Bolivia is located in the heart of South America. It is the least populated and least explored of the nine South American countries. This beautiful, fascinating and largely unknown country is blessed with a great variety of ecosystems and historical sites. It is home to high snowy summits, unexcavated Inca ruins, the world’s largest salt flats, high mountain thermal vents and geysers, tropical valleys, Amazon rainforests, vast wetlands that include the western Pantanal, Spanish colonial cities and more. Bolivia’s cultural heritage is likewise diverse and includes an unusual combination and contrasts of the modern with ancestors of ancient peoples who to this day preserve many of the traditions and rites handed down from hundreds of years past.
Little known Bolivia is also one of 8 countries with the greatest concentrated biodiversity on Earth. It has 29 protected areas of which 12 are National Parks and 9 are National Reserves. Western Bolivia consists the Altiplano, a vast, Andean highland plain that ranges from 12,000 feet (3657.64 meters) to more that 15,00o feet (4572.05 meters) above sea level, and a number of major and minor major Andean mountain ranges. Bolivia’s mountains are beautiful and very impressive. Some 500 mountain peaks populate the region, including Bolivia’s highest, Nevado Sajama, an extinct snow capped volcano reaching 21,463 feet (6,542 meters).
The highest and most climbed range is the Cordillera Real which includes excellent variety for climbers with amateur to professional level climbing skills. The central and eastern part of the country consists of jungle and verdant valleys through which flow magnificent rivers which join the Amazon River farther north and east in Brazil. In the protected areas of this part of the country there are about 20,000 species of superior plants, 1,350 species of birds, 20 species of primates, 316 species of mammals, 220 species of reptiles and more than 100 species of amphibians, with many more presumed undiscovered.
Bolivia offers the adventure traveler extraordinary contrasts and unforgettable opportunities in mountaineering, trekking, biking, fishing, expeditions to the Amazon tributary drainages, the Andean region, and sightseeing in Spanish colonial cities, to mention just a few. Bolivia offers the opportunity to view and participate in ethnic villages that have not changed much in centuries. The friendly and open people of this amazing country demonstrate a rich diversity of cultures, languages, customs, foods, and rituals in an authentic and open environment. Imagine the wonder and excitement of exploring Bolivia and meeting her fascinating people in person!
For more information about Bolivia visitwww.turismobolivia.bo, the official site of Viceministery of Tourism of Bolivia. The site has both English and Spanish versions.
