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| Other sites of interest |
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 Santo
Domingo El Baho Trout
Farm
About
4 km from Santo
Domingo, by the river
of the same name. The
different stages in
trout raising can be
observed here, from
the initial incubator
stage to adulthood,
when the fish are
ready for consumption. |
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This
route takes visitors over the highest paved
highway of Venezuela (4,118 m.a.s.l.). The
statue of the eagle is dedicated to Bolívar
and his troops, who marched over this pass in
1813, in commemoration of the Campaña
Admirable (Admirable Campaign), which
concluded with their triumphant entry into
Caracas. On a clear day there is a spectacular
view. There is a warm shelter where you can
buy hot chocolate, calentaíto, and
other drinks, sweets and cookies, as well as
handicrafts. Outside the shelter there are
small kiosks with snacks and articles for
sale. Visitors can hire horses to go on to the
Mucubají Lagoon.
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Access |
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Access
to Santo Domingo, by road, is from Barinas,
Mérida and Valera. It is a paved road,
narrow, full of curves, in a relatively good
condition. Drive carefully when there is low
visibility due to rain or fog.
Access to Timotes, by road, is from Mérida,
Barinas, Valera and Apartaderos.
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Tourist Attractions |
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 Santo
Domingo
The
beautiful Andean scenery and its location near
the main lagoons of the Sierra Nevada National
Park have made this a favorite tourist
destination.
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 Timotes
Its
streets, houses and customs still bear witness
to the pre-Hispanic cultures in this part of
the country. Very nearby, there are
picturesque lagoons ideal for trout fishing.
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 Meseta
de La Galera
The
Meseta is near the small town of Tovar: you
cross the main square and the church, and it
is to the right. It is a medium sized mountain
with an absolutely flat top. It has been
declared a natural monument, to defend it from
illegal squatters, and even coffee plantations
that had appeared there recently.
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 Tapo-Caparo
National Park
The
Park is well worth visiting in spite of the
distance. It is at the border zone of the
states of Mérida, Táchira and Barinas.
Access is by highway following the route from
Barinas to San Cristóbal, state of Táchira.
It has an area of 205,000 hectares. Declared a
National Park in January 1993, its main
purpose is to protect the areas around the
installations of the Uribante-Caparo
hydroelectric complex. The region's enormous
potential lies essentially in its water
resources, so they must be preserved. Many
rivers and streams cross the Park, the two
most important one being the Uribante and the
Caparo.
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