Best Time To Travel To: Bolivia
Bolivia is located in South America between 10° and 23° South. The country is landlocked and surrounded on all sides by other countries. There are borders with Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru.
Climatically, Bolivia is classified as tropical, but there are several different regions. At first glance, Bolivia has two very different areas - the Andes, which reach heights of 6,100 meters, and the lowlands, which lie east of the Andes.
But within the Andes alone one can identify up to four typical climatic zones, which depend on the altitude: tierra caliente (up to about 900 meters), tierra templada (from 900 to 1,800 meters), tierra fria (from 1,800 to 3,000 meters) and the climate of the altiplano above 3,000 meters. Basically, the snow line in most of the mountains is around 2,500 meters. On the top altitudes there can be permafrost and you can even find some glaciers.
Typical for the climate on the plateau of the Andes is the climate of La Paz. Here one finds a tropical highland climate. Rainfall is low and the main rainy season is between December and March. Basically, the plateau has a cool but quite dry climate. The temperatures are determined by the altitude, the higher you get, the cooler it gets. In the course of the year the temperatures show small fluctuations. The higher, the greater the temperature fluctuations. Nights at high altitudes can get very cold. In winter there can always be frost, especially at night. Up here there is low air pressure, which can cause problems for sensitive and untrained people. Another typical problem for the high altitudes is the rather intense solar radiation. One hardly feels the rays of the sun because of the pleasant temperatures and quickly gets a sunburn.
Both the lowlands in the north and those in the center of Bolivia have a humid tropical climate. Temperatures are high all year round, and it usually rains from time to time. In the center, however, a fairly dry climate can be observed during the period of the southwest trade winds between May and September.
The lowlands to the east of the Andes cover more than half of the country. Here, again, one finds an extremely varied climate. Most parts lie between 250 and 900 meters, and temperatures are relatively high throughout the year. Overall, it is rainier here than in the Andes, with rainfall increasing towards the north. The high temperatures combined with the high rainfall produce quite high humidity, which many visitors find uncomfortable. The hot and humid climate reaches a peak in October and March. Typical here would be the climate table of Conception. When the sun is low, however, the lowlands can also get some of the Arctic cold air front. Especially at night, the temperature can then drop to just a few degrees above zero.
A special climate can be found in the Chaco region. Here one can also speak of a tropical climate. The Chaco normally brings the highest temperatures in the country, which can sometimes rise above 45° C. From January to March it rains quite a lot in the Chaco, although the temperatures are consistently high. Otherwise, however, it is a relatively dry region.
The best time to travel to Bolivia is probably the winter from May to October. It is then comparatively dry and beautiful. A peak of travel in the country is usually in July and August, then most vacationers are on the road.
