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Where is the country of Bolivia located? Bolivia is a country that is fairly centrally located in South America. Bolivia and neighboring Paraguay are the only two countries on the continent that do not have a coastline. The lack of the effect of seawater on the climate and the location on the eastern side of the Andes Mountains are the most determining factors for the climate in Bolivia. The southwestern half consists mainly of highlands (the Highlands of Bolivia), with the highest points Illampu (6362 meters) and Nevado Sajama (6542 meters). The altitudes are the determining factor for the range of the temperatures, the location on the eastern side of the Andes makes this a dry to very dry area. The eastern border of the highlands is slightly wetter due to rain coming in from the Amazon region. The north and east of Bolivia consist of lowlands that partly belong to the Amazon region that spans thousands of kilometers. Some rivers that eventually flow into the Amazon originate in Bolivia.

Climate types

The west and southwest of Bolivia have a combination of desert and steppe climates. The higher areas in the Andes have a high mountain climate, also known as an alpine climate. Due to the altitudes, the temperatures there are a lot lower than in the rest of Bolivia. Precipitation is a rare phenomenon in the mountains, making this area in Bolivia one of the drier regions of the South American continent. The eastern areas of the Plateau of Bolivia, which runs vertically through Bolivia as a strip of about 100-200 kilometers, have a mix of diverse climates that are often referred to as subtropical climates. A subtropical climate is a collective name for different climate types, such as the warm maritime climate, the warm China climate and the temperate steppe climate, where the temperature is quite high, but not high enough to belong to the really warm or tropical climates. Geographical location is the most determining factor for what exact climate type applies in these regions of Bolivia. The lowlands of Bolivia have tropical climates, with the tropical savanna climate (type Aw) being the most common. Some small areas have a tropical rainforest climate or tropical monsoon climate, where there is a monsoon period or rainy season. where the tropical savanna climate (type Aw) is most prevalent. Some small areas have a tropical rainforest climate or tropical monsoon climate, where there is a monsoon period or rainy season. where the tropical savanna climate (type Aw) is most prevalent. Some small areas have a tropical rainforest climate or tropical monsoon climate, where there is a monsoon period or rainy season.

Precipitation

The local summer, which runs from January to February, is the wettest period in Bolivia. Depending on the region, there will be fifteen to more than four hundred millimeters per month. In the local winter period, this drops to zero to more than a hundred millimeters per month, whereby it should be noted that the highest amounts are really very local and do not occur that much. The winters in Bolivia are mainly dry to very dry. In winters precipitation can fall in the form of snow, on the highest mountain peaks it can snow all year round and there are even permanent white peaks.

Temperatures

The temperature trend and the average temperatures on the basis of multi-year records differ considerably. The average figures are determined by the location and the altitude, the final actual temperatures are very fickle. For example, if you look at the city of La Paz, which is at an altitude of more than three and a half kilometers, you will see that the average maximum and minimum temperatures show quite small differences within a year. However, the extremes are considerably larger, indicating that the average temperatures in this case have relatively little value. In the northeast, these differences are considerably smaller and the temperature trend is fairly constant.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Best time to visit Bolivia

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Bolivia? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. Bolivia is centrally located within the continent of South America. It is one of two countries in South America that does not border a sea. The weather is therefore mainly determined by the location and the altitude. You can divide Bolivia climatically into three areas: the tropical rainforest in the north, the savanna that dominates a large part of the eastern half and the Andes Mountains in the southwestern part of Bolivia. Within the Andes you will see a large mix of climate types, in which the altitude is largely decisive. In the central-western part you mainly see the relatively cool tundra climate. If you go further south within the Andes, dry desert and steppe climates predominate.

Best months

Because you are dealing with four different climate areas, it is a bit more difficult to indicate one specific period as the best time to travel to Bolivia. We would recommend for the months of June, July or Augustchoose a holiday to Bolivia, especially if you want to travel around, which most people do when traveling to Bolivia. This is the driest period in Bolivia. In terms of temperature, it does not matter much for the tropical north. In the lowlands and the Andes you notice that this is the cooler period. For the savannah, this means pleasant weather with temperatures that average between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius during the day. In the capital La Paz it is around 11 to 13 degrees and it can freeze slightly at night. During the local summer (November to February) it is several degrees warmer, but also much wetter.