North of San Rafael, at an altitude of about 3600m, is the Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía , an astronomical observatory with four telescopes and a museum of astronomy. It’s normally open to the public only on weekends, but during peak holiday seasons (Christmas, Carnaval, Easter, August) it’s open daily. CIDA is off the main road, and there is no public transportation on the access road to the observatory, but visits can be organized from Mérida by any tour company. Tours (BsF120 per person) depart on Saturday at 2pm (daily in high season) from Parque Las Heroínas and return around midnight.
