La Azulita
Town in Mérida, Venezuela
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
La Azulita is a town in the state of Mérida, Venezuela, and the capital of Andrés Bello Municipality. It is located in the Venezuelan Andes at 1,135 metres (3,724 ft) above sea level, on the northern slopes of the cordillera that face Lake Maracaibo, and lies about 75 kilometres (47 mi) from the city of Mérida. The town has an average temperature of 17 to 25 °C (63 to 77 °F) and a population estimated at 16,000 inhabitants.[1]
La Azulita | |
|---|---|
Town | |
View of La Azulita | |
| Nickname: El Balcón de Los Andes ("The Balcony of the Andes") | |
  La Azulita Location in Venezuela | |
| Coordinates: 8°42′N 71°26′W | |
| Country | Venezuela |
| State | Mérida |
| Municipality | Andrés Bello |
| Established | 22 February 1866 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Carlos Rosales (PSUV) |
| Area | |
• Total | 398 km2 (154 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,135 m (3,724 ft) |
| Population (2015) | |
• Total | 15,987 |
| Demonym | Azulitense |
| Time zone | UTC-4:00 (VET) |
| Postal code | 5102 |
| Area code | 0274 |
| Website | www |
La Azulita is a tourism-oriented town that is locally promoted for its ecology, mountain scenery and bird-watching. Among the events held there are an international mountain-bike race and bird-watching contests. The town is also accessible by road from El Vigía, which is served by Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo Airport; from El Vigía the route follows the Pan-American Highway to Santa Elena de Arenales before turning onto the Local-004 road that climbs to La Azulita.[1]
History
La Azulita was first founded in 1826 under the name Spanish: Hoyada de Molinillo by Juan Nepomuceno and the brothers Francisco and Ramón Uzcátegui Escobar; the settlement was later abandoned because of the internal conflicts that affected Venezuela during the first half of the 19th century.[1]
The town was refounded on 22 February 1866 and given the name La Azulita on account of the bluish hue of the surrounding mountains. From an early date the local economy was based on the cultivation of coffee, although tourism—both in the town itself and ecotourism in the surrounding cloud forest—has since become one of its principal activities.[1]
The town's main festivities include the celebration of Our Lady of Coromoto on the first Sunday of October, which features a traditional dance performed by a brotherhood known locally as the Indias Cospes. The patronal feast in honour of the Immaculate Conception is held on 8 December.[1] In December the day of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, is also commemorated. The festivities held on 31 December and 1 January in honour of the Child Jesus were declared part of the municipal cultural heritage in 2016.[1]
Geography and environment
La Azulita lies in the cloud-forest belt of the northern Mérida Andes, in the watershed of the Capaz River. The municipality retains around 80 percent of its primary forest, and on 22 April 1990 it was given the designation of "ecological town of America" in recognition of this conservation status.[1] The town's nickname, "El Balcón de Los Andes" ("The Balcony of the Andes"), refers to its position high on the northern flank of the cordillera, from which on clear days Lake Maracaibo can be seen to the north.[1]
Notable sites in and around La Azulita include the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception, a Neo-Gothic church completed in 1967 whose nave rises to some 45 metres (148 ft) and which is fronted by a 9-metre (30 ft) statue of the Virgin facing the Plaza Bolívar; the Las Cuevas del Quebradón ecotourism park, built around a cave system; the La Palmita recreational park and waterfall; and a viewpoint dedicated to the Venezuelan saint José Gregorio Hernández.[1]
