13 Apr 2016

South America travel: exploring the Andes

South America's Andes Mountains dominate the west coast of the continent, moving from Colombia and Ecuador in the north, all the way to Argentina in the south. The landscape of Latin America is often thought of as being a dense jungle and while this is true for many areas, there is a lot more to South American geography than that.

So take a trip with us as we explore this majestic mountain range and choose your next destination for a South American adventure.

Most people's image of The Andes looks like this:

view of Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains of Peru

And they're not wrong. The lost Incan city of Machu Picchu is indeed in the Peruvian Andes and in spite of its remote location, is one of the most visited sites in the country.

Want to go somewhere else? Try this:

stone steps in the Colombian jungle leading to the ciudad perdida, which predates Machu Picchu

This is jungle pathway to the Ciudad Perdida, otherwise known as Teyuna in the north of Colombia. The site pre-dates Machu Picchu by over 600 years and lay unknown by anyone except locals until the 1970s. The city is a reminder that the Incas were not the only pre-Colombian civilisation in South America and it a much quieter location for archaeology enthusiasts.

Not big on history? Don't worry, there's plenty of other outdoor activities...

the town of Copacabana on Lake Titicaca in Bolivia

Everyone knows about Copacabana in Bazil, but there is another one, just over the Peruvian boarder with Bolivia on the banks of Lake Titicaca. The lake is the one of the highest in the world in terms of altitude and is said to be the origin of the Inca civilisation. There are plenty of ruins to visit as well as countless lake tours and watersports to keep you busy.

Bolivia has lots of lakes though. Like this:

Laguna Celeste lake in fron of the volcano Uturuncu in Bolivia

The aptly-named Laguna Celeste which comes complete with its own volcano in the background.

Or this multicoloured lake, close to the city of Uyuni.

the pink-tinged waters of Laguna colorada on a clear day in Uyuni in Bolivia

The salt lake is on the high lying plateau of the Andes, known as the Altiplano and can be found in the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve close to the Chilean boarder.

Or for wow factor, explore the marble caves of Lake General Carrera in Chile.

the marble caves of Lake General Carrera, also known as Lake Buenos Aires in Peru

The glacial lake is also known as Lake Buenos Aires and sits on the boarder between Chile and Argentina.

The Andes are home to some fantastic national parks

peaks of the Cordillera Blanca in Huaraz national park, Peru

Like the Huaraz National Park in Peru, home to the Cordillera Blanca Mountains which form part of the Andes. The Cordillera Blanca alone have over 700 glaciers for you to explore.

Or try the Las Torres National Park in Chile.

Las Torres national park with the Los Cuernos mountains in the background

Love waterfalls? Head to Iguazu!

rainbow over the Iguazu falls on the boarder of Brazil and Argentina

Seriously.

close up of the Iguazu falls in the Andes mountain range

The Iguazu Falls lie on the boarder between Brazil and Argentina and is made up of somewhere between 150 and 300 individual waterfalls, depending on the rainfall and time of year. Pretty amazing, right?

If all these landscapes are too much for you, you can always stick to the cities.

The city of Cuenca in Ecuador

Try the quaint-looking colonial city of Cuenca in the south of Ecuador.

Or for some more colour, head to the town of Guatapé just outside of Medellín in Colombia.

brightly painted houses in the Colombian city of Antioquia

Still too small? Santiago de Chile may do.

sunset over the city of Santiago in Chile

Failing that, head to Argentina. Where you can explore by land...

Curving back roads of the Argentinian Altiplano in the Andes Mountains

Or by lake.

Kayaker on the clear waters of Lake Patagonia in Bariloche, Argentina

Visit Bariloche in the Lake District of Latin America. Where the water really is this clear.

Convinced about South America? We have Homestay hosts across the Andes and all of South America. Check out our listings in Peru, Ecuador, Brazil and more to find the host that's right for you and begin your Andean adventure.