Maicao Overview

By Lorraine Caputo

Mention you’ll be crossing the border at Maicao, and the first response of Colombians and Venezuelans alike is silence. Then they’ll advise you, “Get in and out as fast as possible.” Maicao natives take offense at this a bit. They’ll be quick to point out attractions like the beautiful mosque, which is the second most important in Latin America, the Catedral de San José and Laguna de Majayura. What’s Maicao’s problem? Its reputation based on not decades, but generations of contraband running, drug smuggling and robbery. On top of all this, the paramilitary presence since the 1990s has caused a great migration from the city, especially of the Muslim community. Even though its citizens claim it’s become a more tranquilo place, you are yet counseled to be inside before nightfall. Despite all the problems, Maicao continues to be an important land port between Colombia and Venezuela for both legitimate and other commerce.

(Altitude: 20 m / 65 ft., Population: 114,000, City Code: 5)