Cúcuta Services

By Lorraine Caputo

Tourism Office

The tourism office in Cúcuta, the Corporación Mixta de Promoción de Norte de Santander, has information on sites throughout the Department and sells maps of the city ($1.60). (Monday-Friday 8-11:45 a.m., 2-6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-noon. Calle 10 0-30, Edificio Rosetal, Tel: 7-571-3395).

DIAN, or the customs (aduana) headquarters is on Avenida Aeropuerto, just past the Venezuelan consulate; those travelers entering of leaving Colombia in their own vehicles will have to pay a visit here.

DAS (immigration) has two offices in Cúcuta: one for extensions and other such business (Avenida 1 28-53, Tel: 7-583-6964) and the other for receiving your entry or exit stamp for Colombia (at the Puente Internacional).

If you need a visa for Venezuela or are travelling with your own vehicle, drop by the Venezuelan consulate (Avenida Aeropuerto 17N-73, Zona Industrial, Tel: 7-579-1954).

Money

Most financial institutions in Cúcuta are around the main plaza, Parque Santander:

AV Villas (Avenida 5, next to the Catedral)—ATM: multi-network ATH

Bancolombia (Avenida 5 9-80)—Changes American Express travellers cheques; ATM: MasterCard, Visa, Cirrus, American Express.

Banco de Bogotá (Avenida 6 10-82)—ATM: multi-network ATH

Additionally, you can find ATMs is just about any nook of the city.

Avenida 6 also is home to a number of casas de cambio. But as this service is needed by the masses of Venezuelan shoppers, you can actually find exchange houses all over, as well as at the bus terminal and airport.

Both major international money wiring services have main branches in the downtown area: Western Union/Giros y Finanzas (Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Calle 10 3-42, Edificio Suramareicana) and MoneyGram/Cambiamos (Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Calle 12 4-47, Centro Comercial Internacional).

Keeping in Touch

Telecom charges $0.05 per minute for local and national calls, from $0.40 per minute for international calls, and $1.05 per hour for internet (Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Calle 10 and Avenida 0). Local / national calls from shops and streedt stalls are $0.05-0.10 per minute, and to Venezuela $0.20 per minute.

Internet is surprisingly hard to find in Cúcuta. The most centrally located one is in the Centro Comercial Llanomar, to the left of the Catedral.

Correo de Colombia is on the Parque Nacional (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-noon, 2-6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-noon. Calle 8 and Avendia 3, Edificio Santander).

Medical

Cúcuta's two main hospitals neighbour each other on the east side of the city: Hospital Erasmo Moez (Avenida 11E 5AN-71, Tel: 7-574-6888) and S.E.S. Francisco de Paula Santander (Avenida 11E 5AN-1511, Tel: 7-574-1722).

Pharmacies are plentiful. A number of them are concentrated on Calle 9, as well as on Avenida 5. Camera Your camera needs can be met at any of the several shops along Calle 10, between Avenidas 3 and 6.