This gigantic, 47m-high monument is said to be the world’s tallest statue of the Virgin Mary . Frankly, it bears an eerie, uncanny resemblance to Darth Vader. Inaugurated in 1983, the massive, concrete statue stands on a 1700m-high mountaintop overlooking Trujillo, 11km southwest of the town. The internal elevator and staircase smell rather bad, yet provide access to five miradores (lookout points), the highest of which peeks out through the Virgin’s eyes. You can enjoy views over much of Trujillo state, and on a clear day you can even see the peaks of the Sierra Nevada de Mérida and a part of Lago de Maracaibo.
