Yaritagua is the capital of the Peña Municipality of Venezuela's state of Yaracuy. Founded in 1699 during Spain's colonization of Venezuela by Nicolas Eugenio de Ponte, it retains some colonial-era buildings. The significance of sugar cane in the area has given it the nickname Ciudad Dulce de Yaracuy (Sweet City of Yaracuy). It has a population of around 120,000, and is considered Yaracuy's second city, after the capital San Felipe, Yaracuy.