An old town on the banks of the Río Yuruari, in the richest gold region of Venezuela, El Callo is a product of the 1849 gold rush that took hold of Guayana and contributed to making Venezuela the largest gold producing nation in the world. The town saw a frenzy of activity during that period. But today's El Callao is dramatically different from that period.

History and Culture
There are many gold miners in the town and Mina Colombia is the largest company. The Minerven state company runs it and it has the deepest gold mine in the country with a total produce of three tonnes of gold annually.

Sightseeing
A quiet, peaceful town and a Mecca for gold shoppers in the region, it boasts of a large number of gold jewellers. There are as many as 25 jeweller shops on the Plaza Bolivar and many more along the neighbouring side streets. The gold jewellery is not famous for its artistic quality, but it is definitely the cheapest in Venezuela! Even if you don't want to buy gold, visiting these small gold workshops where gold jewellery is produced using rudimentary, and archaic methods is an interesting activity.

Getting there
You can visit the mine, which is about 3km south of El Callao, and taxis and por puestos ply the route when the mine is opened for tourists.