South America

Brief summary:

The Andes Mountains runs west of the continent from north to south, and is the second highest mountain range in the world after the Himalayas. It has several peaks exceeding 6,000 metres above sea level, with the highest peak being Aconcagua, which is the highest in the Americas at 6962 metres above sea level. Throughout its extension, the Andean areas vary in their characteristics, such as the high plateau known as the Puna in the centre and forest sectors in the south.

To the east of the mountain range, there are extensive lowland areas such as the Orinoco plains, the Amazon, the Gran Chaco and the Pampas plains. In particular, the Amazon is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world and lies along the Amazon River basin, which is the longest river on the planet.

On the other hand, the continent is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, with coastline and beaches on both sides.

Touristically there are many other areas of interest, such as the Patagonia in the far south, different mountain chains such as the Sierras Pampeanas (Pampean Mountains) and Serranías de Santiago (Santiago Mountains), and several islands such as the Galapagos, Chiloé Island, Margarita Island and Tierra del Fuego.