Bolivia Tours

The altiplano, located at an average altitude of 4,000 meters, extends over an elongated band delimited by two imposing mountain ranges, the Occidental to the west, and the Cordillera Real to the east. The cold and dry climate reigns over the altiplano, taking into account that the humidity that comes from tropical regions is blocked by the Cordillera Real. The southern regions are considered arid, since they are frequently affected by drought, dry winds and temperatures that drop to -20°C in winter. However, in the middle of the altiplanic plain, two large bodies of water show their singular beauty: Lake Titicaca (to the north), and Lake Poopó (in the center).

The cold, arid and dry climate of the altiplano region is compensated by its singular beauty, by its mineral wealth (copper, silver, tin, tungsten, lithium, gold, among others.), by its extraordinary vegetation whose products were cataloged by the World Health Organization among the most complete foods (quinoa real, potato, etc.) and for its fauna, which provides inputs to the best fashion designers in the world (vicuña, alpaca, llama, etc.)

Another region that includes the sub-Andean zone is the Valleys, which are located in a strip from north to south of the country, between the Andes mountain range and the Amazon basin, at an intermediate altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level. It comprises most of the Department of Cochabamba, the eastern side of the Department of Potosí, the western halves of the Departments of Chuquisaca and Tarija, as well as a part of the Department of La Paz, and the westernmost portion of the Department of Santa Cruz (in the region where Valle Grande is located). Cochabamba is the city of the valley par excellence, although Sucre and the beautiful Tarija also stand out as important cities in this geographical area. The main characteristic of this area is the temperate climate and the diversity of crops, being the main suppliers of fruits and vegetables in the country. The hospitality of its people is well known, since pre-Hispanic times they moved to that area from different regions of the country to become agricultural and livestock producers.

WHAT IS THE CLIMATE LIKE IN BOLIVIA?

Bolivia’s climate encompasses a variety of temperatures and weather conditions: generally cold in the highlands, temperate in the valleys, and warm in the plains. In addition to the variability of weather conditions, many parts of the country experience irregular weather throughout the year or large and unpredictable variations.

The autumn-winter season is a cold, dry and sunny period in the valleys and highlands, especially in the latter, where low temperatures are recorded at the end of June and beginning of July, during these months in the east the days are cool with possible precipitation.

The spring-summer season is a hot and rainy period in the months of December, January, February and March. The rainy season also has its charm and the vegetation is more abundant.

Most of the destinations in Bolivia can be visited all year round, but certain places are more appreciable and accessible in certain seasons. In the Amazon zone there is a greater probability of inaccessibility during the rainy season than in the dry season, while the valleys and highlands are accessible practically all year round. Many say that the best season to visit Bolivia is from March to November. In general, the days are hot, the afternoons can be very cool in the Altiplano, in general, sun and blue skies. From December to March, the rainy season occurs, it is difficult to carry out activities, extreme sports and, above all, it makes internal mobilization by road difficult.