Merida (Venezuela)

Mérida is the capital of Mérida State and the unofficial adventure-sports capital of Venezuela. It sits at the foot of the Andes, just 15 kilometres from the country's highest point, and serves as the launch pad for the surrounding high-mountain country — the páramo, the glaciated peaks, and the string of small Andean towns that ring the valley. Above all it is an outdoor town: mountaineering, paragliding, rafting and trekking are the reasons most travellers come, and the city functions as the staging post where you hire guides, buy tickets and acclimatise before heading up.

It is also a university city, and that gives Mérida a youthful, sociable character out of proportion to its size. The centre is full of cheap bars and dance clubs that run salsa and international pop late into the night, fuelled by inexpensive Polar beer and strong cocktails, and the student presence supports a dense scene of coffeehouses, areperías and budget posadas. This is one of the cheaper places to travel in Venezuela — internet, food and beds are all modest — and it has long been a fixture on the backpacker circuit.

The layout is easy to read. The historic core is laid out on a straightforward grid of numbered Calles crossed by numbered Avenidas, with Plaza Bolívar (between Avenidas 3/4 and Calles 22/23) as its focal point; Plaza Las Heroínas near the teleférico base is the backpacker hub. On climate: you are at considerable altitude and close to the equator, so the air is cool and the sun is fierce — wear sunscreen and don't over-exert yourself while acclimatising. A consistent local rhythm is that mornings tend to be clear and afternoons cloud over and turn foggy, so plan mountain trips, drives and cable-car rides for early in the day.

By Plane

The city is served by Alberto Carnevalli Airport (MRD), close to town, with commercial service operated by Conviasa; private flights also use it.

If MRD is not an option, the larger Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo Airport (VIG) in El Vigía is not too far away — you can take a long taxi ride from there into Mérida in case of emergency.

By Car / Road

The classic approach is the road from Valera, which climbs over the highest asphalted road in Venezuela — the Pico Águila pass at 4,118 m. The roads are of reasonable quality and can be driven comfortably in a small car, with great views over the mountains and valleys along the way. Drive this route in the morning: afternoons usually cloud over and turn foggy.

By bus: the bus terminal is a few kilometres out of the centre, with daily connections to Barinas, Maracay, Caracas and several other Venezuelan destinations. To reach Ciudad Bolívar without backtracking north to Caracas or Valencia, take the bus to Barinas (about 3.5 hours), then the 10 PM overnight bus on to Ciudad Bolívar (about 11 hours). A departure tax is collected when you leave. To get into town, catch a buseta across the street from the terminal.

The centre is built on a simple grid of numbered Calles crossed by numbered Avenidas. Street signs are not always present, but the core is easy to navigate on foot, with Plaza Bolívar (Avenidas 3/4, Calles 22/23) as the natural reference point.

For everything else there are busetas (shared minibuses) running just about everywhere; in the centre, many of them stop on Avenida 25 between Calles 2/3. Busetas marked "mercado" run to the Mercado Principal. The city is compact enough that walking covers most of the centre, with busetas filling in the longer hops to the terminal, the markets and the malls.

Mérida's main attractions are the mountains themselves and the scenic Andean towns nearby, rather than a roster of urban monuments.

• Andean towns in the region — several small, very scenic highland towns make easy excursions, including Jají, Mucuchíes, Apartaderos and Santo Domingo.

• Plaza de Toros de Mérida (Román Eduardo Sandia Briceño) — Carr. Trasandina y Enlace German Briceño Ferrini. A large bullring seating around 15,000, built in 1967 and home to the "Bullfight Carnival of America"; bullfights are usually held in winter, and the venue is also used for concerts and special events.

• Cinex Alto Prado — at Alto Prado Mall (cross the bridge on Calle 26, turn left at the second light past the bridge, on the right). A cinema near the centre that sometimes screens Venezuelan films; half price on Mondays.

• Teleférico (Mukumbarí cable car) — the city's headline attraction and the world's highest cable car, climbing to Pico Espejo (4,765 m) with two stops along the way; the standard fare in the source era was around US$25. Go on a clear day and as early as possible — the top usually clouds over later, queues build, and the car stops running in the early afternoon. Take warm clothes. A popular approach is to ride up and descend by mule, on foot or by SUV. In busy season upward tickets can sell out days ahead, which travellers get around by reversing the trip: locals with SUVs wait near the base in the morning to drive tourists up toward Los Nevados (about US$15), where mules can be hired for the final ascent. Note the cable car is frequently closed for maintenance — check before you commit your day to it.

• Climb Pico Bolívar or Pico Humboldt — for serious mountaineers, ascents are organised through the tour agents below. Because the altitude difference between Mérida and the top of the teleférico is huge, any summit attempt should wait until the next day to avoid mountain sickness. A local guide who speaks a little French is José Betancourt.

• Adventure activities — mountain-biking, paragliding, white-water rafting, bungee jumping and canyoning are all on offer through several agencies:

  • Arassari Trek — Calle 24 No 8-301, ☏ 0274-252-5879
  • Jakera — Calle 24 No 8-205, ☏ 0274-2529577
  • Gravity Tours
  • Abadía Tours (Travel & Destinations) — Av. 3 entre Calles 17 y 18, ☏ 0274-2513115 (llanos, páramo, paragliding, Canaima)

• Learn Spanish — Mérida is a good, inexpensive place to study Spanish; Jakera runs a few programmes.

Mérida's food leans Andean and student-budget: trout (trucha) from the mountain streams, arepas in every form, Italian-influenced pizzas, and a famous after-dark burger scene. A spread across price tiers:

• Heladería Coromoto — Avenida 3 28-75. A genuine landmark: it holds a Guinness World Records entry for the most ice-cream flavours, with around 800 on the books (including hamburger- and rice-flavoured), though only about 100 are served on any given day.
• Panadería Roma — Calle 24 No 8-68, ☏ +58 274 2529095. Bread, pastries and coffee; a popular breakfast spot.
• Areperia Doña Flor — near Café Calypso / Centro Comercial El Viaducto. A standout for arepas, with fillings from shredded pork to pickled eggs.
• La Astilla — Plaza Milla. A well-regarded restaurant serving local dishes and pizzas; try the Lomita al Salsa Mostaza Dyon, Trucha con Champignones and a Limonada Frappé.
• La Montaña — Calle 24 No 6-47. Excellent, reasonably priced meals — the chicken in orange sauce and the lemon pie are the standbys.
• Federicos — Av. 5 between Calles 18 and 19. Italian/Argentinian-owned, running from pastas to good meat dishes.

Also worth knowing: La Abadía (Av. 3 between Calles 17 and 18), a restaurant-café-cybercafé with fresh fruit drinks, trout dishes and good coffee/desserts; Pizzería El Sabor de los 4 Quesos (Av. 2 between Calles 13 and 14, No 13-66, facing Plaza Milla) and Pizzería Da Enzo (Andrés Bello Avenue, C.C. San Cristóbal) for pizza; Delicias Mexicanas (Calle 25 7-48) for Mexican; and Café Ático near Plaza de las Heroínas, a small counterculture coffeehouse-bar. After dark, the "Calle Burgers" stands appear near the major nightclubs — rough-looking but excellent, piled with fried eggs, ham and shoestring potatoes — and ¡Date! Con Rolando (Avenida Urdaneta and Calle 49), running since 1985, does loaded burgers and patacones (fried-plantain "buns").

Mérida is a college town, and its nightlife is its other great pull: bars and discos playing salsa and international pop run well into the morning, powered by cheap Polar beer and strong caipirinhas.

• Café Calypso (Centro Comercial El Viaducto) — excellent caipirinhas; a top spot to start the night.
• El Bodegón de Pancho (Centro Comercial Mamayeya) — the place to finish the night and dance until the early morning; you can see its lit sign for blocks.
• La Cucaracha (C.C. Las Tapias, parking level) — the quintessential Mérida dance club.
• Birosca (Av. 2 Lora con Calle 24, C.C. Los Tapiales) — famous "Bombas" drinks and a maze-like colonial interior; a refuge from reggaetón.
• Alfredo's (Av. 4 Bolívar, esquina Calle 21) — cheap rum "set-ups" (buy a bottle and mixers for the group) and the cheapest beers in town.
• The Clover (Av. 4 Bolívar between Calles 14 and 15) — the best place in town for a non-Polar beer.

Others in the rotation: El Balcón (Av. 2 con Calle 26, balcony views and cheap Polar), Hoyo Queque (Av. 4 Bolívar, esquina Calle 21, tiny with frequent live music), Gradas Sports Bar (Av. 4 Bolívar, esquina Calle 21, screens for fútbol), Habana Kawy (Av. Principal de Los Chorros de Milla, more disco than salsa/merengue), Poco Loco (a couple of blocks up from Plaza Bolívar, rock/punk) and La Botana (Plaza de las Heroínas, laid-back reggae).

Cheap backpacker posadas with (generally) shared bathrooms cluster around Plaza Las Heroínas, near the teleférico base; a few blocks northeast, around Plaza Milla, are some nicer options. One thing to keep in mind across the budget and mid-range levels: beds are often little more than mattresses on concrete slabs resembling box springs, so test for comfort if that matters to you.

Budget

• Posada Guamanchí — Calle 24 No 8-86, ☏ +58 274 252 2080. The backpacker's choice, with an attached tour company; rooms sleep two to four.
• Posada Jama Chía — Calle 24 No 8-223, ☏ +58 274 252 5767. Nine rooms with shared bathroom and a shared kitchen, around US$8 per person.
• Also: Paty's (Calle 24, Av. 8 — laundry service in house, good for low-budget solo travellers), Posada Luz Caraballo (Avenida 2 Lora No 13-80, facing Plaza Sucre, ☏ +58 274 252 5441 — private bathrooms, hot water, cable TV, parking, restaurant), El Floridita (near Plaza de las Heroínas) and Posada Suiza.

Mid-range

• Posada Casa Sol — Av. 4 between Calles 15 and 16, ☏ +58 274 252 4164, [email protected]. Rooms from about US$42 single / US$50 double; breakfast an extra US$8 per person.
• Posada Yagrumo — Calle 24 No 8-78 (close to Plaza de las Heroínas), ☏ +58 274 2529539, +58 416 8745247 (cell), [email protected].
• Casa Alemana Suiza — Av. 2, Calle 38 No 130, ☏ +58 274 263 6503, [email protected]. A Swiss owner who helps arrange tours, with fine mountain views from the roof terrace.

Upscale / heritage

• Posada La Montaña — Calle 24 No 6-47 (entre Av. 6 y 7), ☏ +58 274 252 5977. The most characterful stay in the centre: a beautifully restored colonial building with hand-crafted wooden furniture and leafy foliage, its 19 rooms set around a sunny terrace.

The place to shop is the Mercado Principal (take busetas marked "mercado" from the centre) — a big market with a wide assortment of artesanía and touristy goods, plus fresh fruit and vegetables on the first floor. While you're there, the local dare is the Levantón Andino, a smoothie whose ingredients include fish eggs, quail eggs and a bull's eye.

• Los Nevados — the classic do-it-yourself trek. Take the teleférico to Loma Redonda station (don't pay the full Pico Espejo fare), then follow the trail; it's a beautiful 4–5 hour walk, and mules can carry you.
• Jají — a postcard-perfect restored colonial Andean village, an easy half-day trip from the city.
• Mucuchíes & Apartaderos — high páramo towns along the trans-Andean road, gateways to Venezuela's highest country.
• Santo Domingo — a scenic mountain town to the northeast, good for a relaxed Andean overnight.
• Barinas — about 3.5 hours by bus down onto the llanos, and the transfer point for the overnight bus to Ciudad Bolívar.
• Caracas — the capital, reachable by direct daily buses for onward connections.