Travel Guide Mérida

Before the conquest already, Mérida and its environs were one of the most densely populated regions of Venezuela with the Tatuys Indians, who spoke the mucumbache dialect. In 1558 Juan Rodríguez Suárez first founded the city. It was finally in 1559 that Juan de Maldonado moved it to the foot of the Sierra Nevada and gave him the name of Santiago de Mérida de los Caballeros. The city will depend on the Vice-kingdom of Santa Fe de Bogotá, before becoming an integral part of the Harbour of Venezuela in 1777. Merida prides himself on having given the title of Libertador to General Bolívar, when he began his admirable campaign on May 23, 1813. In 1600, the Jesuits founded the San Francisco Seminary, an ancestor of the Royal and Pontifical University, which will later give the Universidad de Los Andes, the ELUS, around which the city and its 30 000 students are now living.Merida today. Today, earthquakes, which affect the city every 100 years, have destroyed almost all colonial remains. Merida, located at 1 640 m above sea level, is a young town with 330 000 inhabitants, whose tertiary sector (university and tourism) is the main economic resource. This is the starting point for excursions in the Andes and a safe city (except perhaps the top of Avenue 2 after midnight), with a very changing climate. Get ready to spend almost without transition from the T-shirt to the imperméable! The city is really pleasant under the sun that highlights the vivid colours of the facades of the houses, whereas when it rains the streets turn into a few minutes into impetuous torrents. Merida sees the arrival of significant national tourism on public holidays. It is important to book your room in advance if you think of staying there during these periods, especially during the carnival (when the Feria del Sol and the famous bullfighting) and the Holy Week. In recent years, tourism has slowed down with the closure of the airport and cable car. Things should move in the right direction from the end of 2012, since the new cable car should be operational. We also talk about a new airline in Merida, which would allow us to pass through El Vigia, a considerable amount of time.