Caracas is the capital of Venezuela. It’s a city of great diversity, offers visitors a lively and vibrant place to be, overflowing with laughter, music and Latino sensuality.

Taking a Friday evening stroll down Avenida Abraham Lincoln, Caracas’ longest pedestrian mall, it isn’t difficult to guess where the gay bars are. Just look for the many groups of gay men and lesbians wandering in and out of the bars on the well-lit side streets.

With such a vibrant nightlife, as well as cultural offerings and a host of stunning natural attractions outside of the city, it may seem odd that Venezuela, in South America, hasn’t carved out more of a niche with the vacation-hungry gay travel market. The probable explanation is the nation’s focus on corporate development, especially on oil (Venezuela is a founding member of OPEC), as well as pesky dips in the economy and recurring bouts of political instability that have made tourism development less than a priority.