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Lagoon · Mérida, Mérida
Laguna de Mucubají
Glacial lagoon at about 3,500 meters, in Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada, alongside the Trans-Andean road. Around it, the páramo with frailejones and the trail to Laguna Negra, on foot or on horseback.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Laguna de Mucubají
The Laguna de Mucubají lies in Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada, at about 3,500 meters, along the Trans-Andean road, near Apartaderos and some 60 km from Mérida. It is a glacial lagoon, formed in the floor of a valley shaped by ice, with cold, dark water, surrounded by páramo slopes.
The páramo is the high-altitude vegetation of the tropical Andes, and around the lagoon it appears in full: golden grasses, low shrubs and the frailejones, plants with woolly, silvery leaves that can exceed 1 meter and bloom yellow. Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada, created in 1952, protects this landscape and the country’s highest peaks.
A trail departs from the lagoon to Laguna Negra, another glacial lake with dark water, in a narrower valley, about 1½ hours of walking with a gentle ascent. The route can also be done on horseback, with horses rented at the lagoon. From Laguna Negra, a longer trail continues to Laguna Los Patos.
On the shore of the lagoon there is a park visitor center. The weather changes quickly: a morning can start sunny and the afternoon end with fog and light rain. Daytime temperatures usually range between 5 °C and 10 °C.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
One hour to the lagoon; 3 to 4 hours for the round trip including Laguna Negra.
Best time
In the morning, from December to April, when the sky is usually clear and the lagoon reflects the mountains. The frailejones typically flower between October and December.
How to get there
It is alongside the Trans-Andean road, about 60 km from Mérida, passing through Mucuchíes and Apartaderos, roughly a 1½-hour drive. Day tours depart from Mérida.
Tip
Bring a coat, hat and rainproof jacket: at about 3,500 meters it’s cold even in sunshine. Do the hike to Laguna Negra in the morning and have trout for lunch at the inns in Apartaderos on the way back.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Laguna de Mucubají
What is the altitude of Laguna de Mucubají?
About 3,500 meters, in Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada, along the Trans-Andean road.
What are frailejones?
Páramo plants with woolly, silvery leaves that can exceed one meter and bloom yellow. They are the hallmark of the high-altitude landscape of the Venezuelan Andes.
Can you go to Laguna Negra?
Yes, by a trail of about 1½ hours on foot, with a gentle ascent, or on horseback, with horses rented at the lagoon.
How long does it take from Mérida to the lagoon?
About 1½ hours by car, over the roughly 60 km of the Trans-Andean road, passing through Mucuchíes and Apartaderos.