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Merida city was founded in year 1558, by the Spanish Captain Juan Rodriguez Suarez with the full name Santiago de los Caballeros de Merida, at the moment well known as San Juan de Lagunillas, just one year later the city was relocated in the Tatuy plateau, name as well of the Indian tribe that used to live there; Tatuy means the most ancient, from where its derived the local word Taita use to refer to father or grandfather. At this plateau crossed by important rivers was definitely established the Merida city, between the mountains ranges of the today National Parks of Sierra Nevada at southeast and the Sierra de La Culata at the northwest, which forms a beautiful valley with fresh mountain climate all year long.

In 1.622 the city was decreed capital of the Merida government, since that has become the epicenter of the Merida state life. In 1.875 was named Episcopal place, so there was created the seminary that became the Universidad de Los Andes (U.L.A.), that will give to the city one of its mains characteristics of student city.

Through all the Venezuelan history, Merida has always been cradle of important intellectuals and artists, as: Juan Felix Sanchez, Tulio Febres Cordero, Mariano Pico Salas, and much more. Merida is absolutely a land full of history, culture and tradition that worth a visit, in addition of being of top travel destination in Venezuela.