Bound by the Sierra Nevada and the Sierra de la Culata, the Venezuelan Andean region has unparalleled biodiversity and Venezuela’s tallest peaks. Its main city, Mérida, boasts the highest and longest cable car in the world. Meet the people, explore the mountain paths, experience the unique Páramo ecosystem. The Andes offer a whole range of options for adventurers and nature lovers.

With Venezuela’s highest mountains (Bolívar, Humboldt, La Concha, Bomplandt and León) and the páramo, Mérida has to be top of your list for trekking and hiking. The páramo is a high-altitude region with a neotropical ecosystem. It is located between the upper forest line (about 3800 m altitude) and the permanent snow line (about 5000 m). The ecosystem consists of accidented, mostly glacier formed valleys and plains with a large variety of lakes, peat bogs and wet grasslands intermingled with shrublands and forest patches. This neotropical ecosystem hosts about 5000 different plant species where 60% of these species are endemic, adapted to the specific climate characteristics of the place. Vegetation you will get to see in this trip are: tussock grasses, ground rosettes, dwarf shrubs cushion plants and conspicuous giant rosettes such as Espeletia (frilejon) and Puya (in the family Bromeliaceae). The páramo covers 2600 Km² — 23 per cent — of the state!

Our programs in Mérida, designed to be sustainable and environmentally responsible, encompass a wide variety of activities, from extreme sports to bird watching. The local people will be your hosts at the mucu-posadas and your guides through this breathtaking landscape. Your visit to Mérida will be unforgettable!