Mérida is a mid-sized city of around 300,000 in western Venezuela, located some 500 miles from Caracas. The city is the capital of the state of Mérida and has been built upon a meseta between two Andean mountain ranges, the Sierra Nevada and the Culata. It has a beautiful climate with temperatures averaging around 75 degrees during the day and dropping to 65 in the evening. It also possesses astonishing views and countryside including the mountain peak Pico Bolívar which reaches 15,000 feet above sea level. Mérida is geographically small and a good deal more relaxed than other major cities in Venezuela. Although caution must always be exercised when traveling abroad, security risks are not as elevated as in places such as Caracas, Maracaibo, or Valencia.
The prestigious Universidad de Los Andes is the center of life in Mérida. Approximately 50,000 students from all over the country study at the various faculties which are spread out around the city. The ULA was founded in 1810 and has roots as a seminary dating back to 1785.
It could be said that Mérida is more opulent than many other cities in Venezuela. Real estate is extremely expensive and many wealthy professionals from outside the city have made it a point to buy land in and around the metropolitan area. The influx of money has also made Mérida something more conservative than other urban centers in the country. The opposition is particularly strong and the university possesses an active student movement which is linked to this opposition. That being said, the state of Mérida was won by Hugo Chávez in the most recent presidential elections and the surrounding countryside, comprised mostly of small farmers, have voted consistently in favor of the current government.
Mérida is an ideal place to study given its size, its pace, the university, and its security. It must also be said that people in the Andean region tend to speak a good deal slower than their coastal and central counterparts which makes Mérida a perfect place to learn and practice Spanish.
