Borburata
Borburata is a small coastal town in Carabobo state, Venezuela. The Jirajara Indians, would go to the Valencia Lake and from there through the mountains to the Sea at the level of Borburata to get salt.
Juan de Villegas founded the town in 1548. During the late 16th and 17th centuries, the region suffered many attacks by French and British pirates. Some of the attacks included:
- 1555: French pirates attacked Borburata for 6 days.
- 1561: Lope de Aguirre and his maranones attacked Borburata
- 1564: British pirates led by John Hawkins and Francis Drake forced the Borburata settlers to buy his cargo.
- 1566: Lowe attacked Borburata.
- 1567: French pirates led by Nicolas Vallier invaded Borburata and the inhabitants had to abandon the town.
- 1568: John Hawkins and Francis Drake attacked Borburata and forced them to buy his cargo again. The main part of that cargo was a group of 400 Africans captured and enslaved in Western Africa.
The town of Borburata was eventually abandoned for a long period, and settlers moved to Valencia, which was less likely to be raided as it was a day walk from the Caribbean sea.
Today it is best known for the PDVSA tank farm, its religious festivities, and the San Esteban National Park located just minutes outside the town, which is home to a great variety of habitats such as beaches, mangroves, coral reefs, and tropical rainforests.
Coordinates: 10°26′38″N 67°57′46″W / 10.44389°N 67.96278°W