El Hatillo, at the north-east of Caracas , is a charming village, which has kept its architectural tradition and customs throughout the years. It has been declared "National Monument" thus becoming part of the Country's cultural heritage; a fact that has helped to turn the village into one of the most attractive tourist spots within the so called "Gran Caracas".

In "El Hatillo" you can breath fresh air from the mountain and spend a fine day enjoying the wide variety of amusements the village offers. Walking on its tiny streets you will admire the small plain but cozy houses so typical of the Venezuelan mountain villages.

Music, which plays an important role in the village's life, is at its best during today well known "Festival de Música del Hatillo" (Hatillo Music Festival), which is customary, held once a year. Then, for more than two weeks locals and visitors can enjoy the best national as well as international interpreters of a wide range of music going from typical Venezuelan to rock, jazz and camera music.

The village offers a very rich gastronomic variety, from plain but tasty typical food to more sophisticated international cooking to satisfy the most demanding gourmet.

Handcrafts and the local furniture industry have done a lot for the economic development of the village. They both offer good samples of naive art from Caracas Valley.

The economy of El Hatillo Municipality is comprised of three sectors: the commercial sector, which has been growing along with the population increase and is primarily represented by shopping malls and retail stores around the urban areas; agricultural, in the southern half of the municipality and existing since the founding of El Hatillo; and tourism, which contributes significantly to El Hatillo's income and is promoted by the government.

El Hatillo is an accessible day visit destination for people from Caracas ; the municipality is only 15 km (9 miles) southeast of downtown Caracas but in the mountains removed from the congested Caracas valley; thus, development has focused on day tourism. The central town square-Plaza Bolívar-and its surroundings are well maintained, and the municipal government offers bus trips around the narrow streets for viewing the colonial architecture of the town. Handcrafted souvenirs and products are popular purchases, offered at local artisan shops, and there are numerous restaurants. There are at least three cultural centers in the municipality that attract tourists and residents to music festivals and art expositions.

To support the increasing population, numerous shopping malls have been built in the municipality. Neighborhoods like La Lagunita, Los Naranjos and El Hatillo Town now offer large scale shopping malls with multiplex movie theaters. Since the 1980s, the older typical houses of El Hatillo Town have been converted to shops and restaurants, while preserving their colonial architecture.

Employment possibilities within El Hatillo-a bedroom community of Caracas -are reduced; businesses in the municipality are almost strictly commercial, and the economy has not expanded in other directions. Office space underdevelopment has resulted from a lack of land for large scale office construction, making it costly to locate large offices or businesses in the area. Those seeking employment in offices or larger businesses must look outside of El Hatillo, contributing to the high traffic to, from, and in El Hatillo.

The hub of activity in El Hatillo Town is Bolívar Plaza (Spanish: Plaza Bolívar ), a garden square encompassing the central block in the town of El Hatillo . Constructed in 1785, the Plaza was originally called Plaza Mayor or Plaza del Mercado . In 1911, a bust honoring Manuel Escalona was placed in the square, which was renamed in his honor. In 1952, the bust was replaced with a statue of Simón Bolívar, and the plaza was again renamed after the Venezuelan hero. Across from the Bolívar Square is the 18th century Santa Rosalía de Palermo Church, which was declared a National Historic Monument in 1960.

The statue of Simón Bolívar, erected in 1952, replaced the one of Manuel Escalona.

Between El Hatillo and La Lagunita is the smaller Manuel Escalona Plaza (Spanish: Plazoleta Manuel Escalona ), another urban monument displaying the bust of Escalona that formerly occupied Bolívar Square . Sucre Plaza (Spanish: Plaza Sucre )-graced since 1915 with a ceiba tree at its center-is in the southern part of town; this was historically where people tied their mules while frequenting The Four Corners, and it is also known as Plaza La Ceiba . The Four Corners (Spanish: Las Cuatro Esquinas ) was a convenient social gathering spot in El Hatillo, comprising a general store, hardware shop, gambling place and bar.

La Lagunita is the site of the San Constantino and Santa Elena Romanian Orthodox Church. The building is an architectural work from the 16th century, brought from Romania , made completely from oak and fir woods, and detailed with more than 40,000 individually placed and carved tiles. It is one of only 15 churches of its type remaining in the world, and one of only two outside of Romania , the other being in Switzerland .

For children, the Caicaguana hacienda in La Lagunita houses the Expanzoo, where visitors can see and touch exotic animals. The zoo is recognized for offering unique employment opportunities; the workers are from families with few resources, and the staff include the mentally ill. The Baby Zoo is another place for children to interact with animals; visitors can feed and touch the animals, ride horses and rent the location for special events. More interaction with nature can be experienced by visiting the Morro la Guairita park in El Cafetal-commonly known as the Indian Caves (Spanish: Cuevas del Indio )-a system of 22 natural openings in the mountain, and the only place in Caracas where rock climbing is permitted. Guided tours are available, and views of El Ávila can be enjoyed while ascending the park.