You'll find few Latin American cities with nightlife as energetic as that in Caracas, and that is saying something on a continent that prides itself on partying until the llamas come home. The best clubs, bars and cafes are found in the districts of Las Mercedes, Altamira, El Rosal and La Castellana. Bars open their doors around 1900 but most barflies don't come out until 2300 when the action really starts. Most clubs open around 2200 and shut around 0500 or when the last reveller leaves.

Bars: Caracas drinking spots can come and go in the blink of an eye, but one enduring favourite is the low-key El León (tel: (0212) 263 6014), an open-air bar on Plaza La Castellana, popular with the city's youth. For something trendier, try Vintage (tel: (0212) 262 1766), in Centro Comercial San Ignacio, or for a down-to-earth American-style bar head to Wassup (tel: (0212) 991 0686) on Calle New York.

Clubs: To burn the midnight oil, join the beautiful people at Aeon (tel: (0212) 265 5525), in the Centro Comercial San Ignacio, which has DJs spinning a range of modern music. Another possibility is Gohka (tel: (0212) 991 4143), on Calle Madrid, which plays easy-to-dance Latin pop.

Live Music: For a burst of live salsa music, head to old favourite El Maní es Así (tel: (0212) 763 6671) on Avenida Francisco Solano López. Alternatively, for some cool live jazz, try the long established Juan Sebastián Bar (tel: (0212) 951 5575) on Avenida Venezuela.