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Mérida is mainly a students' town that is open to outdoor tourism and adventure. This explains why it does not have five-star hotels, though it does have four and three-star ones, and many family hostels and inns, as well as camping areas and cabins; in these inexpensive categories, accommodations offered in town and surroundings are abundant.
FROM THE SOUTH BORDER (LA PARROQUIA-ALTO CHAMA) AND SUCRE VIADUCT, TO MIRANDA VIADUCT (CALLE 38)
If you travel by plane, you will arrive at Aeropuerto Alberto Carnevalli, located right on Avenida Urdaneta. From there, you need only take a short walk to Hotel Urdaneta, a two-story house that offers accommodation for all budgets. Nearby you will see the three-star Hotel Caribay. And, at the south end of the avenue where Urbanización Alto Chama is located, you will find Apart-Hotel Agua Blanca, perfect for families planning to stay in town for a week or longer.
Since the southern part of the town is a relatively modern one, there are not many old houses turned into inns or inexpensive hotels. If you cross Viaducto Sucre, opposite the river, you will get to Avenida Las Américas and Avenida Los Próceres, which lead to some mid and high level hotels such as Hotel Belensate, Hotel El Serrano, Hostería and Spa La Sevillana, and Hotel La Pedregosa, this one located in the neighborhood of the same name.
BETWEEN MIRANDA (CALLE 38) AND CAMPO ELÍAS (CALLE 26) VIADUCTS
This is a transition area that offers accommodations at different levels. Nearby is the three-star Hotel Chama. Within the inexpensive group is Hotel Hispánico on Avenida 3, just one block away from the latter.
FROM CAMPO ELÍAS VIADUCT (CALLE 26) TO THE NORTH END OF THE TRADITIONAL CITY (CALLE 13)
This zone has two very distinct sectors: the traditional center, situated on the east side of Albarregas River and, on the west side, a modern sector with new features located between Avenida Las Américas and Avenida Los Próceres.
The central or traditional area is known for its narrow streets, its witnesses from colonial times, and its busy traffic. Affordable lodging can be found at inns such as la Posada La Montaña, la Posada La Casona de Margot, la Posada La Merideña, y la Posada Los Bucares de Mérida; and at hotels such as Hotel Español, El Trigal, El Andinito, and Hotel de Paz, all of which can be easily accessed when walking around Plaza Bolívar. Hostels and hotels of these categories can be found practically on every street. Among the higher end hotels, also present in the zone, are the four-star Hotel El Tisure on Avenida 4, and the three-star Nevada Palace, on Calle 24.
Without exiting the sector, in its east boundary, you'll find the Plaza de Las Heroínas and the Teleférico, or cable car, and several hotels in such a small area like the moderate Hotel Mintoy, and the inexpensive Hotel El Teleférico, Hotel El Parque and the Altamira.
On the west side of the river is the well-known three-star Hotel Don Juan.
AVENIDA UNIVERSIDAD AND AVENIDA CHORROS DE MILLA
On the north strip of the city, the Avenida Universidad leads to the way for El Valle and El Páramo de La Culata. On the avenue are the two-star Hotel Mucubají and the three-star Hotel Escuela Prado Río with its wide and beautiful gardens. On the way to El Valle-La Culata are the three-star Hotel Valle Grande and Hotel Hospedería San Javier, an exquisite establishment whose structure and interior atmosphere are those of a former religious convent. This route is worthily crowned by the huge facilities and natural surroundings of the also three-star Hotel Páramo La Culata, which belongs to the Lake Plaza consortium.
On Avenida Chorros de Milla, parallel to Avenida Universidad's left side and ending in the great Parque Los Chorros de Milla, the two-star Hotel Río Milla and the three-star Hotel La Terraza are located. The latter dropped its Karibik family name after becoming an affiliate of Tamanaco Hotel Corporation.
GOING OUT OF THE CITY
It is not possible to gather in an introductory guide a group that even partly represents all inexpensive hostels, inns, camping zones, and cabins available that fill the surroundings of Mérida without being unfair to others, but there are traditional higher category hotels whose names at least should be known.
Mérida-Apartaderos route (Santo Domingo and Pico El Águila)
In the north route that leads to Apartaderos-Santo Domingo, we find in Mucuchíes two hotels that submerge us in an atmosphere of history and legend. They are the three-star Hotel El Castillo de San Ignacio, loyal to its name of Castillo (castle) in terms of its outside and interior design, and the Hotel Los Conquistadores; and in San Rafael, we find the convenient Hotel San Rafael de Mucuchíes and the Posada San Rafael del Páramo. Once in Apartaderos, the accommodations in Hotel Parque Turístico Apartaderos stand out. If you head for the town of Santo Domingo, you will find the inimitable Hotel Los Frailes, where the silence and peace of ancient monks still fill the atmosphere, the Hotel Moruco and the Hotel Resort La Sierra.
Mérida-Jají route
Along this 37 kilometer (22 mile) route, the three-star Hotel Las Lomas and the cosy rooms at Posada Turística Casa Grande stand out. In the same colonial village of Jají it is worth mentioning the Posada Turística Aldea Vieja inn and especially, the delightful Posada y Restaurant de Jají, the first tourist inn that opened in Venezuela in 1972.
Note: There are two remarks that might be of your interest. The first one is that, if you travel on your own, it will not be easy to find a single room at the inexpensive level hotels; whereas if you travel with a group you will be pleased to know that there are plenty of rooms capable of housing up to nine guests. The second comment has to do with the phone service. Many inexpensive inns either do not have a telephone or communicate by means of cellular telephones, which is why they do not appear in Mérida's phone book.
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