In the following I will show you what the climate is like in the different areas of South America. You will find out when the best time to travel to South America is. For the different regions and countries I will list the best travel months for you. For the largest countries in South America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, etc.) I have created separate articles for you about the best travel time. There you will get very detailed information about the best travel time for certain activities on vacation. Using climate tables, I will show you the temperatures and the climate in the various holiday regions and give you all the important information about the weather. Let yourself be inspired and discover the natural wonder of South America with me !
Geographical location of South America
South America is the fourth largest continent on earth. In the north it borders on Central America and in the south on the neighboring continent of Antarctica. The closest continent to the east is Africa and to the west New Zealand. South America is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. According to Countryaah website, the largest country in South America is Brazil with an area of 8,515,770 square kilometers. Other countries in South America are Argentina , Chile, Peru, Colombia , Venezuela and others. Likewise, the Falkland Islands and the ABC Islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao belong to South America. In total, South America consists of 13 countries and six islands / island states. You can find out what these are on the following Google Maps map. If you click on an area, I will direct you to informative articles about the country / island. You can also see on the map how South America is geographically structured. This structure is also relevant with regard to the climate in South America. Learn more about it in the next section!
What is the climate like in South America?
The climate in South America is a natural spectacle. The most varied of climatic zones exist here. The reason for this is, on the one hand, the location between the two oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific. But the topographical conditions also play a major role. The altitude or whether it is a coastal region, a desert or a rainforest, have an influence on the climate. In the South American regions of the Amazon, Patagonia, Andes and the Atacama Desert, very different climates prevail. That’s why you now get an overview of the climate in the individual areas of South America.
Climate in the Amazon region
The Amazon River runs in northern Brazil and beyond . It crosses the Amazon basin , which is shaped by a tropical rainforest , to the Atlantic in eastern South America. The Amazon also touches the states of Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. The Amazon region has a tropical, hot and humid climate . Temperatures hardly vary over the course of the year. It is warm and humid all year round. Temperatures fluctuate between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius over the course of the year. That is why the Amazon area is not divided into seasons, but into dry and rainy seasons. The dry season lasts from July to December in most of the Amazon. The rainy season in the Amazon is from November to May. During this time it rains up to 19 days per month.
Climate in Patagonia
Patagonia is a large region in the states of Argentina and Chile. The Andes mountain range has a significant influence on the climate in Patagonia . It runs through Patagonia. Therefore, a distinction is made between Western Patagonia (west of the Andes) and Eastern Patagonia (east of the Andes). In Western Patagonia there is a cool climate with a lot of precipitation. Precipitation is particularly high in the south of Western Patagonia. In Eastern Patagonia, on the other hand, the climate is semi-arid, similar to a desert climate. The clouds loosen up over the Andes, so that it remains mostly dry in the Argentine part of Patagonia. Learn more about the climate and weather in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego in my article on the best time to travel to Patagonia .
Climate in the Andes
The climate in the Andes is different depending on the altitude. Generally it is cooler on the mountain range than in the country. Please note the following for your trekking tours: The average temperature below 1,000 meters is 25 degrees Celsius. The higher you climb, the cooler it gets. At an altitude of 3,500 meters, the average temperature is 12 degrees Celsius. Temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius are only reached from an altitude of 5,000 meters. The rainy season in the Andes is between November and March .
Climate in the Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert extends over a distance of 1,200 kilometers along the Pacific coast of South America. It is located in northern Chile and southern Peru. The climate in the Atacama coast is hyper-arid. The desert is in the rain shadow of the Andes, so it only rains here every few years. Due to the cool sea air, the climate in the Atacama Desert is not unbearably hot. The temperatures averaged 25 degrees Celsius . Nevertheless, the Atacama Desert is considered to be the driest desert in the world. In some places, no rain has been measured for decades.
