Andes travel, tours and Vacation packages

A short guide about Andes

Rising abruptly from the Pacific coast, the Andes Mountains of South America is one of the greatest mountain systems in the world, and includes some of the world’s highest peaks. Although 50 of these mountains soar higher than 6,100 m above sea level, the Andes still cannot match the Himalayas in height, only in length. The mountain ranges extend for more than 7000 km in a narrow belt along the western edge of South America, from the coast of the Caribbean Sea in the north, to the island of Tierra del Fuego in the extreme south. The mountains extend over seven countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, and some of these are known as Andean States.

The plateaus and mountain valleys of the Andes contain some of the highest settlements in the world and several major cities exist, Bogota the capital of Colombia, Quito the capital of Ecuador, La Paz the capital of Bolivia, and the famous Peruvian city of Cusco. These and most other cities are now connected with asphalted roads, while smaller towns are connected by dirt roads, which may require a 4x4 vehicle. For centuries parts of the Andes have been densely populated by indigenous farmers and herdsmen, with Llamas continuing to play an important role as pack animals and are still used for their wool, milk and meat. Crops are planted on hillside terraces, constructed to take advantage of scarce agricultural land located on steep terrain. Being rich in mineral deposits, copper is mined in Chile and Peru, and antimony and tin are mined in Bolivia, with many of these mines more than 4,600 m above sea level.

Tourism is also a major source of revenue in some areas, such as in Peru where tourists visit the ancient cities of Machu Picchu and Cuzco. These sites were constructed by the Incas, a pre-Colombian people who built an extensive civilization extending from central Chile to northern Ecuador. The Andes have a large effect on the temperatures of nearby areas and the climate is known to change drastically, with rainforests existing just miles away from the snow covered peak, Cotopaxi.

South America is such an amazing continent with the Andes Mountains stretching from north to south the traveler is spoilt for choice. Many of Tourabouts tours and travel packages to this country include a journey through some part of the Andes, such as a jungle stay in Ecuador to trekking the Inca Trail.