The Iowa Institute is located in Mérida, Venezuela. Nestled in the magnificent Andes mountains, Merida offers our students unbelievable year round weather. Averaging a warm (NOT HUMID!) 80 degrees, you'll need a sweatshirt in the morning, sunscreen and a hat in the afternoon, and again a sweatshirt in the evening. The capital of Mérida State and founded in 1558, the city of Merida is one of Venezuela's most popular tourist destinations and well known for its statues and parks (33 in all).  The Parque de las Cinco Republicas boasts the first monument in the world to Latin America's great liberator, Simón Bolívar, and contains soil from each of the five countries he emancipated.  The center of the city, as in every other Venezuelan town, is another monument to the famed Libertador.  Merida's Plaza Bolivar is particularly impressive,with glorious flowers surrounded by truly outstanding examples of colonial architecture. Small outdoor cafes abound, and time is passed playing chess, painting, watching the local artisans at work, or simply drinking coffee. Four blocks up from the plaza, yet still downtown, you will find the Iowa Institute in its own 180 year old colonial building. The typical indoor patio often turns into a dance floor when conversation hour talk turns to local music. To the beat of "salsa" and "merengue" our students experience the spirit and hospitality that has earned Mérida the name "City of Gentlemen". Mérida is also proud of its 210 year old Universidad de los Andes, with a student population of 41,000. Due to the wonderful combination of university activities, side by side with a strong local culture, visitors can enjoy big city entertainment in a safer small town environment, yet five minutes away spend time with a family that tills their fields with a plow and oxen! Other points of interest include the Plaza Beethoven where a different melody from Beethoven's works is chimed every hour; the Parque La Isla with its orchid gardens, amphitheater and lovely fountains; and the Andean folk museum, Jardín Acuario.  A trip to Mérida would not be complete without a jaunt on the world's highest and longest aerial cableway, which runs from Mérida to the 4,765 meter-high Pico Espejo. The brave are rewarded with a stunning view of Pico Bolívar, Venezuela's highest peak, and access to outstanding hiking trails that lead to ice caves and gorgeous alpine villages. In case you're ill-prepared, the station at Mérida rents jackets, gloves, caps and climbing equipment. The most common "out of town" activities are camping, fishing, hang-gliding, mountain biking, and hiking. Spectacular, (And I DO mean spectacular! ) hikes are right around the corner.