Virgen de la Paz Monument

The Monumento a la Virgen de la Paz stands on a ridge at about sixteen hundred metres, eleven kilometres southwest of the city of Trujillo, a concrete figure of the Virgin some forty-seven metres high, opened in 1983 and the tallest statue in South America. It is hollow: a stair inside climbs through the figure to five lookouts, one facing each point of the compass and the last at the eyes, 44 metres up, from which the Andean valleys and, on clear days, Lake Maracaibo can be seen.

Highlights

• The internal stair - a climb through the hollow figure to viewpoints near the top.
• The eye viewpoints - openings at the statue's eyes looking over the valleys.
• The scale - a concrete figure of about forty-seven metres on its base.
• The ridge position - the Andean valleys spread out below the site.

When to go

December to April is driest and clearest. Mornings are best before cloud builds on the ridge. Weekends bring the most visitors.

What to expect

The internal stair is narrow, steep and enclosed, which some find difficult. Cloud frequently closes the views. The road up is winding and the site can be closed for maintenance.

Nearby

Trujillo is below, and Isnotu is west.

Key facts