
Venezuela Regions

Andes ~ Venezuela

Spanning nearly the entire continent of South America from north to south, Venezuela claims the northernmost reaches of the mighty Andes mountain range. Venezuela’s Andes are located in the central-west portion of the country and encompass the states of Merida, Tachira and Trujillo. Our Scenic Andes Adventure travels the countryside by jeep for those with general or a special interest in the area. Unique hotels llike Los Frailes based on a 15th century monastary add to the experience as do the family run haciendas.

The foothills’ cool, misty forests support an amazing array of diverse bird and plantlife where orchids, bromeliads and heliconias provide habitat for hummingbirds and the beautiful Andean cock-of -the-rock bird. For the best chances of success take our Bird Watching Tour to visit the species like the Andean Condor. At higher altitudes, unusual fauna, cirques and moraines predominant in glacial landscapes dominate semi-desertlike paramo. In between, the Andes are laced with icy rivers, streams and trout laden lakes, carpeted in lush valleys of evergreen and deciduous forest and graceful alpine meadows The area and climate are perfect for hiking, trekking, mountain biking, paragliding, hang gliding or horseback riding. A circuit is travelled by mountain bike with experienced guides and local lodges along the way.

The Sierra Nevada National Park was the second park ever created in the country. Nestled in the heart of the Andes Range, it is the only place in the country that has snow-covered peaks throughout the year. The highest Venezuelan summits are found here: Bolivar Peak (5,007 m), Humboldt (4,920 m), Bonpland (4,942 m), La Concha (4,920 m), El Toro (4,755 m) and El Leon (4,740 m). It is a natural area of exceptional beauty, ideal for excursions and mountain sports and the setting off point for Los Pueblos Trek and Los Nevados Trek.

Day tours include, a city tour of Merida, a morning in the main market, a ride in the world’s highest (4,765 m) and longest (12,5 km) cable car or teleferico, a visit to the highest point in the Venezuelan highway system (the freezing Paso del Aguila at 13,146 feet) and experiencing the Paramo.

Merida, capital of the Andes, is a bustling university town where comfortable hotels, a wealth of restaurants and nightlife, and local markets ideal for arts and handicraft shopping are indicative of Venezuela’s modern-day culture. Juan Rodriguez Suarez founded the city in 1558 and now it has 365,000 inhabitants (mainly students, farmers and merchants). Nestled in a valley surrounded by five of the Andes' highest peaks, Merida (elevation 5,332 ft) is the gateway to all of our Andean adventures. The average temperatures are 70°F or 21°C during the day and 55°F or 13°C during the nights.

A picturesque land rich in traditional culture, Venezuela’s Andes host a myriad of environments from dense, tropical cloudforests to rugged, snow-capped peaks. The hard working, resourceful and religious Andean people are hearty souls, many of whom still live by and farm the land much as they have for centuries. Burrows are still a primary mode of transportation between most mountain villages, and electricity still has not found its way to some of the more remote locations. Paved roads link Merida with neighboring cities such as Barinas, Trujillo, San Cristobal and Valera while scheduled air commercial service is available to the most important cities in the country.