Despite originally being associated with mountain tourism, cable car networks have become a key solution to mobility challenges in several Latin American countries. They provide citizens with an efficient way to navigate steep and otherwise difficult urban terrains.
Latin America is a geographically unique region, with many cities built on hilly landscapes. In these areas, cable cars offer a practical alternative where buses or subways may be too costly to construct or too expensive for users. Additionally, cable car networks have proven effective in connecting previously isolated neighborhoods, with some even boosting local tourism.
Here are the most important cable car networks in Latin America.
Longest cable car networks in Latin America
Teleferico de Santo Domingo
The Santo Domingo cable car network was built in the capital of the Dominican Republic mainly due to the city’s chronic congestion issues. It was inspired by the Medellin cable car and it is designed to serve 287,000 people living in the banks of the Isabela and Ozama rivers. This cable car network has 2.1 million yearly passengers.
It is also one of the newest cable car networks in Latin America, as its construction culminated on May 23, 2018, with the inauguration of the first line. Like most cable car systems, the Santo Domingo Teleferico offers aerial views of the Dominican capital.
Mexicable – Ecatepec, Mexico
Mexicable was created as a response to inefficient commutes of the residents of Ecatepec in the state of Mexico. The project started after the Mexican government awarded the concession in January 2014. Construction concluded two years later in October 2016.
This construction successfully changed the mobility of the residents of Ecatepec, as it cut travel times from an hour to 17 minutes, serving 5.5 million annual passengers.
Despite Mexicable being primarily built for the needs of the residents of Ecatepec, the cable car has attracted tourists as it has views of the surrounding Sierra de Guadalupe, which has colorful murals painted by the local community.
Medellin’s Metrocable
Metrocable was created due to the existing need to integrate isolated comunas, the low-income hillside neighborhoods, with the rest of the city.
The project was planned in the 1990’s but was inaugurated in 2004 with Line K, as Mayor Luis Perez pushed for its creation as it was a key part of his social urbanism strategy. Crucially, Metrocable connects Medellin’s Comuna 13, a zone deeply affected by violence, with the rest of the city. The line began operation in 2012, helping to transform one of the city’s most marginalized neighborhoods into one of its most vibrant areas.
After Metrocable’s introduction, comunas like San Javier and Santo Domingo have become one of the main cultural attractions in the city. Another major tourist attraction by Metrocable is Arví Park, which is one of the most biodiverse and naturally rich areas in the city. Metrocable is estimated to carry 14.3 million passengers every year.
Colombia has other three significant cable car networks, Transmicable in Bogota, Cable Aereo in Manizales, and Miocable in Cali transport 700,000, 3,1 million, and 2,2 million yearly passengers respectively.
Cablebus – Mexico City
This cable car system was born out of the need to improve connectivity in one of the biggest cities in Latin America, and the world, Mexico D.F. The first line of Cablebus was inaugurated in 2021, with the most recent line being inaugurated on September 24, 2024.
Cablebus covers a very large area, as it has six different stations connecting cultural hotspots around Bosque de Chapultepec. It has effectively reduced commutes around these areas from 40 to 21 minutes. Other cultural areas that this cable car network connects include the Los Pinos Cultural Center, the National Cineteca of Chapultepec, and the National Art Bodega.
As Cablebus is located in one of the world’s biggest cities, it is estimated that this cable car network serves 60,000 passengers every day, around 22 million yearly.
Mi Teleférico – La Paz, Bolivia
Mi Teleferico in La Paz, Bolivia, was built in 2014 with the purpose of overcoming some of the extreme geographical challenges in one of the highest cities in the world, as it also connects the Bolivian capital to the nearby city of El Alto. This cable car network is the longest in the world and Latin America, spanning over 30 kilometers in length.
This network transports 200,000 passengers daily. It does not usually attract tourists as it is mainly used for urban transportation, but it offers high views of the Andean landscapes.