Virgen de la Paz Monument

The Monumento a la Virgen de la Paz stands on a ridge at about seventeen hundred metres above the city of Trujillo, a concrete figure of the Virgin some forty-seven metres high on a base, finished in 1983 and for a time the tallest statue of its kind in the Americas. It is hollow: a stair inside climbs through the figure to viewpoints at the eyes and shoulders, from which the Andean valleys and, on clear days, Lake Maracaibo can be seen.

What you actually see

• 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.

Honest expectations

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 south.