The hook
A lively Andean university town in the mountains of western Venezuela, base for adventure in high páramo and snow peaks, and home to what is billed as the highest and longest cable car in the world.
01Why it's worth it
Set in a green valley high in the Venezuelan Andes, Mérida is a relaxed, youthful university city that has long been the country's adventure-tourism capital, a base for exploring the surrounding high mountains, cloud forests, and the distinctive páramo, the misty, high-altitude Andean moorland dotted with the strange, furry frailejón plants. Its headline attraction is the Mukumbarí cable car, which climbs in stages from the city to near the summit of Pico Espejo at over 4,700 metres, holding records as the world's highest and longest cable-car system, an exhilarating ascent to a world of rock and, on the highest peaks, snow, with huge Andean views. The region offers trekking, mountain biking, paragliding, and visits to traditional mountain villages, and the town itself is pleasant and welcoming, with a famous ice-cream parlour of countless flavours. As throughout Venezuela, the country's political and economic crisis complicates travel and demands current advice and caution, and services can be affected, but for the adventurous, Mérida and the Venezuelan Andes offer high-mountain scenery and activities in a friendly setting.
02How to experience it
Given Venezuela's situation, check current advice and arrange logistics carefully. In Mérida, ride the record-breaking Mukumbarí cable car to the high peaks (confirm it is operating), and use the town as a base for páramo treks, mountain villages, and adventure sports. Go in the drier months for the clearest mountain views.