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Parishes of Morán Municipality

The 9 parishes of Morán Municipality, Lara state, Venezuela: El Tocuyo (capital), Anzoátegui, Bolívar, Guárico, Hilario Luna y Luna, Humocaro Alto, Humocaro Bajo, La Candelaria and Morán.

Morán Municipality in Lara state is divided into 9 civil parishes. Its capital is El Tocuyo, the historic "Mother City of Venezuela" founded in 1545. Each parish has its own landscape, climate and production, from the warm valleys of the Tocuyo river basin to the Andean páramos in the south of the municipality.

Complete list: the 9 parishes of Morán Municipality

  1. El Tocuyo — municipal capital and historic center (620 masl).
  2. Anzoátegui — rural parish to the south, agricultural.
  3. Bolívar — Sierra de Barbacoas, coffee and forests.
  4. Guárico — Andean village, gateway to Dinira National Park.
  5. Hilario Luna y Luna — capital Volcancito, agricultural vocation.
  6. Humocaro Alto — high-altitude coffee, founded on June 6, 1620.
  7. Humocaro Bajo — Andean neighbor of Humocaro Alto.
  8. La Candelaria — devotion to the Virgin of La Candelaria.
  9. Morán — parish that gives the municipality its name.

Valley parishes (lowlands)

The parishes of the Tocuyo river valley concentrate the agricultural activity of sugar cane, vegetables and warm-climate crops.

El Tocuyo (municipal capital)

Altitude: 620 m above sea level

Capital of Morán Municipality and the founding historic district of the Mother City of Venezuela. It concentrates the municipal administration, the main reconstructed colonial churches, plazas, museums, and the commercial activity of the municipality.

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Anzoátegui

Altitude: 900–1,400 m above sea level

Mountainous parish south of El Tocuyo, with transitional landscapes between the Tocuyo valley and the Lara Andes. A traditional, agricultural town planted with coffee, vegetables, potatoes, and black beans.

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La Candelaria

Altitude: 700–1,200 m above sea level

Parish of Morán Municipality with a strong religious identity, dedicated to **Our Lady of Candelaria**. Agricultural communities, traditional houses, and patron saint festivities celebrated every **February 2**.

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Morán

Altitude: 600–1,100 m above sea level

Parish that gives its name to Morán Municipality. It honors **General José Trinidad Morán**, a Tocuyo-born hero of Independence. Rural communities with an agricultural and livestock vocation, organized around hamlets in the western part of the municipality.

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Andean parishes (highlands)

The parishes in the south of the municipality lie between 800 and 2,300 masl. They produce high-altitude coffee, temperate fruits and serve as the gateway to Dinira National Park.

Bolívar

Altitude: 800–1,800 m above sea level

Parish in the eastern part of Morán Municipality whose capital is **Barbacoas**, a historic town at the foot of the **Sierra de Barbacoas**. It combines cloud forest landscapes, watersheds, and high-altitude arabica coffee production.

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Guárico

Altitude: 1,500–2,200 m above sea level

Andean parish in the south of Morán Municipality. Its capital, the town of Guárico, is one of the **highest towns in Lara state** (≈ 1,700 m above sea level). Gateway to **Dinira National Park** and the **Cendé páramo**, source of the Tocuyo River.

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Hilario Luna y Luna

Altitude: 1,000–1,600 m above sea level

Rural parish of Morán Municipality whose capital is **Volcancito**. Its name pays tribute to a local family with strong community roots. An agricultural vocation with productive hamlets scattered across the foothills of the southern Tocuyo region.

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Humocaro Alto

Altitude: 1,700–2,300 m above sea level

Emblematic Andean town of Morán Municipality, located in the heart of the mountains. Famous for its **high-altitude coffee**, its church with Marian traditions, its landscapes, and its cool climate. Cradle of deep musical and religious traditions of southern Lara.

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Humocaro Bajo

Altitude: 1,300–2,000 m above sea level

Andean town of Morán Municipality, neighbor of Humocaro Alto. At a lower altitude, its surroundings combine **coffee**, **high-altitude sweet sugar cane**, fruit trees, and an urban center with a plaza, church, and traditional commerce. A key point on the coffee route of southern Lara.

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Summary table of the parishes of Morán Municipality

ParishCapitalAltitudeProduction
El Tocuyo (municipal capital)El Tocuyo620 m above sea levelsugar cane, onion, tomato, corn, black beans
AnzoáteguiAnzoátegui900–1,400 m above sea levelcoffee, vegetables, potatoes, tubers, black beans
BolívarBarbacoas800–1,800 m above sea levelcoffee, potatoes, temperate fruit trees, vegetables
GuáricoGuárico1,500–2,200 m above sea levelcoffee, potatoes, strawberries, blackberries, peaches, garlic, carrots
Hilario Luna y LunaVolcancito1,000–1,600 m above sea levelcoffee, vegetables, potatoes, black beans
Humocaro AltoHumocaro Alto1,700–2,300 m above sea levelcoffee, potatoes, temperate fruit trees, vegetables
Humocaro BajoHumocaro Bajo1,300–2,000 m above sea levelcoffee, vegetables, fruit trees, sugar cane
La CandelariaLa Candelaria700–1,200 m above sea levelsugar cane, corn, vegetables, coffee
MoránMorán600–1,100 m above sea levelsugar cane, livestock, vegetables, corn

Morán Municipality in Lara state

Morán Municipality is one of the 9 municipalities of Lara state. It is located in the south of the state and borders the states of Trujillo and Portuguesa. It covers approximately 2,230 km² and has a population of close to 190,000 inhabitants. Its capital is El Tocuyo, a city founded on December 7, 1545 by the Spanish conquistador Juan de Carvajal.

The municipality takes its name from the Independence hero José Trinidad Morán (El Tocuyo, 1796 – Arequipa, 1854), commander of the Vargas Battalion at the Battle of Corpahuaico (1824), six days before Ayacucho. The Constituent Assembly of Lara state changed the name of the former Tocuyo District to Morán District on December 31, 1925.

How to get to Morán Municipality

The municipal capital, El Tocuyo, is about 70 km southeast of Barquisimeto, capital of Lara state, via the national highway through Quíbor. The drive takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes by vehicle. There is public transport (buses and shared taxis) from the Barquisimeto Passenger Terminal.

The Andean parishes (Humocaro Alto, Humocaro Bajo, Guárico) are 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes south of El Tocuyo via mountain roads with spectacular landscapes.

Dive deeper into the complete guide to Morán Municipality, the history of El Tocuyo or tourism in Morán Municipality.

Frequently asked questions about the parishes of Morán Municipality

What are the parishes of Morán Municipality?

Morán Municipality has 9 parishes in Lara state, Venezuela: El Tocuyo (municipal capital), Anzoátegui, Bolívar, Guárico, Hilario Luna y Luna, Humocaro Alto, Humocaro Bajo, La Candelaria and Morán.

What is the capital of Morán Municipality?

The capital of Morán Municipality is El Tocuyo, known as the "Mother City of Venezuela" for having been founded in 1545 and for being the starting point of the settlement of central and western Venezuela. El Tocuyo concentrates the municipal administration, the main churches, plazas, museums and businesses.

How many parishes does Morán Municipality have?

Morán Municipality has 9 parishes according to the political division of Lara state. Its capital is the El Tocuyo parish and the remaining 8 parishes are rural or semi-rural, distributed between warm valleys and high Andean zones.

Which parish of Morán Municipality is the highest?

Humocaro Alto is the highest parish of Morán Municipality, with altitudes between 1,700 and 2,300 meters above sea level. It is famous for its high-altitude coffee and its cool climate. It is followed by Guárico (1,500–2,200 masl) and Bolívar (800–1,800 masl).

What is produced in the parishes of Morán Municipality?

The lowland parishes (El Tocuyo, La Candelaria, Morán) produce sugar cane, vegetables, onion, tomato, corn and beans. The highland parishes (Humocaro Alto, Humocaro Bajo, Guárico, Bolívar) produce high-altitude coffee, potato, strawberry, blackberry, peach and other temperate fruits.

Why is the municipality called Morán?

Morán Municipality bears that name in honor of the Independence hero José Trinidad Morán (El Tocuyo, 1796 – Arequipa, 1854), who fought alongside Bolívar and commanded the Vargas Battalion at the Battle of Corpahuaico (1824), saving the patriot army six days before Ayacucho. The Constituent Assembly of Lara state changed the name of the former Tocuyo District to Morán District on December 31, 1925.

In which state of Venezuela is Morán Municipality?

Morán Municipality is in Lara state, in the central-western region of Venezuela. Its capital is El Tocuyo, located about 70 km southeast of Barquisimeto (the state capital). The municipality covers approximately 2,230 km² and has a population of close to 190,000 inhabitants.