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Historic village · Mérida, Mérida
Los Nevados
Mountain village in the Sierra Nevada, at over 2,700 meters, with stone and adobe houses around a white church. It's reached by dirt road in a 4x4 jeep or on foot, descending from the Loma Redonda station of the cable car.
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 Los Nevados
Los Nevados is an agricultural village high in the Sierra Nevada de Mérida, above 2,700 meters. Founded in the colonial period, it retains stone and mud-brick houses with tiled roofs, dirt streets and a small square with the white church, surrounded by potato, wheat and garlic fields climbing the slopes.
Isolation is part of the place. There is no paved road: you reach it via a narrow dirt track in 4x4 jeeps that depart from Mérida and take several hours, passing through valleys and rocky slopes, or on foot. The best-known hike departs from the Loma Redonda station of the Mukumbarí cable car, at about 4,050 meters, crosses the páramo and descends to the village in several hours, with the option of mules to carry luggage or transport visitors.
In the village there are simple lodgings in residents' houses, with home-cooked meals like soup, trout and wheat arepas. Nights are cold, and when the sky clears the stars are brilliant. Daily life follows the rhythms of the countryside: mules, fields and the church bell.
Many people make the journey over two days: they descend from the cable car on foot or by mule, sleep in Los Nevados and return to Mérida by jeep the next day. The trail is long and at high altitude, and is usually done with a guide or with the arrieros, the region's muleteers.
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
At least a full day; it's most common to spend one night in the village.
Best time
From December to April, the dry season, when the dirt road and trail are firmer and the skies are more often clear. From May to November rain makes the path muddy.
How to get there
From Mérida, by 4x4 jeep with a local driver, on a dirt track, in several hours. On foot or by mule, descending from the Loma Redonda station of the Mukumbarí cable car, in several hours of trekking. Confirm the cable car's operation and the trail conditions before going.
Tip
Do the trip over two days: descend from the cable car in the morning, sleep in the village and return by jeep. Bring warm clothing, a raincoat and a flashlight, and arrange the guide or the arriero before you set out.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Los Nevados
How do you get to Los Nevados?
By 4x4 jeep on a dirt road from Mérida, in a few hours, or on foot and by mule, descending from the Loma Redonda station of the cable car.
Can you stay overnight in Los Nevados?
Yes, there are simple lodgings in local houses, with home-cooked meals. Nights are cold.
Do I need a guide for the trail?
The trail is long and at high altitude; it is usually done with a guide or with the arrieros, the region’s mule drivers.
What is the altitude of the village?
Over 2,700 meters. The trail from the cable car starts at Loma Redonda, at about 4,050 meters.