Mérida, Venezuela: travel guide
A laid-back Andean university town and Venezuela's adventure capital, home to the world's highest and longest cable car (Mukumbarí), páramo treks, paragliding and the famous Coromoto ice-cream parlour.
- Country
- Venezuela
- Currency
- VES
- Time zone
- America/Caracas
- Nearest airport
- MRD
Top places to visit in Mérida
Heladería Coromoto
Cultural · 4.1 rating · about 0.8 h · check the fee at the gate
A Guinness World Record ice-cream parlour offering hundreds of rotating flavours, from trout to garlic and beyond — a Mérida institution.
Mukumbarí – Teleférico de Mérida
Viewpoint · 4.9 rating · about 5 h · check the fee at the gate
The world's highest and longest cable car system, rising in four stages from Mérida to Pico Espejo at 4,765 m through cloud forest and páramo.
Laguna de Mucubají
Nature · 4.9 rating · about 2.5 h · check the fee at the gate
A serene glacial lake at 3,600 m in Sierra Nevada National Park, the trailhead for the hike to Laguna Negra through frailejón páramo.
Pico Espejo
Viewpoint · 4.8 rating · about 2 h · check the fee at the gate
The 4,765 m terminus of the cable car, a snow-dusted páramo summit with a statue of the Virgin of the Snows and views to Pico Bolívar.
Catedral & Plaza Bolívar de Mérida
church · about 0.8 h · check the fee at the gate
The neoclassical cathedral on Mérida's palm-lined main square, the lively social hub of this Andean university town.
Things to do
- Paragliding over Mérida Adventure · 2.5 h · from USD 60 per person
- Sierra Nevada & Páramo Trek Hiking · 6 h · from USD 35 per person
Day trips and tours
- Mérida Cable Car & City Day 8 h · from USD 50
Where to stay in Mérida
- Centro de Mérida about VES 35 per night
The heart of Mérida around Plaza Bolívar — walkable, lively with students, close to the cable car and tour agencies.
Hotels
- Hotel Belensate 4-star · USD 45 to USD 80 per night
- La Posada Casa Sol 3-star · USD 35 to USD 60 per night
Where to eat
- La Abadía Venezuelan, International · about USD 15 per person
- La Mamma Italian, Pizza · about USD 10 per person
Getting around
- Bus main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Car With Driver main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Ride Hail main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking
Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.