Things to do
13-
Capilla de Piedra de San Rafael de Mucuchíes
Built from local stone without mortar by Juan Félix Sánchez, this chapel stands in San Rafael de Mucuchíes on the Trans-Andean road beyond Mucuchíes. Three arches on two levels hold its bells, and pieces of coral and shell are set into the walls. Half an hour covers it on the way up to the lakes.
-
Jají
Buses from the city terminal take one to two hours to this village 34 km from Mérida, at about 1,800 m. One large square plaza sits at its centre, ringed by houses of one and two storeys, with the plain, thick-walled church of San Miguel Arcángel and its three big doors. Allow about four hours with the bus there and back.
-
Jardín Botánico
Forty-four hectares of gardens run by the Universidad de Los Andes sit beside the university athletics track at La Hechicera, on the north side of the city. The garden keeps daytime hours and is open all year. Allow an hour or two, which suits an afternoon after a morning up high.
-
Laguna de Mucubají
A glacial lake at about 3,600 m, Laguna de Mucubají lies a kilometre off the Trans-Andean road beyond Apartaderos, with a road for cars down to the shore. Horses can be hired here with a local guide, and trails lead on to Laguna Negra and Pico Mifes. Allow an hour at the shore, or a morning with the walk to Laguna Negra.
-
Laguna Negra
From the shore of Laguna de Mucubají, a trail leads to this dark lake about 150 m lower, and the walk there and back fills a morning at an easy pace. The same path continues toward Pico Mucuñuque. Start at the Mucubají shore, off the Trans-Andean road, with water and boots that can take mud.
-
Los Nevados
Jeeps leave Plaza Las Heroínas in the morning for this village of posadas at around 2,700 m, about four hours on a narrow dirt road. The other way in runs from the cable car's Loma Redonda station by mule or on foot, then down an old stone trail, once the cable car reaches that station and the mules are running. Posadas serve dinner and breakfast, so plan on a night.
-
Mérida Cable Car
The Mukumbarí runs 12.5 km through five stations, from Barinitas on Plaza Las Heroínas to Pico Espejo at 4,765 m, among the highest and longest cable cars anywhere. Pico Espejo has been reported closed for maintenance since the line reopened in August 2026, so ask at the Barinitas ticket office which stations are running. Ride early, as the top is usually in cloud by afternoon.
-
Observatorio Astronómico Nacional de Llano del Hato
Above the village of Llano del Hato, near Apartaderos and about 60 km by road from the city, the country's main observatory stands at around 3,600 m. A museum and exhibition centre explain its work. Public visits have run Thursday to Saturday from three to seven in the afternoon, and on holidays, so confirm before driving up and bring a warm layer.
-
Pico Bolívar
Venezuela's highest summit, at 4,978 m, rises above the city with a bronze bust of Simón Bolívar on top. The final pitch is a short rock climb on rope, harness and helmet, and the ascent is made with a guide after several days of acclimatisation. INPARQUES requires climbers to register a risk form, their route and schedule, and rangers inspect the equipment.
-
Pico El Águila
Cars pull in at 4,118 m, the highest point of the Trans-Andean road, on the pass also called Collado del Cóndor. A stone condor monument and the small Virgen de Coromoto chapel stand beside the road from Apartaderos toward Valera. Walk slowly in the thin air, and allow about an hour for the stop.
-
Pico Mifes
A trail of about 6 km climbs from the shore of Laguna de Mucubají over sandy ground to this summit of about 4,630 m. The walk takes a full day at altitude, and a first night beside the lake makes it easier. Set off with water, food and rain gear, and turn back if the weather closes in.
-
Plaza Bolívar
The cathedral faces this square at the centre of the old grid, between avenues 3 and 4 and streets 22 and 23. Around it stand the archbishop palace, the state government palace and the rectorate of the Universidad de Los Andes, with the archaeological museum close by. The cable car base on Plaza Las Heroínas is under a kilometre's walk away.
-
Sierra Nevada National Park
Venezuela's highest peaks, Pico Bolívar and Pico Humboldt among them, lie inside this park, along with the páramo and glacial lakes of the Sierra Nevada de Mérida. The cable car, Laguna de Mucubají and the trail down to Los Nevados are the usual ways in. The park closed for a spell after the June 2026 earthquakes, so check with INPARQUES before a trek, and pack for nights below freezing.
