Pico El Aguila

Pico El Águila is the high point of the Trans-Andean road between Mérida and Barinas, at just over four thousand metres, which makes it the highest paved pass in Venezuela. A bronze condor on a plinth marks the spot, commemorating Bolívar's crossing of the páramo here in 1813 on his way to Mérida. A cafe sells hot chocolate to people stopping in the cold, and the páramo runs out on both sides with frailejones and mist.

What you actually see

• The condor monument - a bronze condor marking the pass and Bolivar's crossing.
• The altitude - just over four thousand metres, the highest paved pass in the country.
• The paramo - frailejones and high moorland running out on both sides.
• The hot chocolate stop - the roadside cafe that most travellers stop at.

When to go

December to April is clearest. Mornings offer the best chance of a view before cloud closes in. It is cold and windy in any season and snow falls occasionally.

Honest expectations

Cloud and mist close the view for much of most days. The altitude affects people arriving quickly from lower ground. There is little here beyond the monument and the cafe.

Nearby

Laguna de Mucubaji is southwest, and Merida is beyond it.