Funiculars and cable cars Venezuela

We advise to go accompanied by a guide to know the whole history of El Avila the time to distance itself from the capital and enter into an exquisite and cool climate: a clean air! Between 7 and 12 minutes (depending on weather and attendance) is enough to travel 3,5 km and reach the apex of the Ávila park (Estación Ávila, 2 150 m altitude) from where a superb perspective is offered to you. Caracas on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. It even appears that, in clear weather, it is possible to see Los Roques through telescopes made available to the public. An architectural symbol, it was inaugurated by General Marcos Pérez Jiménez on 2 December 1955. The cable car was originally built to connect the prestigious Humboldt Hotel to the city. Closed for 40 years, the cable car took over from the service. It passed under the command of the State in 2007. It is world-renowned for its modernity and has the capacity to transport 1 190 people per hour, equipped with 84 cabins capable of containing 8 people for a maximum weight of 640 kg. To avoid weekends: the tail can be very long to reach the famous Warairarepano Park; to get down, plan 2 hours. At the summit, an ice rink that has existed since the latter's inception. If you want to taste the joys of ice in the tropics, the skating rink runs daily from 11 am to 19 PM except Friday (from 13 pm only). The rental skates are modern enough; capacity of 30 people. On-site lunch at the restaurant or in one of the many less healthy stalls.

After the cable car in Caracas (Avila) the government attacked another pharaoh civil and mechanical work, in partnership with the Austrians (specialists in the ski lifts). This cable car will be the longest, the most modern and the highest in the world, its first version was built in the late 1950 s by a French company «Applevage». To finance the work and to ensure its publicity, the municipality decided to organize… a ski competition (!) attended by 30 international champions who took three days to reach the summit (high technology). The primary ambition of the cable car was to connect Merida to Barinas, to facilitate exchanges between these two nearby cities, but separated by very high mountains. Closed for the first time for five years at the beginning of the 1980 s, following the only accident in its history, and then very regularly put out of service due to maintenance (mantenimiento… bad languages say that it is due to French Manufacturing), the cable car had ended up resuming service on a nice day of April 5, 2000… but a breakdown, 50 m after its departure from Loma Redonda blocked his irresistible ascent! In 2012 the situation seems to be unlocked, we hope from the bottom of the heart that you can enjoy this amazing attraction during your passage.