Venezuela travel blog by Mark Berman -
August 2014
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From Barinas to the east is the perfect place to ascend westward up to the mountains north of Merida. A combination of buses and shared taxis will get you
there. It's a journey full of amazing scenery on a road that is in good condition. The ascent is a steady one but make sure you have a good meal before you
travel because the road is also a winding one. 3hrs Barinas to Apartaderos
From Barinas it takes 25mins to Barinitas, then 2hrs more up to Santo Domingo, all by bus. I actually had a
quick look around Santo Domingo and a bite to eat. From there in a shared taxi it takes another 30mins up to Apartaderos.
Altitude 3500 Meters
Apartaderos sits in a valley at
3500 meters above sea level and is the highest town in Venezuela. Apartaderos is at the main junction, south is Mucuchies and Merida and north is the
Collado del Condor at 4000 meters and further north is Timotes. If you are heading north or south, Apartaderos is the place to get buses and shared cars
from, they all pass through here.
El Paramo
I had been in this area before when I did the
El Paramo tour in December 2010 from Merida, but this
time I was interested in staying here and having a better look around some of the small towns and communities and exploring more on foot. It's a beautiful
part of the country!
Bus to Mucuchies
From Apartaderos on one of the semi-frequent local buses I headed to
Mucuchies for
the night which took 30mins. The bus passes through several small towns along the way. Bring some warm cloths, it's cold up here!
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