Mérida Venezuela Travel Guide
Mérida is located in the occidental part of Venezuela to an approximate altitude of 1.600 MASL. Most of its territory is located in the Andean region while in its northwestern extreme they can be found plains and lowlands. Nowadays, it constitutes an important student and tourist center in Venezuela.
Mérida state is the tenth fifth estate in Venezuela. The mountain chain of Mérida stands out in its geography which is predominated by an Andean environment constituted by valleys and flatlands. The city lies on a plateau located in the valley of the Chama River, this river covers the city from one extreme to another.
Three mountain ranges that belong to the Andes are placed across this mountainous territory, these are:
- The Nevada mountain range of Merida, its highest point is the Bolívar peak which is also the highest peak in the country. Here are also located the peaks: “Humboldt”, “La Concha”, “Bonpland”, “Del León” and “Silla del Toro”, they also have a considerable height.
- The Santo Domingo mountain range, it is located to the East of Mucuchíes moor, his higher peak is Mucuñuque peak.
- The north mountain range or “la Culata”, in which are located the moors: “La Negra”, “Piedras Blancas”, “El Tambor”, “El Campanario” and “La Culata”.
In this city is located an important cable car system that constituted as the second-longest in the world, it ascends to the proximities of the Bolívar peak. Its economy is based in the agricultural industry and it is complemented with the tourism earnings. Mérida is rich in natural attractions, for example, the Sierra Nevada National Park.
City of Merida
It is one of the principal cities in the Venezuelan Andes. It was founded in the year 1558 as a part of New Granada, this beautiful city is surrounded by huge mountains, and it has a beautiful colonial center, parks painted in a picturesque green color, and very hospitable people that have a cordial and kind treatment.
The city is adorned by beautiful plazas for example the Bolívar square and the Beethoven square, it is also surrounded by colonial buildings such as the government palace, the Archbishop’s palace, the headquarters of the University of the Andes, and the cathedral.
Mérida is full of youth because is plenty of student life, the city keeps universities that have plenty of tradition and that are the most antiques in the country, its university system has approximately 50 percent of the total student population in Venezuela.
The culture in this city is abundant because here live an important number of artists, painters, writers, actors, etc. In the same manner, it has several cultural centers and convention centers which are the venue of important expositions and festivities of various themes.
Things to do in Merida
Here we have a list of the best attractions in this city. Please click on them in order to get more information about them.
The Merida Cable Car
Without any doubt this place that has the major tourist interest in Mérida state, it is the highest and longest cable car system all over the world.
Rectorado de la Universidad de Los Andes
This beautiful building was designed and constructed by the architect Mújica Millán.
Merida Cathedral
It is one of the most beautiful historical buildings, located in front of the Bolivar square, in the 4 avenues and between the 22 and 23 streets.
Gobernacion
It is a big elegant house that was the work of the architect Manuel Mujica Millán, it was constructed in the beginnings of 1956 and was inaugurated in October 9, 1958.
Chorros de Milla
It is located in the northwest of the city, and to 1850 meters above the sea level, it has a pleasant average climate, the average weather is 18 C and it is crossed by the Milla River.
Plaza Bolivar
The Bolivar Square, the former major plaza of the city and today is one of the principal plazas in Mérida, it is located in the 3 and 4 avenues between the 22 and 23 streets.
Beethoven Park
This is a very popular park, it has a surface of 7.000 square meters and it is located in the housing development San Ana Norte. This park is dedicated to the famous German music composer Ludwig Van Beethoven.
Mérida Botanical Garden
It is the first botanical garden in the city, it was founded in 1991 by the University of the Andes in order to preserve the fauna and flora and the investigation.
Plaza las Heroínas
It constitutes one of the main attractions in the city and it is confirmed by beautiful mirrors of water and fountains.
Parque de Los Conquistadores
It is a park that was constructed in 1935 in honor of the first men who climbed the Bolívar peak.
Merida & Venezuela’s Highlands
Merida is in Venezuela’s Andean highlands and is a beautiful highland colonial town that has excellent hiking and trekking attractions in the surrounding mountains. A city tour takes in the main highlights of Merida, which include churches and plazas good for people watching in this university city in Venezuela. The climate and buzz of the city are both particularly appealing.
Hotels in and Near Merida
- Belensate Hotel – This former hacienda is 10 minutes from the center of Merida and is surrounded by a sugar plantation. The Belensate hotel has 80 rooms, a large swimming pool, a poolside restaurant, and an Italian restaurant.
- Posada Casa Sol – The Casa Sol is a centrally located hotel 10 minutes walk from the main square in Merida. This colonial hotel has 15 rooms and a good restaurant.
- Estancia La Canada – This estancia is in a valley leading up to the Parámo and is an excellent base in which to explore the Merida and Anes area by horseback riding or trekking.
- Estancia Mucunuy – Estancia Mucunuy is a late 19th-century coffee farm situated 14 km from Merida in the Andes mountain range that has won various architectural awards. It is a charming hotel surrounded by banana, coffee, and orange groves.
- Hosteria La Sevillana – a small (12 room) colonial-style hotel set within subtropical gardens 30 minutes from the town of Merida.
- Los Balcones De La Musui – 40 km from Merida and with great views of the Andes, this hotel is peaceful and remote with just 12 simple rooms.
- Los Frailes – a wonderful, secluded hotel of 50 rooms, Los Frailes is a former monastery and a great place to stay on Venezuela tours. Activities include horse-riding, trekking and trout fishing.
Merida History
Mérida city was founded on October 9, 1558, as a part of New Granada; it was founded by the Spanish captain Juan Rodríguez Suárez and a group of soldiers in the present population of “San Juan de Lagunillas”. This Spanish captain came across with a little population of natives at the moment he was arriving to the Andean lands, this was the start point of the foundation of Mérida city, and the city had great importance during the independence war.
Its growth was slow during the colonial epoch; the trips to America were only possible with the previous authorization of the Spanish king, this situation made almost impossible the immigration to these lands. By the year 1628, the Jesuits created a school that worked in an efficient manner for approximately a century and a half until the Jesuits were expelled from America in 1767. The Brother Juan Ramos de Lora was appointed as the bishop of the new Diocese and decides to create, the San Buenaventura seminary on March 29, 1785, in order to teach give ecclesiastic education and Latin language to young people. This seminary would become later in the base of the Andes University.
On March 26, 1812, it was produced a huge earthquake in the city, which was called the earthquake of Holy Week Thursday because it happened in Holy Week. This event constituted one of the main causes of the first fall of the Republic. On December 22, 1817, exploded in the city of a revolutionary movement called “La Patriecita”, it was directed by Antonio Paredes, he was attempting to free the city from the Spanish oppression.
The history of this city has been always related to the University of the Andes history and its development has been fundamental to it. During the years 80, 90, and 2000 the city has suffered considerable student protests that have even forced to close temporarily commercial shops and paralyzed academic and labor activities. The most serious protest was registered in the year 1987, during this disturbance it was necessary the intervention of The Venezuelan army in order to recover the control and public order after weeks of its beginning.
Getting to Merida
By road
You can get to Merida City using the Trasandina road, which communicates the north part of the city with the occidental center zone of Venezuela. The highway 007 or the road “La Variante” also communicates the south part of the city with the Panamericana road and “El Vigía” city.
By Plain
You can take a commercial flight from one of these cities: Maracaibo, Cumaná, Valencia, Guaira, Puerto La Cruz, and Puerto Ordaz, Porlamar. The Alberto Carnevali is the principal airport with national characteristics in Merida state; it has various services such as rent of cars, commercial stores, and tourist excursions.
Getting Around Merida
Mérida is a place that has several parks and plazas than can be visited easily as well as most of the attractions in the downtown of Mérida. It also has an important cable car system that offers all the comforts to visit the Bolívar Mountains. If you have your own car it won’t cost very much paying for gasoline, because Venezuela is an important oil exporter.
Taxis
In spite of the fuel doesn’t have a high cost, it is not necessary to have your own car in order to visit the city because the taxis are relatively abundant and cheap, they charge about one and two dollars in rent. Most of the taxi drivers are very honest, but even so, negotiating the price before taking a taxi is a good idea, because nobody has a taximeter.
Bus
It has a huge local bus system that connects its metropolitan area as well as buses that go to near towns. This system is one of the best public transport services in the country. Despite this, it is very cheap taking a bus in this city, and using this means of transportation is a little confusing to those who recently get to the city. In the last years, this means of transportation has been suffering an increasing demand and it could be entering a stage of collapse.
Metro
After many of studying the case, it was proposed the construction of a massive transportation system that wouldn’t contaminate the city. This is the first public transportation system is being constructed in a city that has less than half a million inhabitants in Latin America. This system has as its main objective the communication between Mérida and Ejido cities, and intends at the same time, to join the metropolitan areas they form.