water from center 1.4 km0.9 mi
• Nearest mountain from center 5.0 km3.1 mi