To say that a Brazilian feels right at home in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, is not an overstatement. The city founded by the Spanish in 1567, a few miles from the Caribbean Sea, is surprisingly similar to our metropolises. Like Rio de Janeiro, it is surrounded by mountains – with slums invading the landscape. Caracas is a large, vibrant city like São Paulo – with the same hellish traffic jams. The locals share many traits with the Brazilians: friendliness, cunningness (used for both good and bad purposes), taste and a fondness for our soap operas. However, in this country so close to the United States, baseball is the most popular sport and football is relegated to second best.

Caracas is becoming an important business destination. With oil prices higher than ever, this is a challenging time for Venezuela: the conciliation of president Hugo Chávez’s socialist policies with the thirst of domestic and foreign investors. It may seem impossible but it is not.  For example, Portuguese hotel group Pestana has just opened the city's most luxurious and modern five-star hotel. “The opening of this hotel shows that our country is open to public and private investment", says Titina Azuaje, the country's Minister of Tourism, in an interview to Revista VARIG.

The Pestana Caracas opens at an opportune moment. Visitors, either on business or on the way to the Los Roques Beaches and Margarita Island, have plenty to explore in the city where Simon Bolívar, Venezuela’s liberator and Latin American independence leader, was born. While some ranchitos – the Caracas slums – dominate the hills surrounding the city, other districts are filled with tree-lined streets, mansions and shopping malls. The Sucre district, where the brand new Pestana Hotel is located, is a good place to start exploring the city. From the hotel’s swimming pool or bar, on the 18th floor, you have a lovely view of region, right next to Parque del Este, Caracas’ own Ibirapuera Park. The entrance to Parque Nacional El Ávila, which is similar to Rio de Janeiro's Tijuca Forest, is nearby.

The Ávila mountain is breathtaking. You can ride to the top in a rented jeep (driver included) or you can take the recently restored chairlift. At 9072 ft., you see the valley, home to 5 million people. On the opposite side of the valley, in the elegant Valle Arriba region, you will find golf courses, country clubs and some of the wealthy gated communities.

Las Mercedes, El Rosal and Altamir are Caracas’ bohemian districts. From the jazz played at the Juan Sebástian Bar, on Avenida Venezuela, to the salsa that shakes up the El Maní Es Así, on Avenida Francisco Solano, all rhythms can be found in these three districts. In this neck of the woods, there are many attractive places for visitors to enjoy Venezuelan food. From simple taverns, which sell delicious arepas (corn pancakes), to more sophisticated seafood restaurants.

Sambil, Venezuela's main shopping mall with over 500 stores, is close to the Plaza Francia. Prices are reasonable and many products come from the USA. A visit to El Hatillo, in the city’s outskirts, is perfect for those in search of a more authentic activity. Colorful houses, narrow cobblestone streets and a lovely square make visitors feel as if time has stood still there. El Hatillo has a couple of charming cafes and craft stores, where you can find wooden miniatures of the country's national hero (Bolívar is everywhere in the Hugo Chávez era), artifacts from the Quibor Valley tribes, delicious homemade chocolate made with local cocoa beans, Santa Teresa vintage rum and excellent cigars imported from neighboring countries, including Cuba.

El Hatillo is a pleasant find in a city filled with small pleasures and hidden beauties amid the chaotic traffic, the sea of gray concrete and invaded hills. A place that Brazilians are sure to always remember for its coincidences and surprises.