Mérida cable car

The Mérida cable car (Teleférico de Mérida) is a multi-stage aerial cableway in the Venezuelan Andes that links the city of Mérida with high-mountain terrain on the Sierra Nevada massif. The system reaches approximately 4,765 m at its upper terminus near Pico Espejo.

The installation consists of four continuous sections and spans roughly 12.5 km of cable with a total vertical rise of about 2,900 m. Riders travel from valley stations near Mérida up steep mountain slopes, gaining expansive views of the surrounding Andean peaks and glaciers as elevation increases.

The original cable car system was constructed in the mid-20th century and later underwent major reconstruction and modernization in the early 21st century. Over time it has been rebuilt and upgraded to improve safety, capacity, and reliability.

The lower stations are on the flanks of the city of Mérida in Mérida state, Venezuela, while the upper terminus sits on the high ridge near Pico Espejo in the Sierra Nevada range. The route climbs from roughly 1,500-1,600 m in the valley up to the high station above 4,700 m.

• Top elevation: Top station sits at about 4,765 m above sea level at Pico Espejo, making it one of the highest aerial cable car termini in the world.
• Scale and sections: Runs in four linked sections covering roughly 12.5 km of line with a vertical gain of about 2,900 m from the valley to the high station.
• Altitude warning: The top station is at high altitude; visitors can experience altitude sickness and should allow time to acclimatize.