Venezuela: Merida – Barinitas Viewpoint & Parque La Columna

A must see viewpoint in Merida is the Barinitas – an absolutely stunning panorama of the Andes mountains. This is also the base terminal of the Teleferico de Merida – one of the longest and highest cable cars in the world, stretching from the city up to Pico Espejo at over 4,760 m (15,600 ft). Another great location is the Parque La Columna where there is a column dating to 1842 and commemorating Simon Bolivar – in fact, it’s the very first monument dedicated to Bolívar in the world. Also here is the Parque de las Cinco Repúblicas honoring the five nations liberated by Bolívar (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia) and featuring soil brought from each of these countries.