La Colonia Tovar: A German Settlement in the Caribbean
- Rashel Cedeño De Abreu
- Mar 17, 2020
- 2 min read
During the 1840's a massive German immigration arrived to the shores of Venezuela and with previous arrangements planned by the government, they made their way through the forest of the central region, settling at the mountains of the Aragua State.
Semi-isolated and on their own, they managed to build their colony and make it prosper with their agriculture work.
For years (and more so during WWII), German immigrants kept arriving to this colony, so their roots and traditions were maintained by every generation, which started to spark the interest of Venezuelans.
Soon, this colony became a tourist attraction.
La Colonia Tovar
The Tovar Colony is a very attractive tourist destination for local traveling because of its beautiful architecture, not found anywhere else in the country. It is like having a portal to colonial Germany at the top of a mountain. Weather is always between 50 or 60 degrees Fahrenheit and it is usually sunny, which makes it good to go any time of the year.
Gastronomy is the most common excuse for the getaway. Here, people love to have the mix between traditional German and Venezuelan food, particularly the charcuterie and the most awaited dessert of all: Fresas con Crema (Strawberries with Cream).
My family used to make an annual retreat to the Tovar Colony, so we would stay in cabins for a weekend or sometimes even a whole week to enjoy the peace of the mountains. It never gets boring, and less when you know where to go and what to see!
MY TOP 5 THINGS TO DO AT THE TOVAR COLONY
Dankmesse at Saint Martin's Church: Sunday Mass is very special in this town therefore, this is the most common spot. If you are not catholic just go to see the beautiful building and the stained glass windows, they are worth it!
Oktoberfest: This is an obvious one, but this is the biggest cultural festivity at the colony. You get to watch the dance groups like Tovarer Volkstanzgruppe with folkloric clothing and everything, to drink beer, and have all the sausages you can eat.
Tovarer Narrenzunft: Carnivals at Tovar are the second biggest party. The Jokilis are the center of it, people dressed as harlequins that go dancing across the town. It comes from a tradition of the people of Edingen, Germany, where most of the settlers are from.
Rustic Tours: A few local tourist agencies offer a one-day trip to the jungle in rustic jeeps and I highly recommend to experience this! Most tours take you around the jungle, the agriculture camps and to see petroglyphs, the rock engravings left by the aboriginal people.
Tovar Colony Fresh Market: Visit the market to take back home fruits, jams, and my favorites: Suspiros (baked meringues).
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