Footprint Expeditions in South America

The Andes is the longest, continuous mountain chain on the Earth. The Andes form the western margin of the continent and run along the Pacific Ocean from Tierra del Fuego in the south to the north of Venezuela and Panama. The Amazon Basin covers most of Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, and the Guyana’s, starting from the east side of the Andes and finishing along the Atlantic. In this way, the Amazon River is considered the widest, vastest, and most plentiful river in the world.

Other interesting areas throughout the region are the wetlands of Pantanal, which are considered the largest wetlands on the planet. Also, there is the Altiplano Plateau, a flat area in the Andes covering the southern part of Peru and Northern Bolivia. The country of Argentina also has Las Pampas, a vast, grassy area located in the Southern part of the country.

South America is home to the world's highest waterfall: Angel Falls, in Venezuela. It is also home to the largest river (by volume), the Amazon River; the longest mountain range, the Andes (whose highest mountain is Aconcagua at 6,962 m (22,841 ft)); the driest place on earth, the Atacama Desert; the largest rainforest, the Amazon Rainforest; the highest capital city, La Paz, Bolivia; the highest commercially navigable lake in the world, Lake Titicaca; and, excluding research stations in Antarctica, the world's southernmost permanently inhabited community, Puerto Toro, Chile.

South America is one of the most biodiverse continents on earth. South America is home to many interesting and unique species of animals including the llama, condor, anaconda, piranha, jaguar, vicuña, and tapir. The Amazon rainforests possess high biodiversity, containing a major proportion of the Earth's species. Regions in South America include the Andean States, the Guianas, the Southern Cone, and Brazil, which is by far the largest country in both area and population.

South America has a bit of everything: mountains, wetlands, jungle, grasslands, beaches, and islands all of which lend to the practice of unlimited outdoor sports such as hiking, kayaking, river rafting, zip lines, biking, ATVs, horse back riding, 4x4 excursions, bird watching, rock climbing, paragliding, kiting, etc. Come and discover this incredible place with Footprint Expeditions.