Pico Espejo
The top station.
Bromoxido — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Irontomb — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Irontomb — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Irontomb — CC BY-SA 4.0
Mukumbarí is a cable car that climbs from the city of Mérida in the Venezuelan Andes to the summit of Pico Espejo. The cabins pass over green valleys and forest, then high moorland and rock, up to peaks wrapped in cloud and sometimes snow. The line starts in Mérida at 1,577 m and ends at 4,765 m, making it the highest cable car in the world and the second longest. It runs in four connected sections over 12.5 km, and each cabin carries 36 passengers. It first opened in 1960, closed in 2008 for rebuilding, and its new line opened in 2016. You ride up stage by stage, stopping at the stations to take in the mountains and adjust to the altitude. From the top you see the peaks of the Sierra Nevada de Mérida around you. Barinitas station is in the city of Mérida. The cable car sometimes stops for maintenance; it closed in May 2026 and reopened on 19 August 2026, so check it is running before you go. The air is thin and very cold at the top, so go up slowly and dress warmly, and skip it if you have a health problem with altitude. The UK advises against all but essential travel to Venezuela, so check current advice before you go.
The top station.
Below the cabins.
Peaks around you.
Barinitas station, Mérida city, Mérida State
It can cause altitude sickness; go up slowly and drink water.
Early morning, before clouds cover the peaks.