Sorte Mountain

Montaña de Sorte in Yaracuy is the principal site of the María Lionza religion, a syncretic tradition combining indigenous, African and Catholic elements around a female figure associated with nature and the mountain. Pilgrims come throughout the year and in very large numbers around 12 October, camping along the Yaracuy river and climbing to altars in the forest where mediums are possessed by spirits of the courts and rites are performed through the night.

What to look for

• The river altars - shrines along the Yaracuy where offerings are left.
• The forest shrines - altars set among the trees higher up the mountain.
• The October gathering - the largest pilgrimage, around 12 October.
• The mountain forest - the protected woodland the site sits within.

When to go

October, around the twelfth, is the main gathering. The site is used through the year, with weekends busier than weekdays. The rains make the paths slippery.

What to expect

This is an active place of worship and not a tourist attraction; ceremonies should not be photographed without permission and behaviour matters. Facilities are non-existent and camping is informal. The October crowds are very large.

Nearby

Chivacoa is nearby, and Barquisimeto is west.