Andes

The location of the Andes in South America

For other places with the same name, see Andes (disambiguation).

The Andes are a vast mountain chain in South America. They extend from Chile to Venezuela through Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador.

Regions

• In Venezuela:

  Venezuela's Andean region

• In Colombia

  Andino

• In Ecuador:

  Andean Highlands -

• In Peru:

  Northern Sierra -

  Central Sierra -

  Southern Sierra - Notable tourist attractions in this area include Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley

  The Altiplano region - a prominent tourist attraction in this area includes among others the Lake Titicaca

• In Bolivia:

  The Altiplano region - a prominent tourist attraction in this area includes among others the Lake Titicaca

• In Chile:
• In Argentina:

Cities

• 1 Bogota - The capital of Colombia (located at 2,640 meters above sea level).
• 2 Quito - The capital of Ecuador (located at 2,850 meters above sea level).
• 3 Cusco - A city located in southeastern Peru that was once the capital of the Inca Empire. The city is a major tourist destination in Peru and is visited every year by around 2 million visitors. Cusco was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983. (located at 3,310 meters above sea level).
• 4 La Paz - The third largest city in Bolivia. Although the official capital of Bolivia is Sucre, La Paz is the de facto capital city and therefore La Paz is considered by many as the highest capital city in the world. (located at 3,660 meters above sea level).

Other destinations

Mount Aconcagua (that rises to 6,964 meters above the sea level) is the highest mountain in the Andes

The main peaks

• 1 Pico Bolívar - The highest peak in Venezuela (located at 4,982 meters above sea level).

• 2 Chimborazo - A volcano and the highest peak in Ecuador (located at 6,268 meters above sea level).

• 3 Alpamayo

• 4 Huascarán - The highest peak in Peru (located at 6,768 meters above sea level).

• 5 Nevado Sajama - A volcano and the highest peak in Bolivia (located at 6,542 meters above sea level).

• 6 Ojos del Salado - The tallest volcano in the world and the highest peak in Chile (located at 6,880 meters above sea level)

• 7 Aconcagua - The highest peak in the Andes (located at 6,959 meters above sea level).

Talk

Almost everyone you encounter will be able to communicate in Spanish. Quechua and Aymara are also major languages in the region, and there are some lesser-known tribal language.

English is spoken by most people in the tourism industry, at least in major destinations.

See

• Aconcagua, the highest peak of the Andes, rises to 6,962m above sea level, making the Andes the highest mountain range outside Asia. Climbing expeditions for Aconcagua usually set out from the Argentinian city of Mendoza
• Ojos del Salado in Northern Chile is a comparatively easy to climb peak, still 6,893m. In fact it is so gradual that it's a place of choice for height records for motor vehicles (although the summit hasn't been reached in such a way yet) and possibly the highest summit you can reach by only hiking.

Do

• Many ski centers operate in the Andes during the winter months.
• Hike the Inca Trail.

Stay healthy

Obviously, the Andes include some high-altitude destinations. To avoid headaches and potentially worse symptoms, it's a good idea to acclimate to the altitude slowly; see altitude sickness for more details.

Go next

• The Rocky Mountains in North America